Top 10 Best Filipino Films of 2017

2017 was a great year for Philippine cinema. Despite the failures of the Metro Manila Film Festival in maintaining the changes that were implemented in the previous year's festival (which is one of the best and most unforgettable edition of the MMFF), we were still blessed with other Filipino films of outstanding quality, some of which came from other film festivals in the country such as the annual Cinemalaya International Film Festival, and the first ever Pista ng Pelikulang Piilipino. We also got the chance to see some independent films from 2016 getting wide theatrical release last year. Therefore, it was quite hard to pick just ten out of all the films that I've watched last year.

Here are the few Honorable Mentions:

• Patay Na Si Hesus (2017 Theatrical release)
• Triptiko
• Smaller and Smaller Circles
• Deadma Walking
• Ang Manananggal  sa Unit 23B (2017 Theatrical release)

Now, without further ado, here is my own pick of the Top 10 Best Filipino Films of 2017.

10. Ang Larawan. Directed by Loy Arcenas, based on A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino by National Artist Nick Joaquin, starring Joanna Ampil, Rachel Alejandro, Paulo Avelino, Sandino Martin, Nonie Buencamino and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo with Celeste Legaspi, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Dulce and Ogie Alcasid. Ang Larawan follows the Marasigan sisters, Candida (Joanna Ampil) and Paulo (Rachel Alejandro) as they struggle living in poverty in their ancestral home with their reclusive artist father Don Lorenzo. Their siblings Manolo (Nonie Buencamino) and Pepang (Menchu Lauchengco) who both live luxuriously kept on convincing them to sell the house, but they always reject the idea. The last painting that their father finished before he got into his "accident" can save them from poverty, but the sisters don't want to give up their father's final masterpiece to preserve their family's legacy.

One of the grandest Filipino films of the year. I'm really glad that I chose to watch this during the start of the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival on Christmas Day. From it's rich visuals, outstanding music and bravura performances, Ang Larawan is a must-watch spectacle... Pinoy musicals have never been this gloriously stunning and entrancing.

9. Kita-Kita. Written and directed by Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo, and starring Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez. Lea (Alessandra De Rossi) and Tonyo (Empoy Marquez) are two Filipinos living in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Lea is a Velo taxi tour guide. She suffers an accident which leads to her being affected by temporary blindness. Her blindness, if not cured in a few weeks, could become permanent. Tonyo is also a Filipino who lives right across from Lea. Lea tries her best to ignore him at first because she is scared of not seeing him. But Tonyo is persistent and is determined to be her friend, using humor and kindness to make a connection. With every effort that he makes the two gradually become closer. In an ironic way, becoming blind allows Lea to see the true character of Tonyo.

Kita Kita is one of the biggest surprises of the year - a funny, charming, delightful type of entertainment that will leaves a smile in your lips (or a tear in your eye for others). It's an unconventional movie with a heart, overflowing with charm that never overstays it's welcome.

8. Kiko Boksingero. Directed by Thop Nazareno, starring Noel Comia Jr., Yayo Aguila and Yul Servo. In this coming-of-age drama, Kiko (in an award-winning performance by Noel Comia Jr.), an 11-year-old boy left aimlessly alone with his nanny Diday (Yayo Aguila) after the recent death of his mother, rekindles a long lost relationship with his father (Yul Servo) in an attempt to find a new lease on life. His father, a washed-up boxer, is currently staying in Baguio for a few days while waiting to find a buyer his home. During his stay, he meets Kiko who, unbeknownst to him is his son. After finding out the truth about the kid, the two of them starts to bond together through boxing. As Kiko starts to spend more time with his father, he starts to grow up and change too.

This is probably the simplest entry from last year's Cinemalaya International film Festival, yet it's also the most heartfelt film among other entries.  It's sweet, humorous, heartwarming and full of emotions. Kiko Boksingero is a small film with a big heart. A champion by all means.

7. Birdshot. Directed by Mikhail Red, starring Mary Joy Apostol, Arnold Reyes, John Arcilla, and Ku Aquino. 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.

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. 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.

6. I'm Drunk I Love You. Directed by JP Habac, starring Maja Salvador and Paulo Avelino. Maja Salavador and Paulo Avelino plays Caridad Sonia “Carson” Herrera and Dionysus “Dio” Brillo respectively. They're best friends who are finally about to graduate from college after their long overdue stay in UP for three years. They've know each other for seven years, and they've gone through a lot of stuff already that they're practically closer than BFFs. Days before their graduation, Dio invites Carson to go on one last road trip to La Union for a music festival. Carson agrees, and she is joined by her ever supportive gay bestfriend Jason Ty (played by indie favorite Dominic Roco). Little did Dio know is that Carson has been harboring feelings for him for the past seven years. Problem arises when Dio's ex-grilfriend Pathy (Jasmin Curtis Smith) shows up in the picture to reconnect with him. Will Carson finally get the courage (with the help of a bottle of beer) to tell Dio her true feelings for her before it's too late?

It is very rare for movies to tackle romance in a gritty, real way. Most of the time, romantic films focus on how good it is to feel in love. Most films we see today uses romance as an escape to reality. But then, there are those films who would rather hit us with the painful truth about love than portray it as a colorful adventure. And I have never seen a movie to ever do that as hard as I'm Drunk I Love You. JP Habac's film is a lot of things. A coming-of-age story. A wake-up call. A self-help manual. A reminder. But most important of all, it's a slap in the face. A harsh slap to make you realize that hey, it's time to grow up and move on. 

5. Love You To The Stars And Back. Directed by Antoinette Jadaone, starring Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia. Feeling out place in her own home, an eccentric and socially awkward girl, Mika (Julia Barretto), decides to go on a road trip with a very strange goal – to look for aliens. In her trip, Mika accidentally bumps into a simple and good-humored boy, Caloy (Joshua Garcia), whom she chooses to give a free ride to until he reaches his destination. Mika is surprised to know that Caloy has cancer. But despite his condition, he has learned to accept his fate and remained positive and joyful. The two embark on a roadtrip filled with adventures and misadventures, not knowing that it will lead them to experiencing their most memorable romance at such a young age. They unexpectedly teach each other an important lesson on love and life – one that takes most people a lifetime to learn.

Antoinette Jadaone's Love you to the Stars and Back proves that mainstream cinema can still come up with great stories. It is one amazing romantic coming-of-age movie that reminds us of her great skills as a director and writer, and also serves as a proof that the JoshLia tandem is a loveteam to watch out for. It also features one of the year's best performance by actor, with Joshua Garcia's heartbreaking portrayal of Caloy. It's a movie that is full of laughter and pain, oozing with kilig and tears.

4. 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten (2017 Theatrical release).  Directed by Petersen Vargas, starring Khalil Ramos, Jameson Blake and Ethan Salvador. Felix Salonga (in an unforgettable performance by Khalil Ramos) is a friendless, overachieving top notcher in a typical public high school in the province of Pampanga during the late 1990s whose life is turned upside down after the Film-Am brothers Magnus (Ethan Salvador) and Maxim Snyder (in an award-winning performance by Jameson Blake) transfers to his his school. Felix becomes curious at the two mestizos, particularly with elder Magnus, after his first glance of the boys. As days passed by, he soon develops a strong, unusual friendship with the brothers. He gets to know more of their background, particularly their family. As things get more complicated, this relationship with the Snyder brothers ultimately leads him to be entangled in a dark path involving a plan for murder, his sexual awakening and his first heartbreak.

Petersen Vargas' feature film debut is sweet, humorous, romantic, yet turns dark and disturbing as it moves along, dragging the willing audiences back into one of the hardest phases of a person's life-growing up. It's an experience not to be missed. An experience that's too cool to be forgotten. No pun intended.

3. BLISS. Directed by Jerrold Tarog, starring Iza Calzado, Ian Veneracion, TJ Trinidad and Adrienne Vergara. BLISS tells the story of an aging actress, Jane Ciego (played by Iza Calzado in her most daring role yet) who started acting in showbiz at a young age. Now in her 30s, she decides to produce her own film to win some respect in the industry. But things do not go as planned and an accident on location cripples her. Jane wakes up unable to walk and trapped in her own home, a large house filled with strange sounds and people who may want to harm her. She is looked over by her cold husband Carlo (TJ Trinidad) and a sadistic nurse named Lilibeth (Adrienne Vergara), and then there is Rose, a nurse wanted by authorities for sexually molesting a patient. She mysteriously enters Jane’s life and soon begins affecting her dreams as much as her waking life. Jane’s sanity begins to crumble as the horrors pile up in a symphony of blood, tears and madness. What was supposed to be a simple dream for Jane soon becomes an endless nightmare.

BLISS is one of the most fucked up, unapologetic, disgusting, shameful, and demented Filipino films I've seen on screen. But it is also one of the most fun, mind-boggling, surreal, riveting and wildly entertaining local films I've watched. Intelligently written, imaginatively directed and brilliantly acted, this film pushes the boundaries of Philippine Cinema way past it's limits. BLISS is deliciously disturbing. It's like that little, sugary confection that you've been warned not to eat because it's bad for your health. Problem is, once you get a taste of BLISS, you'll be craving for more.

2. Bar Boys. Directed by Kip Oebanda, starring Rocco Nacino, Carlo Aquino, Enzo Pineda and Kean Cipriano. The film follows the three (yes, just 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.

This film serves as 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 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. It's a hilarious, heartwarming, emotional, and inspiring feel-good joyride that will leave more than what you expect.

1. Respeto. Directed by Treb Monteras II, starring Abra, Dido Dela Paz, Loonie, Kate Alejandrino, Chai Fonacier and Silvester Bagadiong. Henrdix (played in a surprisingly effective performance by Abra) is a wannabe rapper who's trying to make a name for himself through the underground rap battle known as "Berso". He aspires to make it big and hopes to get out of the life that he was born with- an abusive home (his sister and her drug pusher boyfriend) and a violent surrounding (as people from their squatters village always ends up being killed by unknown assailants supposedly due to drugs). Soon, he meets Fortunato Reyes, known with his nickname Dok, an old poet and Martial Law victim (played by veteran Dido de la Paz) who ends up helping him straighten up his life and puts him in the right direction.

Treb Monteras II's Respeto is undeniably the breakout film of this year's Cinemalaya Film Festival. It's a very powerful film that disguises itself as a simple movie about rap battle. It's a tragedy of a young man, his mentor and how the world around them led them to destruction. It's a satire to our government's actions and brutality. It's an elegy to the dying moral of our society. Respeto will also leave you breathless with it's heart-stopping and jaw-dropping ending. One of the most unique and most heart-wrenching endings in a Filipino movie in recent memory.

And that sums up my Top 10 Best Filipino Films of 2017. Looking forward to more amazing Filipino films this 2018. 'Til next year's countdown!

MMFF 2017 Movie Review : Julius Alfonso's "Deadma Walking"

It's tricky and unconventional story makes this MMFF dramedy a stand-out against the rest of this year's film fest entries.

Based on Eric Cabahug's award-winning screenplay (second place, Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature 2016), this out-of-this-world musical dramedy is sure to give this year's MMFF a different taste. Directed by Julius Alfonso and produced under T-Rex Productions, Deadma Walking stars Edgar Allan Guzman and Joross Gamboa as two gay bestfriends who fakes the latter's own death to attend his own wake to hear his friends views on him. The film also stars Candy Pangilinan, Nico Antonio, Dimples Romana, Gerald Anderson and Vin Abrenica in supporting roles and is an official entry to the 43rd Metro Manila Film Festival.

John Samson (Joross Gamboa) and Mark (Edgar Allan Guzman) are two gay best friends- John is a successful businessman while Mark is a sales agent and a part time theater actor. John soon discover that he is ill, and has only a year or two to live. Because of this, he comes up with a plan and asks his best friend to help him: they will  fake his own death so that he can attend his own wake to hear his friends and other people's views on him. Everything turns out okay, until his estranged sister, Mary (Dimples Romana) who had misunderstandings with her brother John as she was not able to go home when their mother died, comes home only to see the wake for her brother. Tensions arise as more people from John's past comes back to pay their respects for him. Secrets will be revealed. Relationships will be tested. Can they complete their mission to create the grandest and most fabulous (fake) funeral the world is yet to see? 

At first, Deadma Walking's central plot may turn off viewers, especially to those people who are accustomed to the regular holiday themed comedies of the Metro Manila Film Festival. It's story revolves around death, or to be specific, about a man who is waiting for his own death. It's theme is very dark and off-putting for a film that is shown during the Christmas season. But it's unusual and unconventional story is what makes this musical dramedy stand-out among the rest of this year's film fest entries. And although it is being compared to 2016's Die Beautiful, I actually enjoyed and liked Deadma Walking more than the other.

Death is a very tricky subject, and when it's not done the right way, everything will turn awkward and uninviting to the film's viewers. Luckily, director Julius Alfonso managed to handle the material very well because everything turned out good. He was able to put enough balance of everything in the film. There's enough humor to entertain audiences. There's lots of drama to keep the audience engaged. There's also a bit of musical performances, adding more color and energy to this film. To it's credit, the musical scenes are really well done. Although Ang Larawan is still the best musical of the festival, Deadma Walking has the better song and dance opening sequence.

Regarding the film's humor, I must commend Eric Cabahug's screenplay. It's witty and full of laugh-out-loud jokes, particularly the ones thrown by Mark's character. Some of the jokes maybe hit-or-miss, but most of them were really funny. As for the dramatic aspect of the film, they were actually good. The way they handled the relationship between John and Mary was great, and they were able to make the audiences sympathize with them. And of course, the story of John and Mark's friendship is truly heartfelt and will pinch your heart. Everything was good in the film, except for the twist in the film's finale which I felt was done in haste. I think it could have been executed in a better fashion since it concerns one of the main characters. But in the end, what matters is that it was able to relay the context of the twist and move the story forward.

The film's cast is also one of the main reasons why this film works. Candy Pangilinan was really fun to watch despite the supporting role. Nico Antonio and Bobby Andrews were also great additions to the cast. It was really funny to see Gerlad Anderson and Vin Abrenica in this movie, as it was quite unusual to see them in mainstream projects that tackles homosexual themes like this. Dimples Romana was really outstanding as John's brother, Mary. She's definitely one of the most underrated actresses of this country. But despite getting just supporting roles, she manages to wow everyone with her heart-wrenching performance in this movie. The star-studded cameos were a delight to watch, from Eugene Domingo, Piolo Pascual, Sue Ramirez (although I'm not sure what exactly her purpose was), Jason Abalos, Matt Evans, and many more. But the most insane and probably the best and most unforgettable cameo was from Iza Calzado. I was laughing hysterically with her unexpected appearance in this movie (I knew she was in the film based on the trailer, but I did not expected how her cameo would be like).

But above all, this is Joross Gamboa and Edgar Allan Guzman's movie, and they definitely owned it. Joross Gamboa deserves praise for his committed performance as John. He nailed the character with flying (rainbow) colors. His best moment would be those with Dimples Romana, and this one particular scene in the film's ending as he was lying alone in a cemetery. Edgar Allan Guzman's award-winning portrayal of Mark is truly outstanding. He definitely deserves the (Best Actor, NOT just the Best Supporting Actor) acting award, no doubt about it.

So if you are looking for something unique from this year's Metro Manila Film Festival, this movie is for you. Deadma Walking is a unique, funny, witty and at times heartwarming surprise from this year's festival. Watch it, and give your MMFF experience a different flavor.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰  of 5

"Deadma Walking" (2017) Directed by Julius Alfonso, starring Edgar Allan Guzman and Joross Gamboa with Candy Pangilinan, Nico Antonio, Dimples Romana, Gerald Anderson and Vin Abrenica, produced under T-Rex Productions. An official entry to the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival.

MMFF 2017 Movie Review : Chris Martinez' "Meant To Beh"

For the first time in forever, here's a Vic Sotto movie that I actually like.

It's that time of the year again for the biggest film festival in the country, the Metro Manila Film Festival. This year, the organizers of the festival reintroduced the controversial "commercial appeal/viability" in it's criteria for the selection of entries which was criticized because it was alleged that the reintroduction of these old rules was made to prioritize box-office success over quality films and to accommodate the big mainstream studios that were mostly left out last year. And so obviously, the past MMFF's box-office royalties that did not make it to last year's festival are also back on the scene, including Vic Sotto. To be honest, I don't really watch a lot of his films. I don't find anything funny about his endless Enteng sequels. I don't really have anything bad against him. It's just that his brand of comedy is not my type. So I had low expectations when I went to see his movie, Meant To Beh during it's Premiere night last December 20, 2017 at SM Megamall. But to my surprise, it turns out that his latest film is his best movie to date.

Screenshots from the trailer

Meant To Beh, directed by Chris Martinez, is Vic Sotto's latest entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival. Distributed and produced by OctoArts Films, M-Zet Productions and APT Entertainment, the film stars Vic Sotto, Dawn Zulueta, JC Santos, Daniel Matsunaga, Sue Ramirez, Gabbi Garcia, Ruru Madrid, Andrea Torres and Baby Baste. Meant To Beh follows the lives of a married couple, Ron (Vic Sotto) and Andrea (Dawn Zulueta), who lives with their three children: Christian (JC Santos), Alex (Gabbi Garcia) and Rylie (Baeby Baste). Unbeknownst to their children, the couple's relationship has been on the rocks for a long time now, and they have been trying their best to keep their family together by staying as a couple. That is until they both decided to finally call it quits and get divorced. As Ron and Andrea try to move on with their separate lives (and separate love interests), their three children decided to take matters into their own hands to bring them back together again. Will they succeed in making their parents realize that the two of them were really meant to be?

The premise of the film isn't really something new anymore. I'm pretty sure there have been quite a few films that have already tackled a similar story. But to the film's credit, their approach to the story made it feel fresh and inspired. The good thing about this film is that it took it's time in introducing us to the Balatbat family. The film did not rushed the story to accommodate product placements and unnecessary cameos. Instead, it focused on giving audiences background to each of the characters, from Ron's view as a husband being the head of the household and being the main source of income of the family, Andrea trying to have a career despite being a mother of three, Christian who is head over heels with a girl (Sue Ramirez) in his campus but can't find the courage to tell his true feelings for her and Alex who is trying to deny the fact that she actually likes this guy (Ruru Madrid) but pretends not to. Unlike most comedy films we get to see during the festival before, this one stands out because it sticks to it's story and builds up to ensure that audiences will root for all of it's main characters. It actually took quite some time before the actual conflict of the films starts, which I felt was the part that got rushed.

Director Chris Martinez is one of the biggest reasons why this movie was a breathe of fresh air from Vic Sotto's past films. Known for his movies like Here Comes the Bride (2010), Temptation Island (2011) and The Gifted (2014), Chris Martinez' brand of comedy is far different from the slapstick comedy that people usually see in Vic Sotto's past films. I don't watch Vic Sotto's movies because I know how he does his films. Therefore, the change of director was a really good decision (Tony Y. Reyes who previously directed the past Enteng Kabisote films was the original director attached to the project, before being replaced by Martinez). Unlike his past films, this movie doesn't feel like another Vic Sotto movie. It removed everything that audiences hated in his past films, most especially those annoying product placements that haunted every scene of his Sotto's films. This movie actually felt like a serious movie, and not an extended commercial ad. Regarding the film's humor, Chris Martinez tried a lot of things to keep the audiences laughing from start until the end of the film. Some worked, some did not. But when the jokes work, they are really funny. Like laugh out loud funny that made everyone cheered inside the theater where we had the screening.

Aside from Chris Martinez' solid direction of the material, another strong aspect of the film is it's very talented cast. Ruru Madrid and Gabii Garcia had some nice moments together, though their story line weren't given enough scenes where they could shine. Daniel Matsunaga still needs to work on his Tagalog accent as it was a bit distracting but he was fine as Dawn Zulueta's lover. Andrea Torres was really fun to watch during those confrontation scenes with Dawn in the film. JC Santos and Sue Ramirez have some spark together, and even though their subplot was short, they made the best out it. Santos was just so adorable in this nerdy role (which reminds me of Fidel from 100 Tula Para Kay Stella). Vic Sotto is still the same Vic Sotto that we've seen in the past Enteng Kabisote films. His acting is still the same. But with his character here in this movie, he is far more relatable than his previous movie roles. I never thought that Dawn Zulueta could do a comedy like this. At first. I couldn't imagine the possibility of her doing comedy. But with Meant To Beh, she was able to transition from her usual drama to comedy and she did it with flying colors.  But the biggest stand-out of the film is none other than Baeby Baste who plays their youngest son. The whole audience in the screening I attended can't help but cheer whenever he cracks a joke. Also, he will definitely melt your heart whenever he tries some dramatic acting. He is oozing with charm and confidence on screen and he definitely stole the show.

To be honest, I still can't believe that the movie that I've watched was a Vic Sotto movie because it did not feel like it was. I guess he was true when he said that this is his first serious film because this was an improvement over his past movies. Though there were some short moments that felt lagging and could have been improved, the whole film itself is quite good. Meant To Beh is an entertaining, family-friendly comedy that is too good to miss.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰1/2  of 5 

"Meant To Beh" (2017) Directed by Chris Martinez, Distributed and produced by OctoArts Films, M-Zet Productions and APT Entertainment, the film stars Vic Sotto, Dawn Zulueta, JC Santos, Daniel Matsunaga, Sue Ramirez, Gabbi Garcia, Ruru Madrid, Andrea Torres and Baby Baste.