Cinemalaya 13 : "Kiko Boksingero" (2017) movie review

Of all the Cinemalaya film entries this year, there is one movie that stands out among the rest. Not because of it's complicated story line, nor it's star-studded cast. It's because it has a heart. And that is what makes Thop Nazareno's Kiko Boksingero (2017) rise above the rest. The film, which was penned by Emmanuel Espejo Jr., Ash Malanum, Denise O'Hara and Heber O'Hara, stars 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.

Photos from Imdb.com

Of all the four Cinemalaya entries that I've watched during the festival run, this movie stands out among the rest because of it's simple yet deeply moving story. It doesn't have too much complications unlike the rest of the stories of the other film entries. It's conflict is simple and honest. It's about a kid who's just meeting his estranged father for the first time. It's simplicity is what makes it endearing because it doesn't have to be pretentious in any way. The story moves fluidly, giving enough time for the audience to love Kiko and sympathize with his character's situation. The dialogues are natural. The characters are well-written and don't feel stereotyped nor manufactured.

The film's humor is cute and sweet.The humor is very effective because the're taken from real-life situations and experiences like asking a picky child to eat vegetables or having one get circumcised. The audience picks up the jokes right away, sending everyone to laughter inside the theater.  But once the film hits it's gears to show off it's dramatic side, it will really leave you in tears. My favorite example would be the scene during the first few moments of the movie when Kiko lies in his bed and covers himself with his mom's blanket. That scene got me to shed a tear or two. Another would be the last part during the finale of the movie which i'm not going to spoil for you guys, but it's worth it.

Cinematography was also good. The crew took advantage of the film's location which is Baguio. The sound design was on point. Unlike another entries that I've seen, this one is polished and clean without any technical hiccup. Thop Nazareno's delicate handling of the material is solid and excellent. The cast were also outstanding. Noel Comia Jr. is perfect for the role of Kiko. He embodied the character in a realistic and believable way. No wonder he won the Best Actor award in the recently concluded Awards Night of the Cinemalaya 2017 Philippine Independent Film Festival. Yayo Aguila also deserves praise on her effective portayal as Diday, the house nanny. Yul Servo was also good as Kiko's long-lost father. 

I love the film's final moments.  It's somehow sad but also beautiful as it shows how a young kid like Kiko starts to change after meeting his father whom he have never seen in a long time. It's the perfect closure to a wonderful story like this. 

A wholesome drama that everyone will surely appreciate, this movie is undeniably one of this year's best festival 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.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5
Kiko Boksingero (2017)

Directed by Thop Nazareno,

starring Noel Comia Jr., Yayo Aguila and Yul Servo

BLISS Movie Review

"Hindi ko maintindihan!" (I can't understand!)

This is one of the lines of Iza Calzado's character Jane in director Jerrold Tarog's latest film, Bliss. This is also the exact same thing I've been murmuring to myself while watching the movie last Monday, April 3, 2017 at CineAdarna, UP Diliman during the film's special screening. The screening was attended by hundreds of people who flocked the film theater since early afternoon just to catch a glimpse of the film that got it's lead actress, Iza Calzado, her Best Performer Award from the recent Osaka Film Festival. The film became controversial after MTRCB slapped it with an X-rating, banning it from being commercially released in the country. Until now, I still can't figure out what I've watched that night. Director Jerrold Tarog said he aims to push the boundaries of Philippine Cinema with this film. And he did it, in a way no one could have imagined.

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.

Director Jerrold Tarog is no stranger to the horror genre, as he have been making horror films even before BLISS. He helmed the Shake, Rattle & Roll 12 episode "Punerarya" starring Carla Abellana and Sid Lucero, the feature film Aswang (2011) starring Lovi Poe and Paulo Avelino, the Shake, Rattle & Roll 13 episode "Parola" (one of my favorite episodes of SRR) starring Kathryn Bernardo and Louisse Delos Reyes and the Shake, Rattle & Roll XV episode "Ulam" starring Ms. Abellana and Dennis Trillo. his lead actress, Iza Calzado, is also considered as one of Philippines' modern day scream queens, as she has starred in films like Sigaw (2004), Shake, Rattle & Roll 8 (2006), Ouija (2007), The Echo (2008), White House (2010), Maria, Leonora, Theresa (2014), Haunted Mansion (2015), and Ilawod (2017). Therefore, BLISS is a dream come true for a horror fan like me because two big names in the country's industry have collaborated to come up with this project.

For the past years, I've seen a lot of horror films. And when I say A LOT, I mean it. I remember, there was even a time when for one whole month, I was watching a horror movie almost every single day. I guess this is the reason why I got so numb when it comes to horror movies. I don't get scared easily anymore, which is really depressing because whenever me and my friends watch horror movies in the theater, all of them are shrieking out of fright the whole time while I stare blankly at the screen. No reactions at all. But luckily, there are some few good horror flicks that comes out of the blue that I get to enjoy. So whenever I say that a horror movie is good, believe me. It is good. The last Filipino horror film that I've watched and enjoyed was Erik Matti's Seklusyon. I've had some pretty good time watching that film. And since then, I've been looking forward to seeing another good horror film. Unfortunately, I haven't seen one since the start of this year. I haven't seen a local horror movie that I actually enjoyed. Until I saw BLISS.

I still can't figure out what BLISS actually is. I couldn't come up with a single word to describe it. It's never-before-seen. It's trippy. It's insane. It's mind-boggling. It's surreal. It's fucked-up. Yeah. It is so fucked-up. I've never seen a Filipino movie this fucked up since Sherad Anthony Sanchez's Salvage starring Jessy Mendiola. But BLISS takes the word "fucked-up" to a whole new level. I don't even know where to start in reviewing the film. Jerrold Tarog's BLISS is like a big mystery, slowly being peeled one layer after another. And every time it sheds off another layer, it becomes more and more unsettling, and disturbing, and deranged, and messed-up. And this is what makes BLISS a one of a kind movie experience.

First and foremost, BLISS is a horror film. And it's scary when it wants to be. But Jerrold Tarog doesn't just settle for this. Instead, his witty script (he also penned the film) infuses dark humor to make the film stand out from the rest of the local horror films we've seen before. It's like a hybrid of something that the Sam Raimi and the late Wes Craven would make if they write a film while they're drugged. Aside from the film's dark humor, the film also pushes boundaries in Philippine cinema by featuring taboo themes that most directors and film companies are avoiding to tackle, like pedophilia, marital rape and commercialism. As the story progresses, director Jerrold hits us with these unsettling themes one blow after another. I remember myself during the screening of BLISS at CineAdarna. I was covering my mouth with my handkerchief, held by my two hands, as I watch in shock in one cringe-worthy scene featuring a naked woman standing in front of a mirror, touching herself while she is having flashbacks of a lesbian molesting her when she was young. I don't want to give out a lot of details because it will spoil everything but that scene was too much to handle that a part of me wants to cover my eyes until the scene fades away. But it's too late. I'm already hypnotized by this nightmarish fairy tale and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen anymore. I'm stuck in this demented mind of Jerrold Tarog, along with the rest of the hundreds of audiences inside that theater.

When it comes to the film's technicalities, this movie is one handsome horror picture. The handheld shots of the film evokes a sense of uneasiness. Whenever the camera follows Jane while she's treading along the hallways of their big house, it brings a feeling of dread and impending threat, specially when she pass by an open door of a dark, empty (or not) room. The house itself is brimming with a sense of claustrophobia, drowning her with whispers and mysterious sounds from every corner. The music is simple but adds a creepy atmosphere to every scene. The editing was also good. The film's pacing moves briskly and doesn't have any dull moments. Horror fans like me will be delightfully pleased with the violence and blood in the film. Yes, there's blood. Lots of blood. Unlike Iza Calzado's previous horror pic Ilawod which is more restrained, BLISS is unabashed when it comes to violence, and goes for the jugular. There's a lot of stabbing here in this pic, I'm telling you. And I can't help but squirm every single time.

I guess this film wouldn't have worked if not for the outstanding performances of it's cast. Audie Gemora plays his role with flair and humor as the Cannes-obsessed director Lexter Palao. Michael de Mesa is like an over-the-top fictional version of Boy Abunda. Shamaine Buencamino is brilliant as the stage mother Jillian. Ian Veneracion isn't given much screen time but definitely catches everyone's attention every time he's on screen. TJ Trinidad impresses us with his portrayal of Carlo, Jane's husband who eventually messes up everything for her wife. You'll hate him. You'll love him. He's that good. Adrienne Vergara steals the show as the creepy nurse Lilibeth. At first, she was distracting and may come off a bit over the top. But as the story progresses, you eventually enjoy her character. Her presence alone brings menace to every scene. She will make you squirm, feel uncomfortable, disgusted and uneasy. I assure you, she will make your skin crawl. But at the end of the day, this is still Iza Calzado's film. And she definitely owns it. The character of Jane Ciego worked so perfectly with her. I don't think any other actresses could fit this role aside from Iza. Honestly, I don't even think any other actresses in her generation would be brave enough to take this challenging role. Iza Calzado risks everything in this movie, and it's worth it. She really stood out with her brilliant portrayal of a woman slowly being driven to insanity by her own husband while locked up inside a house with a demented nurse. Iza Calzado connects with the audience in a way no other actresses can. We understand her confusion. We feel her frustration. We sympathize with her tragic life. We are threatened whenever she is in danger. We become part of her psyche. We become her. No wonder she wowed everyone at the Osaka Film Festival last March 2017. She truly deserve that Yakushi Pearl Award for Best Performance. I guess we can all agree that she is one of the most underrated actresses of this country, and she deserves so more.

Now, about that rating. I agree that the film contains a lot of nudity, sex and mature themes. But to be honest, I think and I firmly believed that it doesn't deserve it's X-rating from the MTRCB. Yes, there is prolonged nude scene featuring Iza Calzado's character, but it wasn't meant to arouse audiences. I was actually shocked at that scene. Honestly, I've seen worst than this. Has everyone already forgot how Christian Grey fingered Anastacia Steel because she was still a virgin in 2015's Fifty Shades of Grey which, mind you, was given a lower rating of R-18? how about all those moments where we watched her nipples grow erect as they make love in that blockbuster romance film. And those uncensored cocks hanging out from some glory holes as Vince Vaughn makes fun of them in the 2015 comedy Unfinished Business which was rated R-16 by the MTRCB. Is it just me, or is the MTRCB really giving more priority to foreign films than the locally produced movies which, FYI, are critically acclaimed not only here in the country but even abroad? Is this history repeating itself too soon? Are we getting another round of that 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten controversy? I honestly don't know. As I quote Felix Salonga of 2 Cool, I am in a conundrum. This is not the first time an MTRCB rating has stumped me. I just hope that the appeal of the producers of the film will be a success. Because this movie is something that the Filipino audience deserves to see in the big screen, nationwide.

BLISS is indeed the most fucked up, unapologetic, disgusting, shameful, and demented Filipino film I've seen on screen. But it is also the most fun, mind-boggling, surreal, riveting and wildly entertaining local film 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.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ out of 5

BLISS (2017)

Directed by Jerrold Tarog

Starring Iza Calzado, TJ Trinidad, Ian Veneracion and Adrienne Vergara 

Best Performance Award (Iza Calzado), Osaka Film Festival 2017

Everyone Wants A Taste Of BLISS

BLISS, director Jerrold Tarog's latest film, has sparked a controversy after getting slapped with an X-Rating from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) for featuring prolonged frontal nudity, excessive violence, and masturbation. The producers of the film, TBA productions, made an appeal to the MTRCB and after their second review of the film, they gave it with an acceptable R-18 rating, meaning that it's suitable for adult audiences only. The film which stars Iza Calzado has received critical acclaim outside the country after it's premiere at the recently concluded 2017 Osaka Film Festival, where Calzado won the Yakushi Pearl Award for Best Performance. The film also stars TJ Trinidad, Ian Veneracion, 

Last Monday, April 3, 2017, the film had a special screening of the film in it's original uncut version at the Cine Adarna, UP Diliman, Quezon City. Hundreds of people who have been looking forward to see the film flocked the theater. But only a limited number of people got accommodated and had the chance to see the film in it's original form. The screening was graced by the film's director Jerrold Tarog, alongside the film's actresses, Adrienne Vergara and lead Iza Calzado.

Marquee outside the UP CineAdarna

Hundreds of people flocking the theater to catch BLISS.

People patiently waiting in line to register.

As a rule, audiences were required to provide proof that
they are of legal age to be allowed to watch the film.

People lining up to get inside the theater.

Inside the Cine Adarna where a full house of audiences
are waiting for the start of the screening.

Due to the large number of people that flocked the screening,
a lot of people were not accommodated.
 Many had to sit on the aisles just for them to watch the film.

We were asked to give the film our own rating after watching the film.

Director Jerrold Tarog, actress Adrienne Vergara and lead Iza Calzado
as they thank the crowd who attended the screening.

Get a taste of BLISS, coming to cinemas nationwide this May 10. Rated R-18.

Cinema Classics presents the restored version of "Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit"

Philippine cinema will never be complete without classic films from the past. It is very important that we look back to these films from the yesteryear because these movies served as the foundation for today's cinema. This is why we are very grateful for the ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project, a joint project of ABS-CBN Corporation and Central Digital Lab. The digital film restoration project is spearheaded by Leo Katigbak of ABS-CBN Film Archives and Manet Dayrit of Central Digital Lab and aims to digitally restore and have already successfully digitized, restored, and remastered over one hundred (100) films into a Digital Cinema Package format with a maximum pixel resolution of 1080p at 24 frames per second. These films are now being made available for today's audiences through limited theatrical runs, film festivals, free-to-air and cable television, DVDs, pay per view, and other over-the-top content platforms such as iTunes.

And last February 27, 2017, they kicked off their latest line-up of classic restored films with the 1991 Carlos Siguion-Reyna romantic-drama Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit starring Dawn Zulueta and Richard Gomez. The uncut original 35mm picture negative taken from the storage of the producer, ReynaFilms, was used as the source for the said restoration. The digitally restored and remastered film had it's special premiere night at Glorietta 4 where the stars of the film were also present. Aside from the film's two leads, the other actors and actresses from the 1991 classic were also present in the event, like Eric Quizon and Vangie Labanan. Director Carlos Siguion-Reyna also shared some of their fondest memories from the film's production, which was an updated adaptation of the Emily Bronte novel, Wuthering Heights.

Richard Gomez plays Gabriel in the 1991 classic.

Dawn Zulueta plays Carmina graces the red carpet premiere.

Eric Quizon who plays Alan in the movie, shares his thoughts about the film restoration project.

The timeless loveteam of Dawn Zulueta and Richard Gomez as they are interviewed by the press.

The original cast of the film, including Ms.Vangie Labanan, Eric Quizon, Richard Gomez and the director Carlos Siguion-Reyna.