Hi Friends! Just want to share another vlog and this time I’m doing episodes reviews of “Girl From Nowhere”. This topped the charts of Netflix Philippines recently.
Girl From Nowhere is a Thai series centered on a girl named Nanno. She’s clever and mysterious. She transfers from school to school to expose the dark secrets of selfish teachers and students. Each episodes are stand-alone on its own (except for two part episodes). Overall, I loved this series because it is not only thrilling but it tackles real-life relevant issues.
Come join with me as I rank each stories, revisit their endings and the moral lessons that comes with it.
WARNING: Videos comes with a lot of spoilers! Video is in my local language Filipino but English Subtitle is available.
Jen (Nadine Lustre) is an island tourist guide who loves to dance without an audience due to a childhood traumatic experience. Her dancing in the middle of the ocean caught the eyes of the passing tourists and her video went viral in social media. Vin (Sam Concepcion) who happens to be in the same island immediately sought her to be a new member of Indak Pinas , a dance group that would represent the Philippines in the World Dance Competition in South Korea.
WHAT I LIKED!
I love the actors. First, Nadine Lustre has the perfect island girl look. .We all know she’s a total performer. She can sing, dance and act. And I’m happy that she got a chance to show it off here. She embodies the look of real Filipina beauty. But what I like most from Nadine Lustre was that she has both mainstream and contemporary appeal. Like for example, I can imagine her take indie film roles and do it with justice. Something that won’t work with other mainstream actresses. She has that kind of magic for me. Sam Concepcion is perfect also for this movie. He can dance but I love his singing more. He also surprised me that he can act. He has this expressive and vulnerable eyes. I never saw him act so it’s a revelation to me. I want to see more of him.
The visuals and framing. I was blown-away how they showcase Bantayan Island in Cebu . For me, this is a low-key tourism video and I say that in a positive light. I love the colors they put whenever the scene is in Bantayan at broad daylight. It brings out the paradise in this island.
The music. I appreciate that they invested in original songs for this movie. I personally like the song “Sumayaw sa Indak”. There was this authentic Filipino pride in that song that sends the message of “never giving up” in dancing tune.
It’s rare for Philippine Cinema to have a sort of musical movie targeting younger audiences. I love the song and dance numbers. On top of that, there was this whole poetic narrations from Nadine that anchored the whole movie. It is ambitious. I like it and it turns out really fresh.
MESSAGE of THE MOVIE
Don’t let a one-time disappointment pull you down and limit your world. And also the support you can give to your friends and family can go a long way in helping them face their fears. This theme explored between the relationship of Jen and her mother (Yayo Aguila). Their relationship is the most moving part of the movie.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE!
Underdeveloped sub-plots. Is there a love triangle? Not so much. Is this a love story? Yes, kind of. Is this about the journey of a Filipino creatives braving the international stage? Yes. There was a chemistry with Nadine and Sam but it felt like the movie skipped on building it up appropriately. So when it’s time for the characters to make drama out if it, there was this lack of intensity. I have to mention that I specially hated the scene at the airport. So there’s a love triangle drama going on in the most inconvenient time. While, it can give the movie the conflict it should have, the lack of development leading to that conflict is just problematic. Perhaps, the movie has some issues with balancing between their journey to the world dance and the romance backstory.
There were awkward lip syncing going on in some of the parts of the movie. It’s not the talent’s fault because their voices are really great. It’s just the technicality of syncing their voice and the video. And it’s unsettling to watch.
FINAL VERDICT! ★★★½
3.5 out of 5 stars! Despite the many flaws in the story, the movie is refreshing, brave and has good message.
1.SUDDEN unprofessionalism from Nadine’s character. As I’ve mentioned above, there was this annoying airport scene wherein Jen did not show up in the airport for their boarding time. I didn’t get the sudden drama of not showing of having second thoughts. Also, Vin and Jen are living in the same condo. Why don’t they go the airport together? In the end Jen showed to the airport and the following scenes suggests that she and Sam flew on a different plane. Jen’s selfishness carried on before the competition itself as she did not inform the team that she’s already in the venue. And she just showed when they are about to dance. I get it that she’s heartbroken but the events leading to it did not get proper build-up to make her actions justifiable.
2. They didn’t win as champions in World Dance Competition.
3. Sam’s character was engaged in the past and it turns out that he has not moved on and has been using Jen as rebound. Some scenes suggests that the girl might have been dead already.
4. It was not really clear if they became officially together at the end. Or Indak team were just having a vacation in Bantayan Island after the competition.
And that’s it ! I’ve been watching a lot of films these days. And I have more movie reviews coming up. If you have watched this film, let me now your thoughts below!
Alex (Michael V) is an optimistic and successful animator, with a beautiful wife and kind son. Everything seems perfect until they learned that his wife May (Dawn Zulueta) has stage 4 cancer. To make matters worst, she revealed that she has been cheating from for 2 years already.
What I like: The cinematography is lit. It’s rosy and colorful like some sort of filter you’ll choose if you want to be pretty in pictures. I think it reflects Alex positivity in life even toppled by multiple problems. I also love the insertion of animations here whenever Alex’ mind is in chaos. It’s crazy and beautifully crafted.
Nonie Buencamino as gay boss is my favorite character here. I love all his scenes. It felt like he has more heart than everyone in this movie. He’s really a gem. It’s obvious that he’s the best actor in this movie. Even with the minimal number of scenes.
The Message of the Movie
Obviously the message of the movie are targeted for married couples. They should work on their communication and make sure they don’t lose their touch amidst busy schedule and struggles. They should work together to keep the romance alive. You’ll never know when tragedy strikes so make sure to express love whenever you can. Don’t neglect each other.
What I don’t like:
The jokes and drama don’t jive well. The scene is serious and could have made an impact but they just have to drop jokes in such an awkward way. Drama can be funny too. It’s just did not work on this one. Some are even downright cringy. I’m a fan of Bitoy and seriously I watched this one solely because of him. I also believe he can be a great drama actor. I still remember the time he acted in an Eat Bulaga Lenten Drama Special where he acted as mentally-challenged man. Damn,he was so good! He did it here in this movie too but sadly, his character’s jokes felt forced and unnatural for the situation. The momentum of the drama is often destroyed.
The twist in the end and the subplot about their son did not add impact to the whole narrative. The scene between him and John Estrada was like a big joke. It could have been the climax of the movie. It could have been a heart-wrenching moment as Alex finally faced the cheating partner but once again it felt flat. Super flat.
Final verdict: 2 out of 5 stars
The movie is confused if it wants to be an impactful family drama or to be a comedy. Did not succeed to both categories.
First of all, if you want to translate the content of this blog to any language that you feel comfortable to, feel free to use the translator widget located at the sidebar of this blog ———–>
At nagpapatuloy ang aking Black Mirror Reviews dahil manghang-maangha ako sa bawat episode nito. Unique kasi ang mga kuwento at tipong mapapaisip ka talaga kung anong paniniwalaan mo o kung anong papanindigan mo. Sa mga hindi pa pamilyar kung ano ang Black Mirror. Ito ay isang anthology series at collection ng mga “cautionary tales” kapag naging masyado nang advance ang technology at kung paano ito makakaapekto sa society at relationships. Ang rebyu ko sa season 1 ay narito lamang sa link na ito. Mapapanood ito sa Netflix.
Season 2 Episode 1: Be Right Back
Anong gagawin mo kapag biglang nawala ang pinakamamahal mo at may teknolohiya na maaring makagawa ng magandang replika niya base sa “personality blueprint” na iniwan niya sa internet? Kaya rin nitong gayahin ang boses at katawan.
Naku ang episode na ‘to sobrang nakaka-affected. Ang ganda ganda! Purihin ko muna ang dalawang aktors na gumanap dito dahil ang galing nila. Hindi OA na maraming iyak pero ang bigat. Nadama ko. Ang creepy ng kuwento nito sa totoo lang. Iyong una, ayaw rin ni Martha sa idea nito, pero sa sobrang lungkot at desperasyon noong nawala si Ash, sinubukan niya. Eventually na-adik na rin siya pansamantalang “comfort”. Ngunit kahit gaano man kagaling ang teknolohiya, wala itong kaluluwa. Ito ang pinakamensahe ng story. Sa huli, hindi naging sapat ang fake Ash. Hindi kailanman. Sa kasamaang palad, nasira lang nito ang tamang “grieving process” ni Martha at hindi siya tuluyang nag-heal. Bagkus lumalim pa ang sakit.
Another lesson siguro, huwag masyadong ma-adik sa internet. Hindi pinakita kung paano namatay si Ash dito pero pinakita rito na heavy user siya in unreasonable level. Sa tingin ko may kinalaman iyon sa pagkamatay niya. Ipinakita rin nito na imperfect boyfriend siya at maaring magaing pa ang fake Ash sa ibang bagay. Ngunit sa huli walang makakapantay sa totoong siya. Humans are imperfect but we have a soul.
Final Verdict; 9.5/10, Dama ko siya.
Season 2 Episode 2: White Bear
Nagising minsan ang isang babae sa isang kuwarto na walang naalala na kahit ano from the past. Paglabas niya, may mga humahabol sa kaniya na gusto siyang patayin. Marami namang tao sa paligid ngunit walang tumutulong sa kaniya. Lahat sila nirerecord lang siya through their mobile phones.
Hindi ko masyadong “feel” ang episode na ‘to. Siguro dahil pagod ako noong nanood ako nito at tinatamad ako mag-isip. Although naipaliwanag naman sa huli ang twist. *SPOILER* And lugar na kinalalagyan ng babae ay isang amusement park kung saan paulit-ulit na parurusahan ang isang convict pyschologically. Ang tanong, makatarungan ba ito? Kung sa akin lang, kung totoo ang krimen na ipinaparatang sa kaniya, why not?!
Final Verdict: 6.5/10, Wala akong na-feel masyado sa episode na ito compared sa few episodes na napanood ko prior this.
Season 2 Episode 3: The Waldo Moment
Si Waldo ay isang cartoon character na pinapagalaw at binobosesan live ni Jamie Salter gamit ang isang aparato. Sikat si Waldo dahil bastos siya at walang-galang sa mga pulitiko na guest ng kanilang show. Sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon, natagpuan niya ang sarili na tumatakbo sa totoong eleksyon dahil sa kasikatan niya. Maging si Jamie ay nagulat dahil maraming gustong bumoto at malaki ang pag-asa niyang manalo kahit isang cartoon character lamang si Waldo.
Ito raw ang pnaka-least favorite sa mga episode ng black mirror. And I can see why.Hindi masyadong justifiable Ang biglaang pagsikat ni Waldo. Hindi rin siya nakakatawa cartoon character for me. Gayunpaman, napapanahon ang mensahe na gustong sabihin ng episode na ito. Ang mga tao, pipiliin nila kung sino ang sikat, magaling magsalita, kahit bagsak sa character , walang plataporma at tila ba panggulo lang. Hindi ba pamilyar? Isipin niyo lang ang nakaraang eleksyon sa pagka senado sa Pilipinas. Ang masakit niyan, totoong tao si Waldo. At nanalo pa tlaga. At least si Waldo, wala naman criminal record.
Nakakaawa rin si Jamie rito, ang taong kumokontrol kay Waldo. Successful si Waldo pero hindi niya maramdaman na tagumpay niya rin ito as comedian. Tila ba hindi kayang angkinin. Sa huli, mas naging makapagyarihan si Waldo sa kaniya and he ended up like an empty shell.
Rating: 8/10 stars
Christmas Special: White Christmas
Hmmm. Medyo mahirap para sa akin gawan ng commentary ang isang ito. Hindi sa mahirap siyang intindihin. Pakiramdam ko, iyong mga na-agrabyado sa episode na ito sila pa iyong sobrang naparusahan! Lahat sila may pagkakamali like humans always do. Iyong iba nga ay hindi naman tao in the first place.
1. Harry – isang awkward na young professional who wanted to score a date. Kinuha niya si Matt bilang “Pick-up” mentor. Ang mentorship ay real-time. Gumagamit sila ng “Z-Eye”. Parang Google Glass pero nakaimplant na sa mata or sa utak. Lahat ng pwede nating agwin with our mobile devices like calling, taking photos and videos, kaya na ring gawin through Z-eye. Lahat ng nakikita ni Harry, napapanood ni Matt at nakakapagbigay siya ng live advice kung ano ba dapat sabihin at ikilos para makakuha siya ng date and hopefully, get laid. Siya ang unang casualty sa White Christmas. Sobrang nakakaawa kung ano ang kinahitnan ng supposed to be first date niya. Yes, ang creepy na nag-acquire siya ng services ni Matt. But still, he doesn’t deserve what happened to him.
2. Cookie – hindi ito ang pangalan ng tao pero panagalan ito ng isa pang technology na na-introduce sa episode. Ang cookie ay “duplicate” ng consciousness at memories ng taong nag-avail ng services na ito upang gawing virtual assistant. Nakakaawa ang mga “Cookies” dahil para sa akin, para silang kaluluwa na na-trap sa isang egg shaped container. They are not just like Amazon Alexa or Iphone Siri. They have thoughts, memories and feelings ng taong pinanggalingan nila. Sabi nila, they are just piece of codes. Pero kung para lang silang code, bakit kailangan silang isailalim sa torture para lang sumunod. Para silang kaluluwa na ginawang alipin.
3. Matt – Hmmm. This is a grey area. Masamang tao siya. No doubt about that. Hindi ako sang-ayon na shinishare niya ang live streaming ng dating adventure ni Harry sa grupo ng mga perverts. Pero iyong punishment sa kaniya sa huli, parang sobrang bigat for me. Pero hindi ako masyadong naaawa sa kaniya.
4. Joe – Waaah! Don’t get me started on this one. Siya pinaka-nakakaawa sa lahat. He was cheated on, blocked by the person he loved the most and the tragedy went on. Iyong nangyari sa cookie niya aka sa duplicate soul ang pinakamalalang punishment sa Black Mirror universe. Mas malala pa sa White Bear episode. He does not deserve this!
Maraming kuwento pero maganda ang pagkaka-habi nila sa isa’t-isa. White Christmas is a hard watch but it is beautifully written and crafted with twists. It will make you ponder about what really makes us human and what extent of cruelty we can do with all advancement in technology.
Rating: 8.5/10 stars. Beautiful but most cruel episode of Black Mirror for me. I stopped watching for three days after this.
That’s it for Season 2. How about you? What do you think of Black Mirror? And what are your favorites so far. I love love to talk about it!
Remember, you are awesome! Don’t let other people tell otherwise!
Hi Beshies! So maraming nagsasabi na maganda ang anthology series na ito na mapapanood sa Netflix. I had reservation in the past na panoorin ito kasi nakaka-depress daw ang mga stories. Pero this week, I finally gave in. In search for something clever to watch. Iyong tipong mamangha ka or mapapaisip. Pero kung pagod ka, gusto mo manood ng light lang na nakakarelax, I advise huwag ito panoorin mo.
Una sa lahat, for those are not familiar, Black Mirror is an anthology series. Iba-iba ang storya ng bawat episodes pero umiikot ito sa tema ng modern technology at paano ito nakakaapekto sa society at relationships. Hindi siya horror series but more on sci-fi ang genre niya. Every episode was beautifully crafted and warnings about the dangers of technology in the hands of current society. And I want to commend the writer Charlie Brooker. Para sa akin, isa siyang genius!
Season 1 Episode 1: The National Anthem
Synopsis: Nakidnap ang isang member ng royalty at ang hinihingi nilang ransom: makipag sex ang Prime Minister sa isang hayop in front of national television.
Honestly, thrilling ang episode na ito dahil malaki ang at stake. Pero nakakainis din kasi, the authority could have done better. Message of the story: sa social media age, mas madali na mang-bully, mang-harass and even mang terrorize ng tao sa buong mundo. Imbes na maging pribado ang imbestigasyon sa paghahanap sa prinsesa, mas naging vulnerable pa dahil sa bilis ng pagkalat ng impormasyon. People loves drama. Minsan ang isang problema, lumalaki dahil marami na nakisawsaw imbes na ma-resolve ang issue privately. In the end, dahil benta sa madla ang drama, mas nag focus ang mga tao sa screens kaysa sa iligtas ang prinsesa, moreover, ang Prime Minister from a tragic ending.
Synopsis: Set in a dystopian society. Ang mga trabaho ng mga maralitang tao rito ay mag stationary bike para mag-generate ng energy or kuryente sa komunidad. Hinid ko alam kung prison ba ito o sadiyang ito na ang mismong environment nila. Maaring sira na ang earth at isang “enclosed environment” na nagkatira ang mga tao kasi wala akong nakitang ni isang eksena na nagsasabing mayroon pang “nature” or “outdoor”. Ang pera nila rito ay digital na in a form of “merits”. Mas maraming merits, mas maraming pera. Mas masipag silang mag-bike, mas maraming merits. Ang tanging paraan para umangat sila sa buhay ay sumali sa isang talent reality show na parang “American Idol” ang format. Ang nakita ko sa episode na ito ay ang objectification base on looks. Parang ahh maganda ka, dito ka. Ahhh mataba ka, dito ka. At kung maganda ka naman at may advantage ka, hindi ibig sabihin noon ay automatic na ang pagganda ng buhay mo. Nawawala na rin ang totoong koneksyon ng mga tao sa bawat isa dahil puro na lang nakatutok sa screens. Siguro ang nakakalungkot lang din , kahit ang taong ayaw sa sistema, wala ring choice sa huli kung hindi magpalamon dito.
Final Verdict: Mejo boring sa umpisa. 7 out of 10 stars
Season 2 Episode 3: The Entire History of You
Imagine this! Lahat ng memories mo, pwede na ma-store sa electronic chip na konektado sa utak. Pwede mo i-replay lahat ng nakita mo at pwede mo rin panoorin sa t.v na parang DVD. Ito ang premise ng An Entire History of you at kung paano nito naitulak ang isang lalaki sa kapraningan.
Ito ang favorite ko sa mga episode Season 1. Ang ganda! Napaka believable ng technology. Kung tutuusin parang maganda magkaroon ng ganitong technology in the future. Maaring bumaba ang crime rates dahil wala ka na maitatago sa awtoridad. Kapag kailangang imbestigahan ang tao, mapapatunayan niyang inosente siya sa pamamagitan pagbibigay ng kopya na kanilang memorya. Ngunit gaya ng ibang teknologiya, kapalit nito ang kawalan ng privacy ng tao. At maari rin itong madulot ng panibagong anxieties at paranoia. E di ba nga sa facebook pa lang, studies shows na nagti-trigger ito ng mga psychological disorders specially anxieties. Although sa story na ito, mukhang tama naman na na-praning ang lead character na si Liam. Minsan ang pag disconnect sa teknolohiya ang magbibigay pa sa atin ng kapayapaan.
Verdict: 9/10, Nice imaginative technology that could breed more good stories.
That’s it for Season 1. Ang dami ko pang hahabulin! Anyway I post more updates of my Black Mirror reviews in my Facebook page Gurezu Blog. Sharing you the album of my reviews of what I have watched so far in this link.
How about you? What do you think of Black Mirror? And what are your favorites so far. I love love to talk about it!
Remember, you are awesome! Don’t let other people tell otherwise!
I posted the following thoughts through my facebook page “Gurezu Blog” and just re-posting it here. This is no way a formal movie review. I just wrote my train of thoughts while I’m watching it inside the theater. WARNING: This will contain spoilers so watch out!
🤔Plot: Matagal nang hindi nagkikita ang magkapatid na Mary Jane (Toni) at Mary Anne (Alex) simula pagkabata. Ngunit komplikado ang kanilang pagtatagpong muli. Ikakasal na si Mary Anne sa ex-boyfriend ni Mary Jane. At kahit mahirap, pumayag si Mary Jane maging wedding coordinator. Promising premise sana.
🤔 10-20 minutes watching this film. “Ang boring. Parang mas nakakaaliw pa Jack Em Popoy which I thought I don’t like that much.”
🤔Napaka unnecessary ng role ni Melai Cantiveros dito. She is supposed to be the best friend of Alex character. Pero parang nandito lang siya to be mocked and hurt physically for the sake of being “FUNNY”. Pero lumabas na napakakorni at hindi nakakatawa. Sayang naman sa part ni Melai Cantiveros.
🤔 I liked Alex Gonzaga here. Siya lang ang funny sa pelikulang ‘to. Na-realized ko may “K” rin siya maging kontrabida and pwede rin siya sa drama. I thought she’s just loud and maharot which sells in vlogging stint niya. Pero okay pala talaga siya umarte if given a chance. But still, it’s not enough to save the whole movie.
🤔 Ang exciting scene lang dito is the confrontation scene. And after noon, gusto ko na lang matapos na iyong movie.
🤔 Bakit hindi naglilinis ng tainga si Mary Anne (Alex Gonzaga)? Kasi mahirap daw ang buhay sa abroad. Ang dami niyang pinagdaanan… Say what??
🤔Non-sense iyong pag bi-break ni Toni G and Sam Milby sa flashback. I’m not convinced. Parang dapat lang talaga silang mag break para may conflict ang movie.
🤔 ENDING: Again I warned you. This is a major spoiler so if you plan to watch the movie, better skip this altogether. So eto na nga ang ending. Hindi natuloy ang wedding ni Alex at Sam dahil mas mahal pa ni guy si ate. Pero hindi rin itinuloy ni Toni ang pakikipagrelasyon kay Sam. Umalis na lang si Sam para magpakalayo-layo. Nag reconcile ang magkapatid.
VERDICT: 5/10. Buti na lang nakakaaliw si Alex G kung hindi mas mababa pa sana ito.
This is originally posted in my Facebook Page Gurezu Blog and just reposting it here for redundancy. This is not a formal movie review. This is sort of my train of thoughts while watching it in the theater. Also, this will contain major spoilers. You have been warned.
🤔 May bagong pulis sa istasyon. Mayabang pero pogi na si Jack (Coco Martin). Siya ang bagong ka-partner ni Popoy ( Vic Sotto). Kailangan nilang patumbahin ang isang drug syndicate na matagal nang iniimbestiigahan ni Popoy dahil sangkot ito sa pagkamatay ng dati niyang kaibigan at kapartner (Lito Lapid). And wait there’s more, nandito rin si Emily (Maine Mendoza) , anak ni Popoy at isa ring pulis. You know, para may love interest naman.
🤔 In fairness sa dami ng gag and filler jokes, may tumatama rin naman. Mga 5 out of 20 jokes in comparison.
🤔 Grabe si Coco Martin, hindi nga talaga siya namamatay. Parang isang episode ng “Ang Probinsiyano”. May part dito iyong nag zip line siya. He’s very out in the open-air at ang daming bumabaril sa kaniya. Ni isa walang tumama! Amazing!!!
🤔Ang hot ni Arjo Atayde. Malalim din ang dimples. Iyan yata talaga mga type ni Maine Mendoza.
🤔 Ang ganda ni Coco Martin in drag! Pwede ba magkaroon siya ng film na magbihis babae siya the whole time?
🤔 May drama and twist ang story. Akalain niyo iyon?!
🤔 Noong huli, ginusto ni Vic na siya na lang sumugod sa kuta ng napakaraming kalaban ala Bourne Legacy upang hindi na mapahamak si Coco. Noong kasama nga niya si Coco Martin na hindi namamatay, pumapalpak sila e. Naisip pa niyang mag-isa ? Na walang naiisip na strategy or plano aside sa pagdadala ng maraming armas. What kind of pulis is this? Hindi nag-iisip! (Gigil ako!!!)
🤔 So-so action scenes. Pinaka-nagustuhan ko iyong kay Maine vs. Ryza . Exciting iyong isang iyon in-fairness.
🤔 Nakakatawa si Coco Martin sa bloopers at the end of the movie. Mas nakakatawa siya dun.
VERDICT: 6/10. Nakakaaliw na rin basta forget your utak muna in a while.
It’s been a while my friends. How are you? I miss you!
It’s been a while I have reviewed a movie in my blog. Well, I think this was the only time I entered a theater again anyway. But damn, I picked the right movie to watch in my big screen comeback . That I even made an on the spot movie review thru Vlog for the first time. This was made right after watching the movie.
Just a note though to my international readers (char!), I spoke in my native language in this video. That’s why I wrote this blog in English because I like to share my thoughts to the world.
Basically , here are the points why I love the film.
RAMI MALEK. The most beautiful thing that happened in this movie . I didn’t know a single thing about this actor before. The whole movie I kept wondering who is he. Because he is so good. At some point, I forgot that he was not Freddie Mercury. If you think about it, he does not resemble Freddie that much though the make-up was great. But the mannerism, the movements , and the way he speaks mirror Mercury. He is now added to the roster of actors that I love. Actually at the point of this writing, I have finished Season 1 of Mr. Robot, the series that catapulted him to stardom. Although I still haven’t notice him in spite of that. He’s now the wallpaper of my cellphone even. I just love him now. Haha!
2. The members of the Queen in the movie closely resembled the originals. I haven’t mentioned this on my on-the spot blog. But the actor who played Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deakins are all great too. All the cast and the people behind choosing them just made the whole film nothing short of amazing.
3. The re-enactment of the LIVE AID was mindblowing! I feel goosebumps again just thinking about it. It totally transported you to the stadium and makes you feel you are part of the audience. On the other hand, it also made me feel envious that I was not really there when it happened. That I was born in an era when I won’t have the chance to watch Freddie Mercury live. It’s exhilarating ride but sad at the same time.
At the con-side , I do feel that they left out the dark times of Freddie’s life which led to his later demise. I might have to agree that it felt too “sanitized” . Then there are issues in the inaccuracies of the timeline too. That’s why the critics hated this movie. But I tolerate it because this does not lessen the enjoyment I had with the movie. And I love how they concentrated more on how their iconic songs were born by this genius talent. The movie is the celebration of the Queen’s artistry, over Freddie’s sickeness and shortcomings. And for that, it is a runaway success. Hands-down.
And the last, I love how this movie brought new and younger people to discover Freddie Mercury and the Queen songs. I have friends that was never a fan of Queen but they enjoyed the movie. And now they know how great Freddie and the Queen is. Simple things like that makes me feel giddy.
My verdict is 4.5 out of 5. Don’t concentrate with the timeline and just enjoy the ride. And again, Rami Malek gave a stellar performance. I just want to hug him and say “Damn man, good job. Thanks for bring Freddie back to life at least for a while.”
Thanks for reading and don’t forget that you are awesome!
Capsule Movie Review: Buybust (2018)
Directed by: Erik Matti
Trailer
WHAT I LIKE:
1.Simple lang ang story. Nagkaroon ng tip ang kapulisan na nagtatago ang big time druglord na si Biggie Chen sa Barangay Gracia ni Maria. Naatasan ang squad na kinabibilingan ni Manigan (Anne Curtis) para sa BUYBUST operation na ito. Ngunit natagpuan nila ang sarili sa isang set-up at ang tanong ay kung makakalabas sila ng buhay sa mala puzzle, masikip at komplikadong lugar ng Barangay na pati mamayan ay galit sa kapulisan.
2. Shakey Camera work sa simula. Tila ba hinahanda na ang mga mata at puso mo sa gulo ng mangyayari.
3. Abangan niyo iyong 3-minute one-cut action scene. Ang UNIQUE at ASTIG ng mga FIGHTING SCENES dito!!! Never ko pang nakita sa kahit anong Filipino action movies or even Hollywood. Literal na makapagpigil-hininga ang habulan, taguan at labanan. At some point napapasigaw rin kaming mga nanonood. No holds barred din pagdating sa brutal scenes. (Hindi ko malilimutan si Cactus girl.) Realistic din iyong tipong tumatama tlaga ang mga palo at suntok. Wala ring masyadong maraming satsat (except on one scene) Bloodshed kung bloodshed.
4. Newfound respect for Anne Curtis as actress dahil naging legit na action star siya dito. Pero ang pinakapaborito ko si Brandon Vera na Mixed Martial Artist din pala sa totong buhay. Noong una akala ko hindi siya marunong mag-Tagalog at so-so lang siguro ang acting. Pero solid naman pala. Hindi lang sa action scenes kung hindi sa pag-arte. SA kaniya ko nakuha ang puso ng pelikula more than Anne. More action movies to this man please!
5. And let’s not forget the music scoring na lalong nagpadagdag ng tensyon sa mga eksena. Ginamit rin ang Lupang Hinirang” dito with subtlety and respect. Ang naisip ko sa tagpong iyon, parang pinahihiwatig na ang gulo hindi lang sa barangay Gracia ni Maria kung hindi sa buong Plipinas. Iyon ang nadama ko. For this let’s commend the man behind the musical scores. Malek Lopez and Erwin Romulo!
6. Ito talaga ang pinaka-nakaka elibs sa lahat. The stage design of Barangay Gracia ni Maria. Ito kasi talaga ang nagpahirap sa squad ni Anne Curtis at pati na rin sa mga kontrabidia. Slum, squatter’s area na para bang maze sa sobrang gulo ng daan , kanal at mga lusutan. Magka-crash ang Waze sa lugar na ‘to. Naisip ko nga kung totoo itong lugar na ito, pwede na siyang maging tourist spot. Excting kung paano ka makakalabas. Pinanood ko tuloy iyong” the making” clips and most of it is a set design. Ang galing sobra! Napaka-realistic. First time ko napa-search kung sino ang Set designers/ Production designers ng pelikula and they are “Michael N. Español and Roma Regala”. (I hope I got the names right)
Clips showing what is the inspiration of the film and the making of production design.
7. Hindi na ako nagulat sa twist. But definitely satisfied sa ending.
8. Ang galing ni Arjo Atayde! Short appearance but it’s a bomb. HIndi ko siya kilala before. And syempre Nonie Buencamino forever. Mapa-kontrabida or bida, effective talaga siya. (See Smaller and Smaller Circles, Dagitab, Heneral Luna). Other actors and actresses may it be in the squad or the drug cartel did their acting very well. Wala akong masabi.
9. Erik Matti’s is the best director at this time. To the point inaabangan ko na mga pelikula niya since OTJ.
10. The film is clearly insinuating about the current anti-drug war in our country. It is entertaining but super relevant. Mapapaisip ka na lang kung tama pa ba ang nangyayari sa bansa.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE
1. May mga action scenes si Anne na pwede naman siya sugurin ng sabay-sabay ng mga nakapaligid sa kaniya pero isa-isa pa rin silang sumusugod.
2. Hindi pwede sa mahihiluhin. May mga action scenes na hindi malinaw at nadaan lang sa shakey camera work. Sa umpisa lang naman.
3. May isang eksena rito na napasobra ata ng satsat. “Ano ba barilin mo na kasi!!!” moment. Ganun.
4. At some point hindi ko na maintindihan iyong ibang ordinary citizens dito. HIndi ko masyadong naintindihan kung ano iyong hugot nila kung bakit sobrang mithiin sa pagsugod sa squad. Parang wala rin naman silang strong bond sa drug cartel. Maiintindihan ko iyong mga nagtatago sa bahay-bahay para di na madamay. May part pa na sila na nag-aaway at sila na lang talaga magulo haha. In short, may ordinary citizens na panggulo lang. Gusto lang ata ng away.
FINAL VERDICT: 9.5 out of 10 stars. Superb and super relevant pero para sa mahihiluhin, uminom ka muna ng Bonamine.
Smaller and Smaller Circles (2017) This film is based on the book dubbed as first crime/mystery book of the Phillippines. (Maybe the first of its kind in the Philippine cinema too. I can’t remember a Filipino murder mystery film. If you know one please educate me.) Our detectives here are actually priests who are trained with forensics so they are called to help solve a series of gruesome murders of young boys. Bodies were found with no genitals, no faces and no hearts anymore. Since our crime solvers are priests, they are not only faced with the problem of chasing the killer but also, the questions of faith and forgiveness, idagdag pa ang mga corrupt na mga pulis at alagad ng simbahan. In short, mabigat at malaman ang pelikulang ito.
Another thing to commend. This film has beautiful sountrack. Haunting, creepy and wonderfully chorals interweave in the movie scenes. Ilang beses tumaas balahibo ko! And lastly, Nonie Buencamino (Father Saenz) is such an underrated actor. Whatever character he plays, he plays it with sort of magic. Sid Lucero (Father Lucero) as support added dynamics to their team. Not another beautiful face I must say. Napakagaling!
I don’t agree much with sequels but this time,I would strongly suggest it. I demand more cases for Father Saez and Father Lucero to solve. Not only because of their brilliant minds but they have heart of gold with a lot of inner conflict themselves. Philippine Cinema had enough of love teams already. We should perhaps give way to crime-solving team this time.
Rating: ★★★★✩
This movie is not on PH theaters anymore but from time to time, it has screenings at Cinema76. This movie house features Filipino Indie Films for only P150.00. I totally recommend you to like their fb page so you can be updated with the schedules.
Here’s the trailer of the movie. Let’s celebrate Filipino films. Maraming magagandang Pelikulang Pinoy. Kailangan lang ng ating suporta. 😉
NOTE: Photos not mine. Grabbed from Google.
Special shoutout to bequietkate . I originally posted this review on my facebook page “Gurezu Blog” where I usually post my capsule reviews. Just today, I read her blog about her review on the book which prompted me to re-post this here as well. Hi Kate! I super love your review and it was nice to see someone who love this book (and movie) as well!
GUREZU 