Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino : "Birdshot" (2017) movie review

Mikhail Red's "Birdshot" (2017)

The highly anticipated "Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino" has officially begun last August 16, 2017. And I decided to kick off this film festival with Mikhail Red's "Birdshot" (2017). I've been hearing a lot of positive feedback about this movie so I was really excited to finally see it in the big screen. The film opened the 13th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival last August 4, at the CCP Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater). Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see it back then due to my busy schedule. Fortunately for me, the film is one of the twelve Filipino movies that has been selected to be part of the "Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino."

The coming-of-age thriller tells the story of a young farm girl who wanders off into a Philippine forest reserve. Deep within the reservation, she mistakenly shoots and kills a critically-endangered and protected Philippine Eagle. As the local authorities begin a manhunt to track down the poacher, their investigation leads them to an even more horrific discovery. The mystery-drama film has won production funding from the Doha Film Institute and the CJ Entertainment Award at BIFF's Asian Project Market. The mystery-drama film has also won the Best Picture in the Asian Future category of the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival, and has been selected at the Goteborg Film Festival: The Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award. The film, penned by Mikhail Red and Rae Red, stars Mary Joy Apostol as Maya, Arnold Reyes as Domingo, John Arcilla as Mendoza, and Ku Aquino as Diego. [Source: Cinemalaya]

"Birdshot" is undeniably one of the most compelling stories from the Philippines. It's story mixes a coming-of-age tale with a mystery thriller angle as it follows Maya, a teenage girl who is forced to face the consequences of her actions which results to a twisted and tragic fate for everyone involved. The characters in the story are all entangled in a web of lies and deceit, and the choices that they make eventually causes them to get pushed further into a darker path. The film tackles relevant issues that are plaguing the country today, from corruption of the authorities to police brutality. Some of the scenes in the movie eerily mirrors similar events that happened in recent years, such as the Hacienda Luisita dispute and the Maguindanao massacre. This gives the film a gritty and realistic feel.

The film did not clearly specified the era of when the story happened, but obviously, it's at a time when cellphones don't exist yet (at one point, one character is shown using a rotary dial telephone which gives us a clue of it's period drama setting). This adds up to the overall mystery of the story. I love how the film introduces multiple yet interesting subplots in the beginning of the film. These subplots are then interwoven together, forming one big web of drama and mystery. The film follows two separate cases that soon ties up smoothly in the film's ending. The first is the death of a haribon (Philippine eagle) inside a sanctuary. Maya unknowingly shot an eagle in the said sanctuary, breaking the law on endangered animals in the country. Her father, Diego, tries his best to cover up the crime to save his daughter from the prosecution (I'm guessing it's because his daughter is almost of legal age and will have to face the penalty for the violation, though I'm not really sure). The second story follows Domingo, a policeman investigating the disappearance of a group of men on their way to Manila. He and his partner, Mendoza soon discover their missing vehicle, a bus, empty without any clue on what happened to it's passengers. As he continue his investigation (despite the strict order of his boss to let go of the case), he discovers that there's a bigger conspiracy behind all of it that will change his perspective as a man of authority. Then, there's also a subtle reference to the supernatural along the way.

The different story lines made the film more interesting and enjoyable to watch because both plots offers different kind of thrills to the viewers. We feel worried for Maya and his father as they try to hide the truth about the death of the bird from the authorities. We are mystified if the unknown entity that Maya is seeing is really of supernatural origin or not. We are puzzled on what really happened to that missing group of men. We are anxious as to where this investigation will lead Domingo in the end.

In "Birdshot", director Mikhail Red proves that he is definitely one of the most promising filmmakers of the country that we should look out for in the future. Red's masterful direction is evident from the first frame of the film until the last shot. He is focused in every aspect of the film, even up to the tiniest details. The film may be a slow-burn thriller but he made sure that the tension is kept consistent from start to finish. His attention to detail makes the film's visuals more impactful. Cinematography-wise, "Birdshot" is eye-catching and breathe-taking. From the golden cornfields stretching across the land to the claustrophobic forest that is hiding a dark secret, cinematographer Mycko David  uses these locations to the film's advantage. Every scene is shot gorgeously, leaving the audience in awe. In addition to that, the wardrobe of these characters have this unique look that you usually see in Korean or Japanese movies, from the trademark red shawl of Maya's character to the vintage looking brown uniforms of the police, which gives the movie a distinct foreign look and feel.

Mary Joy Apostol gives a surprisingly good performance as Maya. Despite the fact that she is a newcomer to the film industry as this was her first full feature film credit, she was able to match her fellow actors in terms of acting. Ku Aquino who plays Diego, Maya's father, was also great. Cinemalaya 2017 Best Supporting Actor Dido Dela Paz is one hell of an antagonist. Arnold Reyes was outstanding in his role of Police Captain Domingo. He was able to give justice to his character, which was one of the toughest to pull off. His character had to go through a harrowing change along the way and Arnold depicted that in a convincing and believable way. He shined in that interrogation scene with him and Ku Aquino in the police station, which in turn was one of the most unforgettable moments of the film. John Arcilla never fails to amaze us with his committed performance as Domingo's partner, Mendoza.  His character also have the most memorable lines from the film (like "Paano tayo magsisimula kung ang meron lang tayo ay wala?") He and Arnold Reyes have great chemistry together: one is young and innocent about the lies and deceit in their surrounding, while the other is tenured and has gotten used to the evil and corruption around him and has learned to play along to survive.



The film's final moments is also one of the most unforgettable endings in a Filipino film. It's bloody, brutal, unsettling and eerie, especially the final revelation in the finale.

Mixing sharp social commentary with a compelling story, coupled with great performances of the cast and brilliant direction of it's helmer, "Birdshot" is a one-of-a-kind, must-see movie that elevates Philippine Cinema to a whole new level. This is the kind of movie that defines the word "astig".

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5
"Birdshot" (2017)
Directed by Mikhail Red, Screenplay By Mikhail Red, Rae Red
Starring Mary Joy Apostol, Arnold Reyes, Ku Aquino, and John Arcilla

***

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.