Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino : "Bar Boys" (2017) movie review

"The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.”

“Kung hindi ka natatalo, hindi ka na gumagalaw.”

This quote from from the movie perfectly sums up the life of almost everyone of us.

College life is one of the most crucial phases in a person's life. A lot of first times happen during these years. It's the point of life when you start realizing that you are finally become an adult. This is also the time when one discovers his/ her real self. That's why a lot of us can really relate to the Kip Oebanda's youth-priented film Bar Boys (2017). I've learned about this film way back 2016 after seeing it's trailer and I was already looking forward to watching it back then. It took a year before the film finally got picked up for distribution through Quantum Films, after it was selected to be one of the twelve entries for the very first Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. Described as an academic law school comedy-drama, the film follows a barkada of  four and their lives after they enter college (or some of them). The film is produced by TropicFrills Film Productions in cooperation with Wild Sound Studios and SM Foundation and features an ensemble cast starring Rocco Nacino, Carlo Aquino, Enzo Pineda and Kean Cipriano, together with Odette Khan and Anna Luna.

The film opens with one of the most unique and witty credit sequences I've seen in a local film, where a barkada of four young men are about to play against another group in an online battle. Here we are introduced to Christian (Enzo Pineda), Erik (Carlo Aquino), Joshua (Kean Cipriano) and Toran (Rocco Nacino). After losing in the said game, the four of them patiently waits for the results of the college entrance exam for the law school they all applied for. But only, Christian, Erik and Toran passed the admission exam. After this, we follow the three young men as they enter law school and how their lives are drastically changed by this new world. Here, they have to endure fraternity initiations to terror teachers, on top of their own problems with their families and relationships.

To start off, the characters we follow in the film are quite familiar already to us. Torran Garcia (Rocco Nacino) is the cool guy in the barkada, witty and always gets very lucky. Chris Carlson (Enzo Pineda) is the group's rich amboy whose father (also a lawyer) keeps on trying to mold him to be his clone. Erik Vicencio (Carlo Aquino) is the not so privileged guy of the group, a son of an elderly security guard whose biggest dream is for his son to become a lawyer, whatever it takes. Then, there's Joshua Zuniga (Kean Cipriano), the slacker of the group who ends up failing to pass the admission exam and gets left out by his peers. But despite being archetypes, these characters are very relatable and interesting in their own ways. This is because director/ writer Kip Oebanda made sure that each one of them (with the exception of Josh) will get his own story line to follow.

Torran ends up joining a frat, Chris has to hide his relationship with his girlfriend from his demanding father and Erik has to deal with financial issues, on top of having a hard time in school despite working his ass off in studying. Of all these three characters, I did not expected to end up falling for Erik (Carlo Aquino). It was his story that really hit me hard that I end up crying for him while watching the film. I guess it's because it's him that I could really relate to. I could really see myself in his shoes because we share the same story. I also had difficulty going through my college life due to financial issues, causing me to stop my studies and get a job instead of finishing college. But unlike me, Erik pushed through with his study despite the hardships.

Kip Oebanda's script was very witty and funny. Despite having to juggle three separate yet connected story lines for each of the three main characters, he was able to make the whole movie coherent. He had these segments for each characters, some focusing on each individual character's life at home or at school, and some while they are together. I loved those moments whenever Toran is at home with his mom (played by Patay Na Si Hesus' Mailes Kanapi) because they're always hilarious. There's also some heartwarming moments featuring Erik and his Dad at home as they struggle to keep him at school. We also get to see Chris and his quirky girlfriend (played by Unrequited's Anna Luna) while they try their best to keep their relationship despite his father's orders. But my most favorite would be those moments when they are inside the classroom, dealing with their terror teachers. These would be those scenes with a gay professor, Atty. Victor Cruz (played by 4 Days' Sebastian Castro) who has a crush on Erik which led to one of the most hilarious moments of the film. Then, there's those scenes with the classic terror professor that every student is mostly afraid of Atty. Hernandez (played in a wonderful performance by Odette Khan).

But aside from the usual comical gags, the film also tackles some really serious matter. Friendships will be strained. Family issues will get more complicated. Their morals will get tested. Slowly, these characters start to grow as individuals. Far different from the young guys they were before when they first entered the campus. This is what makes Bar Boys so endearing to watch. It's a classic coming-of-age story hidden underneath a hilarious comedy-drama about law school. You don't realize that you get so invested with these characters that you also grow as they move forward and turn into adults who are about to face the world. There's lots of lessons to be learned from this movie which makes it a must watch for younger people.

I must commend that this is the best ensemble I've seen in this year's Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. Aside from the main cast, the supporting actors were all perfect for their roles. Mailes Kanapi was a delightful surprise as Toran's crazy and funny mother. Anna Luna was also fun to watch as the English-challenged direct salesgirl Rachel (girlfriend of Chris). Sebastian Castro was a stand-out as the gay professor Atty. Cruz. His office scene where Erik tries to seduce him (I'm not gonna reveal a lot to avoid spoiling it) was downright insane and hysterically funny. and then, there's Odette Khan. I'm telling you, she was amazing.

Of course, the main cast deserves a lot of praise for fun performance in the film. Kean Cipriano didn't get a lot of screen time but he was fun to watch as Josh. Enzo Pineda was good in playing the amboy rich kid Chris. Rocco Nacino played his role of Toran with ease. But it was Carlo Aquino who was the stand-out among the four. His portrayal of Erik was so affecting and heartfelt. I honestly did not expect that he will be my favorite character from this movie. I actually wished he and Sebastian Castro had more scenes together because I'm pretty sure their characters would be hilarious together. Also, I love how each of these characters had closure by the time the story ended. That ending is one of the best I've seen in a local film recently. It's was so inspiring and just perfect.

I guess this will be my top pick from this year's Pista ng Pelikulang Piilipino (next is Triptiko). Everything in this movie is just perfect, from it's slick, production design to it's awesome soundtrack (that sequence featuring APO Hiking Society's San Na Nga Bang Barkada triggered my memory of my school days!) to it's outstanding direction and bravura performances. Kip Oebanda's Bar Boys (2017) is no doubt my most favorite entry of all the films I was able to watch. It's a youth-oriented comedy drama, a coming-of-age story, and a throwback barkada flick rolled into one. For me, it's one of the best Filipino films of the year. This is the film in this year's PPP that I would love to give more than a perfect five star rating. It's a hilarious, heartwarming, emotional, and inspiring feel-good joyride that will leave more than what you expect.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5
Bar Boys (2017)
Directed by Kip Oebanda,
starring Carlo Aquino, Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda and Kean Cipriano

***

The "Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino" was a nationwide week-long celebration where all movie theaters exclusively screened Filipino films in line with the Buwan ng Wika. This festive event was organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines in partnership with theaters nationwide and ran from August 16-22, 2017.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino : "100 Tula Para Kay Stella" (2017) movie review

Bela Padilla and JC Santos in "100 Tula para kay Stella"

Us Filipinos love a good romance. It is no surprise that the box-office winner of this year's Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino is a teen romantic drama film, Jason Paul Laxamana's 100 Tula Para Kay Stella (2017). As of writing this review, the film has already grossed more than a hundred million pesos at the box-office, making it a certified blockbuster. Produced by Viva Films, it stars JC Santos and Bela Padilla, and follows a love struck poet and his journey as he attempts to tell his true feelings for the love of his life. Ever since I've learned of this project by director Laxamana, I've been looking forward to it since I'm a fan of his works, from his dark comedy Mercury is Mine to the coming-of-age film 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten (which he wrote). And long after the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino has ended, I was finally able to catch his latest work.

Screenshots from the trailer

The film starts in 2004, when Fidel Lansangan (JC Santos) and Stella Puno (Bela Padilla) meets each other as freshmen college students in Pampanga pursuing a bachelor's degree in Psychology. They became friends despite difference in their personalities; Fidel is an honor student with a speech impediment and loves poetry while Stella is a rocker with a tough and confident attitude who prefers to jam with her band rather than to do her studies.Fidel begins to write poems to express his love to Stella but does not have the confidence to read these to her. Stella on her had various boyfriends as she pursues her goal of securing a recording contract. The film's story spans for four whole years of Fidel and Stella's college life and revolves around the question whether Fidel can muster enough confidence to read his poems to Stella.

The film is like your normal boy-meets-girl situation, where the love struck boy tries to tell the girl he loves how he really felt for him. But despite the familiar story line, what really makes the film so endearing to watch is it's characters. Fidel's character is so sympathetic and somehow relatable. Setting aside his speech defect (which only limits him to speaking three words at a time, or else he will stutter), everyone of us can really relate to his inferiority complex. I'm pretty sure a lot of people can relate to his dilemma of telling someone his true feelings for them. His character, despite being a work of fiction, feels so real and honest that we are so willing to follow him where ever his decisions in life lead him to, even if it just keeps on giving him more and more heartaches in the process. A lot of people might say that Stella is one badly written character because of the poor choices she made in her life. But I for one have heard a lot of stories about real people committing similar mistakes in their lives. She's the perfect contrast to Fidel, a good boy with a big heart. We have to remember that no one in this world is perfect, and Stella is a reminder of that in this movie. In a world of Fidels, there's always a Stella to balance everything.

The film, despite being a romantic drama, also feels like a coming-of-age story. It follows Fidel and Stella as they grow up, make their own decisions, commit mistakes and learn different lessons in life in the process. It follows two young people, growing up to separate lives which are shaped by their own actions and choices. One grew up and learned how to finally stand up on his own feet; the other falls into one failure after another due to her choice of abandoning school. This makes the film the perfect movie for millennials nowadays. A lot of young people now don't care too much about their actions and decisions in their lives, and later on regrets these things after. The film is a reminder to us that the choices that we make now will affect our future, therefore we should know what to prioritize and what to value in our lives.

Technically wise, the film is one gorgeous picture. It has all the makings of a mainstream romantic film. From it's picturesque cinematography to it's lovely soundtrack, everything is pitch perfect. You can really see Director Laxamana's focus on these details, particularly during the beginning of the film, leading to one of the most beautifully orchestrated opening credit sequences in a local Pinoy film in recent years. The film really gets a lot from it's period setting, during early 2000's. It romps up the nostalgia with songs from this period like Rivermaya's "Balisong" (recorded by The Juans and served as the theme song of the film). Also, the original poetry featured in the film were really romantic and beautiful.

Bela Padilla did a great job in her role as Stella. Despite her character not being the most likable in the film due to her bad choices in life, you can't help but fall for her. After surprising us in the film Camp Sawi (2016), Bela proved her undeniably outstanding acting prowess in this movie. But it is JC Santos who wowed us with his committed performance as Fidel. He plays the role with adorable charm and devotion to his character. It's hard to be consistent in playing a character with a disability but JC is so dedicated in portraying his role that he is believable. The two of them really looks good together and makes a nice pair. Another who deserves praise for her performance in the film is Ana Abad Santos for her role as Ms. Bardozo, Fidel's English teacher. Her character was really affecting, despite having a very limited screen time.

I think the only complain about the film is it's overtly long duration since the film clocks in around two hours and three minutes. But you can forget all that because it's characters (mostly Fidel) were worth investing the time. All in all, Jason Paul Laxamana's 100 Tula Para Kay Stella is a beautifully made love story that will satisfy the hopeless romantics in each one of us.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰½ of 5
100 Tula Para Kay Stella (2017)
Directed by Jason Paul Laxamana,

starring JC Santos and Bela Padilla

***

The "Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino" was a nationwide week-long celebration where all movie theaters exclusively screened Filipino films in line with the Buwan ng Wika. This festive event was organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines in partnership with theaters nationwide and ran from August 16-22, 2017.

4 Days (2017) movie review

La douleur exquise : the exquisite pain of wanting someone that you know you can never have, and knowing that you will still try to be with them. This, according to the main character, is not equivalent to unrequited love. Unrequited love is a state of relationship, the other is a state of mind, says the main character. This is what the story of Adolfo Alix Jr.'s 4 Days is all about. Directed by Adolf Alix Jr., it stars Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro in the lead roles. It was part of the “Indie Nation” section of the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2016. Now, after almost a year of it's debut at Cinemalaya, the film finally gets a premiere screening at the UP Cine Adarna last August 24, 2017. The screening was graced by the film's lead actors Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro, together with the film's director, Adolf Alix Jr. I've been looking forward to seeing this film since last year but I wasn't able to catch it's screening. So when I learned about the film's premiere at UP CineAdarna, I was so excited about it.

Screenshots from the trailer

The film tells the story of two college friends, Mark (Mikoy Morales) and Derek (Sebastian Castro) who slowly realize they mean more to each other than either had initially realized. 4 Days joins Derek and Mark in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day over the course of a few years- charting the blossoming of a friendship in to something much more enduring as time goes on – and challenging both to question who they thought they were and who they truly want to me. Painting a moving picture of how an abiding friendship can sometimes lead to love – and how we sometimes have to wrestle with our own demons to find their true self, 4 Days is achingly romantic and delicate.

The story, which spans over a course of four years, focuses on the events in the two characters' lives every Valentines Day. It begins on a Valentines Day, as Mark arrives at the campus and joins Derek as his roommate in their college dormitory. Then, the story skips to the following year's Valentines Day after the two have become the best of friends, with Derek having a new girlfriend and Mark starting to realize his true feelings for his friend. The progress jumps a year after another which may seem like big leaps. But the pacing of the movie is actually slow. The story takes it time in building up the relationship between the two main characters. Unlike the usual stories we see onscreen where we follow a continuous flow of events, 4 Days instead gives us a peek into these character's lives for just a single day for every year. Yet this is more than enough to show how both characters have grown and the changes that they've had for the missing days of the rest of the year which we do not get to see. Most of the film's story happens within the confines of Mark and Derek's small room. From their first meeting to their first heartbreaks, they experience all of it within their small space. This makes the story feel more personal, because we get to enter their small, little world where they can be real to each other.

Source: TLA Releasing

The film's story focuses on the idea of waiting. With Mark waiting for the right time, the right moment, to let Derek know about his true feelings for him. Waiting for him to realize that all this time, he was just there, waiting for him. Waiting for Derek to love him back. The story is told mostly from Mark's point of view, as he narrates through voice overs what he have in mind about loving someone and how it feels when it is not returned back. His statements about unrequited love, about patiently waiting for a person to love you back or how sometimes one get's tired of waiting for love to be returned are smoothly layered over drone shots of the campus (UP Diliman) which serves as bookmarks to every chapter (or year) that ends or begins. These bookmarks make the transition from one Valentines Day to another seamless and keeps the pacing of the story consistent. I noticed that the film is not like the usual LGBT-oriented romantic drama films that most of us has seen in the past because director Adolf Alix decided not to follow most of the genre's norm. Unlike other LGBT-oriented romance drama, the film strays away from the more erotic aspects of the genre. It doesn't involved any sensual scenes (my favorite film, the gay coming-of-age 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten is no exemption because it had a masturbation scene) between the main characters. Instead, it focuses on it's characters' emotions and the time it takes for them to realize their true feelings for one another. Another thing that I noticed and liked about the film is the way it deviates from how usual LGBT-themed films ends in a sad or sometimes tragic manner. But I won't get into that too much to avoid spoiling it.

Though the film was shot in a rush (director Adolf Alix revealed that they shot the whole film within a span of just 2 days due to the very small budget), the film actually looks good. From the drone shots accompanied by Mark's voice-overs to the those long, continuous shots (which they call babad shots because of the long takes), every frame looks good. There is a consistent sepia tone all throughout the film, giving an old-fashioned look, as if every chapter (or year) is like a memory of yesterday that has passed by and long gone. It evokes nostalgia, especially the campus setting which reminds one of his/her college days. The film's soundtrack was also beautiful and perfectly fits the whole story. The song, entitled "Pusong Hindi Makatulog" was an original song by lead actor Mikoy Morales (the song's music video was even directed by Adolf Alix).

I think director Adolf Alix found the best actors to play the characters of the movie with Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro. Mikoy Morales has this innocent looking face which perfectly matched his character Mark who is about to fall in love for the first time to someone of his same sex and has no idea how to deal with it. He did a pretty good job in carrying those intense emotional scenes with his co-actor, especially during their heated argument in the final act of the film. Sebastian Castro was perfectly cast as Derek. His character, a guy who has been in relationships with women for most of his life and just realized that he actually harbors some feelings for another man, is more reserved and prefers to keep his true self hidden from most of the world. Sebastian's portrayal of the role was restrained, but felt so real. During the film's Q&A session, director Adolf Alix revealed that the film didn't have an actual script when they shot it. He only gave the actors an outline of what's supposed to happen and the two are left to come up with their own character's dialogues. This gave the film a much more raw appeal because the character's reactions are organic. These two actors also shares some really nice chemistry, as seen with their smooth yet believable impromptu conversations. We were so engrossed with the story and the two characters that we felt like we've been with them and known them for a lifetime. The film felt like a coming-of-age of the two characters as they both come to terms of their true feelings for one another.

Featuring stellar performances from it's two leads, and great direction from Adolf Alix, 4 Days is a touching and memorable film that is grounded on reality, and will leave a lasting impact on it's viewers with it's raw and realistic take on love.



Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5
4 Days (2016, Original Release)
Directed by Adolf Alix Jr.
Starring Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro

Adolf Alix Jr.'s 4 Days premieres at UP Diliman, gets Worldwide Distribution

LGBT-themed romantic drama 4 Days premiered last August 24, 2017 at UP Cine Adarna. Directed by Adolf Alix Jr., 4 Days stars Sebastian Castro as Derek and Mikoy Morales as Mark, and tells the story of two college friends who slowly realize they mean more to each other than either had initially realized. 4 Days joins Derek and Mark in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day over the course of a few years- charting the blossoming of a friendship in to something much more enduring as time goes on – and challenging both to question who they thought they were and who they truly want to me. Painting a moving picture of how an abiding friendship can sometimes lead to love – and how we sometimes have to wrestle with our own demons to find their true self, 4 Days is achingly romantic and delicate.

Mikoy Morales as Mark

Sebastian Castro as Derek

It was part of the “Indie Nation” section of the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2016. Now, after almost a year of it's debut at Cinemalaya, the film finally gets a premiere screening at the Cine Adarna, UP Diliman. The screening was graced by the film's lead actors Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro, together with the film's director, Adolf Alix Jr. In the said event, director Alix also screened the trailer of his latest film, Madilim ang Gabi (Dark is the Night) starring Gina Alajar, Philip Salvador, and Angel Aquino, which is set to have its world premiere at the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival, and the Nora Aunor-starrer Role Play. The screening was attended by Morales' fellow teen actors Thea Tolentino, Jake Vargas, Joyce Ching, Kristoffer Martin and Martin Del Rosario to name a few.

Lead actors Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro said that they did not expected the screening to be a success, after the Cine Adarna theater was packed by audiences that night. Later after the screening, the director and the cast had a Q&A Session about the film, where Adolf Alix Jr. announced that the film will be distributed worldwide by TLA Releasing on September 11, 2017. He also announced that a theatrical release here in the Philippines is being planned this year.

Audiences lining up outside CineAdarna while waiting for the premiere.

Director Adolf Alix Jr. with Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro.

With Sebastian Castro

With Mikoy Morales

With the film's two leads

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino : "Patay Na Si Hesus" (2017) movie review

Jacyln Jose stars in Patay Na Si Hesus

Filipino moviegoers will get a taste of a different brand of comedy in Victor VIllanueva's Patay Na Si Hesus (2017). Dubbed as a Cebuano Road Trip Comedy, the film stars Jaclyn Jose, Chai Fonacier, Melde Montañez, Vincent Viado, Mailes Kanapi, Olive Nieto and Sheenly Gener, written by Fatrick Tabada, produced by Rex A. Tiri, Moira Lang and Bianca Balbuena, and directed by Victor VIllanueva. Originally an official entry to the 2016 QCinema International film Festival where it won the  Audience Award and the Gender Sensitivity Award, it has been selected as one of the twelve entries of the first ever Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino where it bagged the festival's Jury's Choice Award. It is also the surprise box-office hit of the said festival, and ranked number two in the box office on opening day. And now, I know why.

The film follows Iyay (Jaclyn Kose) who learns that Hesus, her ex-husband, has just died. She gathers her children and tells them they are going on a road trip from Cebu City to Dumaguete. No ifs or buts about it: they are attending their father's funeral. Her children – Hubert, who has Down Syndrome; Jude, a lovesick trans man; and Jay, who is living the bum life – join her with varying degrees of reluctance as she drives them in her extra-mini mini-van. One unplanned detour comes after another, each pushing this family closer to confronting the past and figuring out how to enjoy the ride to an uncertain future. This film is not your typical Pinoy comedy movie as it has a distinct Visayan flavor to it. This is definitely not your regular Star Cinema-produced watered down rated PG comedy. A big NO. This is a screwball comedy that no one would have expected from a local filmmaker. There's a naked nun, a guy eating his own cum, and a barage of non-stop putang-inas and vagina talks. No one was ready for a movie like this. Not even me. But here I am, reviewing the film after watching it's last full screening on a stormy Monday holiday.

Family is one of the most favorite topics in local comedy films, from the highly successful Ang Tanging Ina franchise to the yearly Vice Ganda comedies we see every year, it always has something to do with family. I guess that is primarily because us Filipinos value our family ties a lot. And Patay Na Si Hesus plays on this theme. In the movie, we follow Iyay's family as they go through all the stopovers and sidetrips and obstacles just to see their dead father one last time. Most of these sidetrips ends up in hilarious and idiotic situations. There's also some jokes and scenarios that may come as offensive to those sensitive and conservative moviegoers. But aside from the slapstick humor, the film also manages to mix in some funny banters and laughable conversations here and there which gives the film's humor some variety. Though there are some moments when the jokes are hit or miss, most of the time they're often hysterically funny. What makes the film so relatable is that it pokes fun at the typical Pinoy family virtues and culture.

The film gets so much out of it's very talented cast. Jaclyn Jose plays her character Iyay with so much flare. Her deadpan humor and attitude made the character so fun to watch. I've seen Jaclyn Jose in a lot of drama shows and movies but i guess this is the first time that I'm seeing her in a comedy film and it's a breathe of fresh air.  Chai Fonacier plays the lesbian Jude (formerly Judith Marie) with angst, much like her amazing performance in the Cinemalaya Best Film Respeto. After seeing her in that movie, I was so excited to watch Patay Na si Hesus and see her take down another role. And she still amazes me with her performance here in this comedy. Melde Montanez was amusing to watch as Jay. I love it every time he throws his mother's lines back at her. Vincent Viado was so cute and adorable as Kuya Bert, their brother who has Down syndrome. Mailes Kanapi was uproarious as the bizarre and nutty nun Lucy. Her character was the most daring thing I've seen in a local comedy because it may come off as offensive and unappealing to some. But she manages to make the audiences go wild with her insane performance in this movie.

Once the film hits it's third acts, it starts to slow down a bit and the jokes starts to diminish to give way for some emotional moments. But once the film strikes back again, it is still hilarious as hell (especially that coffin scene). It's no wonder that a lot of people are lining up to see this film because of good word of mouth. The film itself lives up to it's hype, though I must say that i was left wanting more after the film ended. Still, Victor Villanueva's Patay Na Si Hesus is a riotous, laugh-out loud comedy like no other local film has ever been. It's an unbelievable one hour and a half of insanity, silliness and absurdity that is worth your every peso.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5

Patay Na Si Hesus (2017)
Directed by Victor VIllanueva,
Starring Jaclyn Jose, Chai Fonacier, Melde Montañez, Vincent Viado, Mailes Kanapi, Olive Nieto and Sheenly Gener

 

***

The "Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino" is a nationwide week-long celebration where all movie theaters will exclusively screen Filipino films in line with the Buwan ng Wika. This festive event is organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines in partnership with theaters nationwide and will run from August 16-22, 2017.