Cinemalaya 13 : "Respeto" (2017) movie review

Don't shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. And the same can be said for movies, particularly Treb Monteras II's Cinemalaya 13 entry Respeto (2017). At first glance, I thought the film was another poverty porn indie splashed with some rap battles here and there. But I was wrong. I was dead wrong. It turns out that Respeto is way different from the movie that I had in mind. It's story is much deeper. It's themes are much heavier. And it may be the runaway winner of this year's Cinemalaya film festival.

Treb Monteras II's Respeto follows Henrdix (played in a surprisingly effective performance by Abra) 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. The film also stars rapper Loonie, Kate Alejandrino, Chai Fonacier and Silvester Bagadiong. Respeto mixes music, poetry, and political satire and molds them into a surprisingly good movie.

Screenshots from the teaser

Though the film follows the character of Hendrix as he tries to find his way into the underground fliptop scene, the film jumps back and forth to Dok's story which was a perfect contrast to the young rappers life. Hendrix is trying to escape his violent and harsh reality through rap verses that often reflect his life. On the other hand, Dok is trying to escape the horrors  that is still haunting him from his past. He wrote poems to express all the guilt and emotions that's eating him up inside. The film also bravely tackles relevant themes that recently touched us and still bombarding us everyday like the lingering effects of Martial Law from the Marcos regime and the extrajudicial killings of innocent men. All of these are interwoven together in one coherent and smooth story line. 

Njel de Mesa and Alberto Monteras II's script was very witty and funny at the same time. There are some really fun and entertaining rap battles between Hendrix and other rappers insulting one another, especially during the first half of the film. Most of these are full of laugh-out-loud jokes and vulgar humor which reflects the real life nature of fliptop battles. Dok even had his own moment where he gets to diss Henrix' action and attitude, rap-battle style. But what I really loved were those beautifully written verses that Hendrix created and spoken during his quieter moments. These verses were more heartfelt and sincere, and they added more depth to his character, letting the audience realize that he's not just some wannabe rapper.

What really made the film more impactful was it's straight-forward criticism of today's government. Yes, it bravely criticizes President Duterte's regime, particularly it's violent re-enforcement of the law. There are frequent killings of supposedly drug users and pushers in Hendrix' area, most likely committed by the police. Hendrix tries his best to stay away from these things, but eventually, he will also get entangled in this web of violence that will forever change his life. Police brutality is everywhere in this world of Hendrix. His female friend even got a taste of this right in front of them in probably the most disturbing scene of the film (that frisking scene). That shocking scene really took a big toll on me. It was unsettling as fuck. The long-lasting effect of the atrocities from Martial Law during the Marcos' regime to it's victims is also a recurring theme which became a major plot point for the character of Dok in the story. The film constantly comparing the brutality during Martial Law before, to what is happening to our society nowadays. It's as history is just repeating itself.

Loonie (Top), Abra & Kate Alejandrino (Below) in Respeto

The film also boast a very powerful cast. Loonie was really fun to watch as one of the antagonist bullying Hendrix. Kate Alejendrino was great as our young hero's love interest. I've seen her before in Samantha Lee's Baka Bukas (2016) and Prime Cruz' webseries The Complex (2017) and she is amazing as ever. Her scene with Abra where she just stared at him for a moment during the third act was really heartbreaking. Also, kudos to Chai Fonacier because she was really impressive with her role of Hendrix' loyal bestfriend. Dido de la Paz gave a wonderful performance as Fortunato"Dok" Reyes. His portrayal of a Martial Law victim was so convincing and real. I remember, during the scene where he recollects the violence he and his family went through during the Marcos regime, I can really feel his pain that he has been keeping inside his heart for years. He definitely deserves that Best Supporting Award from Cinemalaya. Then, there's Abra. Who would have thought that he was an actor. A good one, to be exact. I guess the role fitted him well because he acts, he talks, he walks and he breathes exactly like his character. I couldn't think of any other person playing the role of Hendrix than Abra. He really surprised me. Well, I guess it's because he is playing a character that is close to his real life persona. It's as if he's not acting at all. It's like he's just being himself, and it makes a very big difference.

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.

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. Indeed, Respeto is what we need right now.


Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5
Respeto (2017)

Directed by Treb Monteras II, starring Abra, Dido de la Paz, Loonie, Kate Alejandrino, Chai Fonacier,and Silvester Bagadiong

Cinemalaya 13 : "Requited" (2017) movie review

Last August 8, 2017, I was able to catch Nerissa Picadizo's Requited (2017) during it's gala night at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main theater. A romantic drama/ road movie of sorts, Requited is one of the entries of Cinemalaya 2017, which is still ongoing until August 13. It is being currently screened at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Ayala Malls cinemas namely Greenbelt 1, Glorietta 4, UP Town Center, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, and Marquee Mall in Pampanga. According to director Nerissa Picadizo, it took her two years to complete the film. Aside from the time she spent writing the story, she also spent a long time securing funds to finance the film which added to the long production. But after seeing the final product, I guess she could be proud of her own work because of how gorgeous the film is. Also, it boasts a powerful cast with Jake Cuenca and Anna Luna leading the film.

Screenshot from the teaser

In Requited, an ailing biker takes to the rail for one last adventure that pits him against nature and the woman he desires. The film opens with Matt (played by Jake Cuenca) as he starts his journey out of the city to Mt. Pinatubo in Zambales with just his bike all by himself. He's trying to run away from something. It's as if he's trying to escape. But then, he is constantly bombarded with the ringing of his phone as a girl keeps on calling him. Eventually, he got tired of hearing the constant ringing of his phone that he ended up smashing it and throwing it along the way. He bikes along the perils of the EDSA highway to a provincial road, where he comes across the girl calling him on his phone earlier, his best friend Sandy (played by Anna Luna) from whom he had become distant to for some period of time. Sandy tags along with him on his trip, which is later revealed to be a plan that the two of them made years ago. Soon, we discover about Matt suffering from Parkinsons Disease and why he started to  grow distant from his best friend. And as the title suggest, it has something to do with an unrequited love for her.

The movie actually starts out really good and shows some promise. The script, which was written by Nerissa Picadizo herself, doesn't want to focus on building up it's characters through too much exposition in the very beginning of the film. Instead, we get to see the two characters come to life through a slow yet effective manner. This is not your usual romantic drama where we immediately get the background of the lead characters during the first ten minutes of the film. Instead, Requited is a slow burn drama that takes it time slowly but surely. The production team behind the film also tags the Requited as a bike film, and it's true. Almost 80 percent of the film, the two characters are just biking. Sometimes, they're arguing. Sometimes, just having a normal chat. All of it while they're cruising through highways on their bikes. Though it may sound weird on paper, it actually works on screen as it is the main aspect of the film that keeps the story pushing forward.

The only thing that really turned me off was the film's shocking (and not exactly in a good way) ending which kind of ruined the great story and wasted the two characters that the audience had already fell in love with. This particular scene came out of nowhere and caught everyone off guard, with varying results. There were some audience members who laughed at this while I almost cursed out loud after seeing what happened. This ending felt rushed and was executed improperly. Maybe it would have worked if it was done in another way. I don't know. But this ending really took a big chunk out of the beautiful story that the movie was telling.

Luckily, the film was saved from this by it's two lead stars' committed performances. Anna Luna's portrayal of Sandy was fun and energetic. She gave the movie a light feeling despite it's sad tone. She elicited a few laughs from the audience. There was even one instance that the whole theater was roaring with laughter with one of her scenes featuring a hotdog on a stick. Her character's quirky attitude really suited her and everyone loved her. Jake Cuenca gives out quite a performance as the ailing Matt. I don't know any other actor who could fit perfectly with that role. It's not only emotionally draining but also physically demanding, yet he was able to pull it off with flying colors. During the film's first ten minutes, Matt bikes along EDSA through a provincial road continuously. Jake Cuenca was able to endure this non-stop biking, while acting at the same time in front of the camera. You can really feel the difficulty he's going through right now with his facial expressions and body movement which translated so well on screen. I was really amazed that he was able to take this challenge of playing Matt and honestly, he's a good contender for the Best Actor award with this performance.

Another saving grace of the film was it's gorgeous cinematography. The film features some pretty cool shots of the two characters cruising along the province on their way to Mt. Pinatubo. Most of these scenes are along the highway, with vast greens or barren lands stretching at both sides giving the shot more depth than usual. But the film gets more jaw-dropping visuals once the two arrive at the trail of Mt. Pinatubo. There's one beautifully shot scene featuring the two characters were biking through the rocky terrain to Pinatubo, where Sandy stops for a while and Matt comes back to check on her (I think this was the scene they used in the teaser). That scene was absolutely stunning as you get a glimpse of the wide land formations stretching in their background. This is the type of movie that you will enjoy more when you watch it in the big screen.

Even though the film's ending was a out of place and felt rushed, the film is still undeniably a good movie during it's first two acts. See it for Jake Cuenca and Anna Luna's brilliant performances. Watch it for it's glorious visual feast. Requited offers enough good stuff to make it worth the time.




Rating: ✰✰✰✰ of 5
Requited (2017)
Directed by Nerissa Picadizo, starring Jake Cuenca and Anna Luna