Cinema One Originals 2017 (World Cinema) Movie Review: Luca Guadagnino's "Call Me By Your Name"

Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer in "Call Me By Your Name" (2017)

One of the most highly anticipated films of the year and has received unanimous acclaim from international critics, "Call Me By Your Name" (2017) Luca Guadagnino's adaptation of the 2007 novel of the same name by André Aciman, had it's Philippine premiere last November 18, 2017 in Trinoma as part of the World Cinema section of this year's Cinema One Originals. The romantic coming-of-age drama film will be screened in four select cinemas in Metro Manila, and most of these screenings are sold-out already.

Everyone, including me, has been looking forward to seeing this film since it was announced to be part of the 2017 Cinema One Originals. Therefore, this will be a special review since this is the first foreign film I will be writing about here in my blog. Yes, this film is that special. Set in Italy in 1983, Call Me by Your Name chronicles the romantic relationship between a 17-year-old Italian-American, Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), and his father's American student, Oliver (Armie Hammer). It serves as the third and final installment in Guadagnino's Desire trilogy, following I Am Love (2009) and A Bigger Splash (2015).

It's the summer of 1983 in the north of Italy, and Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), a precocious 17- year-old American-Italian, spends his days in his family’s 17th century villa transcribing and playing classical music, reading, and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel). Elio enjoys a close relationship with his father (Michael Stuhlbarg), an eminent professor specializing in Greco-Roman culture, and his mother Annella (Amira Casar), a translator, who favor him with the fruits of high culture in a setting that overflows with natural delights. While Elio's sophistication and intellectual gifts suggest he is already a fully-fledged adult, there is much that yet remains innocent and unformed about him, particularly about matters of the heart.

One day, Oliver (Armie Hammer), a charming American scholar working on his doctorate, arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio's father. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of the setting, Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will alter their lives forever.

Luca Guadagnino has been internationally renowned for his critically-acclaimed films for quite some time now. But to be honest, I haven't seen any of his past works before, making Call Me By Your Name the first. I am planning to check out his previous film, A Bigger Splash, starring Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson, and Matthias Schoenaerts and I've been looking forward to his 2018 remake of Dario Argento’s cult classic horror film, Suspiria,starring Tilda Swinton, Chloe Grace Moretz and Dakota Johnson. Because I am not very familiar with his works, I really had no idea what to expect with Call Me By Your Name. To reiterate, I haven't read the book by André Aciman, therefore I am not in the right position to say whether this was a good adaptation or not. But judging it as a movie that I have seen in the cinema, I can confidently say that this is one of the year's best films.

I love the slow build-up of Elio and Oliver's relationship, with Elio at first resenting the latter for his American ways (like his unusual way of bidding goodbye with "later"). Eventually, he starts to become curious with this American stranger, until his curiosity develops into an attraction. It kinda reminds me of my favorite film, Petersen Vargas' 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten where the main character Felix who was originally curious about his new Fil-Am classmate Magnus, and ends up developing feelings for him. As his attraction starts to get get stronger each day (he starts secretly entering Oliver's room and smelling his underwear and thinking of him while masturbating), he is unsure whether he should tell the latter his true feelings. His parents advised him to do so, and when he does, it was poetic. Oliver soon reciprocates his feeling for him, thus starting a love story doomed to end once the summer ends.

The way all of this things unfold is what makes Call Me By Your Name different from most romantic coming-of-age films nowadays. The film doesn't rush it's story. Instead, it takes it time in letting it's main characters realize their true feelings for one another. The audience is left waiting and wanting them to be together, and when they do, it's beautiful. This could not have worked if not for the film's two amazing leads. Timothée Chalamet gives Elio that pale, young, fragile look which perfectly matches Armie Hammer's Oliver- vibrant, carefree, and masculine. The two of them looks good together. and whenever they play and flirt around in one scene from another, the screen is oozing with their chemistry.

Timothée Chalamet's portrayal of Elio was so raw and honest. The way his body moves, whenever he's dancing while walking around or whenever he's just alone in his room or when he is around with his friends, he is Elio and he definitely owns the role. The way he looks at Oliver, you can really see and feel the desire and emotions in his eyes. These are the same eyes that will break your heart in the film's finale. Armie Hammer partners this with his fun and vibrant performance as Oliver. He is believable as a scholar, and he wows everyone in one particular scene where he carefully explains the history of a name of a fruit. And once the two of them join together in one scene, it is explosive. The frame is burning with so much intensity and sexiness even before they start undressing. This may be the year's sexiest movie, way more titillating than the latest sequel of the Fifty Shades movies.


It's good to know that Guadagnino wasn't actually interested in sex in the movie. It was the same reason why he had to edit a lot of sexually explicit scenes in the film's original draft. According to him, he just wants to focus on two people having a moment. He wanted the audience to completely rely on the emotional travel of these people and feel first love And he did. And he did it so well that even if there were no explicit nudity from the two leads nor hardcore sex scenes happening onscreen, the picture still ended up scorching hot.

Luca Guadagnino also transports us into the hot summer of 1983 somewhere in Northern Italy with the film's beautiful soundtrack and luscious cinematography. The music matches the atmosphere of the film, nostalgic, wistful and will leave you longing for the yesteryear. The cinematography is so stunning. Each scene is blooming with colors and lights, making the picture look so crisp and real. You can really feel heat of the summer afternoons and feel the coolness of the refreshing water in the river with the film's cinematography. From the village of Crema, Lombardy to the quiet dirt roads where the two characters rides their bike, every single location comes to life with the long, luscious camera works. I especially liked the shots in the lake scene where Elio, his father and Oliver went to check out some pieces of antiquity recovered from the lake. The scene was so brightly lit that when they showed a close-up shot of the water, it felt like it was going to splash out of the screen. It was that gorgeous.

I also loved the script, penned by James Ivory. It was so poetic and memorable that you'd want to hear it over and over it. From the beautiful advises received by Elio from Amira Casar's Annella, his mother to the  heartfelt revelations by Michael Stuhlbarg's Mr. Lyle, his father towards the end of the film, every word was divine.

"We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to feel nothing so as not to feel anything - what a waste!" 

-says Mr. Lyle to Elio in one of the scenes. These words, although beautifully written, are also painfully true.

" Nature has cunning ways of finding our weakest spot." I agree.

Then, just when you thought you could already breathe out of all the sadness of the film comes one of the most heart-wrenching post-credits scene in recent memory. God, Timothée Chalamet sure is a heart breaker. Call Me By Your Name is already a cult classic in the making. A film sure to steal all the trophies from the upcoming awards season. Luca Guadagnino's romantic coming-of-age story is an honest, sultry, poignant and beautiful portrayal of a boy's first love.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰  of 5

"Call Me By Your Name" (2017)

Directed by Luca Guadagnino, starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer

Cinema One Originals 2017 Movie Review: Joseph Teoxon's "Throwback Today"

If given a chance, would you want to change your life? What would you change? Or should I say, when? That is the question posted by Joseph Teoxon's sci-fi dramedy "Throwback Today". The film stars Carlo Aquino who plays Primo, the protagonist of the story. It also stars Empress Schuck, Annicka Dolonius, Allan Paule and Kat Galang and is one of the official entries to this year's Cinema One Originals.

In Throwback Today, we follow Primo, who seems like he has ran out of luck in his life: he is jobless, he's about to get thrown out of their house and the girl he loves is about to get married. That is until one day, he discovers that he can communicate with his younger self through an online chat room. Primo is convinced that he is failing so much today because of what he has done in the past, so he decided to convince his younger self to help him change the past to change the future.

Carlo Aquino plays Primo
Screenshot from the trailer

During the first few minutes of the film, I immediately thought that this has some similarities with the Hollywood movie The Butterfly Effect (2004) starring Ashton Kutcher. Both film feature a male lead character trying to change his current situation in life by changing things from his past. Both films have drastic consequences in the present for every change that takes place in the past. But Joseph Teoxon's sci-fi dramedy has enough distinction from the latter. Though the two films have a similar premise, Throwback Today has more heart. It's more lighter in tone and thus, far more enjoyable than the other one. Although the concept of changing your past isn't new anymore as we have seen a lot of films recycling the same concept over and over again, this sci-fi entry stands out with it's fun and entertaining execution.

The film's witty and humorous script  was successful in keeping audiences' attention for a long time. There's a lot of really hilarious moments that made the crowd laugh out loud inside the cinema. The film never felt boring or dragging. The pacing was consistent all throughout. The characters were all written very well. It's like they're someone you've known from your high school or college days. These are characters that you can really connect with. That you can see yourself into. That's why it's hard not to fall for and root for these characters. I also loved that the story did not turned out like I expected it to be. The last part of the film was unpredictable. It took  different turn and decided to leave the whole thing to it's main character to resolve. It's nice that the film took a different route for it's resolution. It was totally unexpected and I really appreciate it. It's almost felt like watching a feel good movie.

Of course, the biggest asset of the film is it's talented cast. It's so nice to see Annicka Dolonius again after her stint in one of my favorite indie films, Ang Nawawala (2012) and in the surf movie Apocalypse Child (2015). She fit the role as she has this mysterious aura whenever she's onscreen. Empress Schuck was also good in her portrayal of Primo's best friend. But the real star of the film is Carlo Aquino, who gives a very committed performance as the protagonist, Primo. After his stint in the youth oriented film Bar Boys earlier this year, I've decided to follow Carlo Aquino's next projects and Throwback Today was the perfect movie for him. He definitely looked and felt so convincing as Primo. Whenever he's onscreen, one can't help but to be magnetized with his charm. He is able to shift from high and low emotions and still keep us glued to the screen with presence.

I pretty much enjoyed Joseph Teoxon's sci-fi "Throwback Today". This is the type of film that anyone can easily appreciate. It isn't bombastic in any way. But it's a simple movie that will leave a smile in your face once you leave the cinema.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰  of 5

"Throwback Today" (2017)
Directed by Joseph Teoxon, starring Carlo Aquino, Empress Schuck, Annicka Dolonius, Allan Paule and Kat Galang
An official entry to the 2017 Cinema One Originals Film Festival

Cinema One Originals 2017 Movie Review: Kip Oebanda's "Nay"

Ms. Sylvia Sanchez is "Nay"

After his critically-acclaimed youth oriented film Bar Boys which debuted at the first Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, director Kip Oebanda is back. This time, he takes on a classic Filipino folklore and gives it a new, millennial spin. Tagged as a gore film, this horror drama mixes shocks with political messages and underlying themes. “Nay”, written and directed by Kip Oebanda, stars a pretty interesting cast, led by Enchong Dee, Jameson Blake and Ms. Sylvia Sanchez, together with Harvey Bautista and Carla Humphries and is one of the official entries to the Cinema One Originals 2017.

Martin's (Enchong Dee) sheltered life is turned around when he gets terminally ill. To save his life, his beloved yaya, Nay Luisa (Sylvia Sanchez) turns him into something truly horrifying. He must choose between dying or becoming a monster that preys on the poor and the weak in city where dehumanization has become the norm.

Screenshots from the trailer

The film is perfect for the theme of this year’s Cinema One Originals film festival: Walang Takot (fearless).The film’s story is not just about the plight of Martin’s character after being turned into an aswang. It also tackles very important and relevant issues today, particularly on extra-judicial killings. Though technically a horror film, Nay hides a lot of political and social overtones underneath it’s bloody and violent skin. It offers a very timely commentary on our society’s morality nowadays, particularly how we are slowly being desensitized to violence around us. At one point of the film, Nay Luisa asks Martin who is he to judge who should die and who should live. This pretty much mirrors how the people responsible for those extra-judicial killings are deciding whether it’s better if one man should just die instead of giving him a chance to change.

The film’s boasts a very powerful cast. Enchong Dee was really good in portraying the young yuppie Martin. He was able to convey a lot of emotions for his character, particularly during the time he was suffering from his illness. Jameson Blake has improved a lot since his past stint in 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten and Nabubulok. He has grown into the craft he is passionate about. I think he should get more challenging roles because for sure, he’s going to nail them. I was impressed with Carla Humhries and Harvey Baustista in this movie. And of course, who can forget Ms. Sylvia Sanchez’ tour de force performance as the title role Nay. She surprised us with her bravura take on her character. She was magnetic and captivating. She quickly shifts from being funny to scary. It was a performance that deserves recognition, perhaps a Best Actress award.

And yes, the film succeeds in it’s promises of gore. Nay is definitely one of the bloodiest Pinoy horror films I’ve seen, with it’s shocking and brutal visuals. It doesn’t care about jump scares an instead, it’s focused on shocking the audience with it’s unapologetic blood shedding. Though it’s not as gory as other foreign gore films I’ve seen, it has enough to satisfy my cravings as a gorehound. The pacing of the film was slow, but it was okay. It wasn’t really boring because of the witty script, combining shocks and humor. So far, this is one of the best Aswang movies I’ve seen in local cinema. Also, some of the scenes of the film reminds me of the Spanish horror film REC . And that ending has some Hannibal feels in it.

Watching Nay was a great way to start my Cinema One Originals experience this year. It’s shocking, brutal and bloody. But it’s also funny and entertaining, plus it’s timely commentary on our society’s issues today is very relevant. A millennial Aswang film? What more can you ask for?

Rating: ✰✰✰✰1/2  of 5

"Nay" (2017) directed by Kip Oebanda, Enchong Dee, Jameson Blake and Ms. Sylvia Sanchez

An official entry to the 2017 Cinema One Originals Film Festival

FEATURE: Enchong Dee, Jameson Blake star in Kip Oebanda's NAY

Director Kip Oebanda with stars Enchong Dee & Jameson Blake
Source: @KipOebanda

"After Bar Boys, what are you going to do next?" Director Kip Oebanda asks himself in one of his social media posts.

After his critically acclaimed youth-oriented comedy drama Bar Boys (2017) which was part of the very first Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino and starred Carlo Aquino, Enzo Pineda, Rocco Nacino and Kean Cipriano, what's really next for Director Kip Oebanda? The answer to that question is Nay. An official entry to the 2017 Cinema One Originals, Nay features some of the country's well known actors led by Enchong Dee, Sylvia Sanchez and Jameson Blake. In Nay, Director Kip goes for the supernatural as he makes a film about a rich, sheltered youth who gets to be transformed into an aswang by his yaya, Nay Luisa.

Director Kip Oebanda with star Sylvia Sanchez. Source: @KipOebanda

The project was described by actor Jameson Blake as a gore film, a subgenre of horror film that deliberately focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence. These films, usually through the use of special effects, display a fascination with the vulnerability of the human body and the theatricality of its mutilation. This subgenre, though not really popular here in the country, is a staple in American and Japanese cinema as evident in films like George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, Eli Roth's Hostel and James Wan's Saw franchise.

This would be the second time that Enchong Dee and Jameson Blake joined the said film festival. Enchong played the lead role in Paano Ko Sasabihin, an official entry to the 2009 Cinema One Originals. Jameson, on the other hand was part of 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten from last year's festival. This is also not the first time that Kip Oebanda became part of the festival. He has previously worked on the call-center romance film Shift by Siege Ledesma in 2013 where he was nominated for Best Editing (Cinema One Currents). Here in Nay, director/ writer Kip Oebanda take on the classic aswang mythology and gives it a fresh, modern look.

Jameson Blake prepares as his head gets casted for the film's FX prosthesis.
Source: @KipOebanda

I was able to visit one of the locations (a bar in Tomas Morato) where they were shooting some scenes for the movie. Based on my observations, Director Kip has a keen eye for detail as he instructs his two lead actors in polishing a bar scene. Both Enchong and Jameson are on their A game despite the tiring shoot. Jameson is focused on perfecting his acting while Enchong looks like he's just having fun playing an aswang. This is not the first time that Enchong starred in a genre flick as he previously played an aswang hunter in the 2012 horror pic The Strangers and as a possessive and murderous zombie lover in the 2016 horror-comedy I Love You To Death. Jameson, on the other hand is currently shooting another horror film entitled Haunted Forest under Regal Films.

Enchong Dee prepares for a scene.

Nay, according to Cinema One, is one of the seven films which were able to "deliver fresh stories with poignant, hilarious and extraordinary accounts that will touch the lives of more diverse audiences." The finalists were picked by the selection committee led by Ronald Arguelles (festival director), Philbert Dy, Rico Gonzales, Oggs Cruz, Jinky Laurel, Kathleen Pador, Richard Bolisay, Sherad Anthony Sanchez, and Jade Castro. All seven finalists received a grant of P3 million to produce their movie and compete in the festival to be held this November 2017, making it the biggest edition of the festival to date. It is no doubt that Nay is one of the most anticipated entries of the festival this year.

The film's official teaser poster.

With "Bar Boys" and "Nay" director Kip Oebanda

With "Nay" star Jameson Blake

With "Nay" star Enchong Dee