Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino : "Patay Na Si Hesus" (2017) movie review

Jacyln Jose stars in Patay Na Si Hesus

Filipino moviegoers will get a taste of a different brand of comedy in Victor VIllanueva's Patay Na Si Hesus (2017). Dubbed as a Cebuano Road Trip Comedy, the film stars Jaclyn Jose, Chai Fonacier, Melde Montañez, Vincent Viado, Mailes Kanapi, Olive Nieto and Sheenly Gener, written by Fatrick Tabada, produced by Rex A. Tiri, Moira Lang and Bianca Balbuena, and directed by Victor VIllanueva. Originally an official entry to the 2016 QCinema International film Festival where it won the  Audience Award and the Gender Sensitivity Award, it has been selected as one of the twelve entries of the first ever Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino where it bagged the festival's Jury's Choice Award. It is also the surprise box-office hit of the said festival, and ranked number two in the box office on opening day. And now, I know why.

The film follows Iyay (Jaclyn Kose) who learns that Hesus, her ex-husband, has just died. She gathers her children and tells them they are going on a road trip from Cebu City to Dumaguete. No ifs or buts about it: they are attending their father's funeral. Her children – Hubert, who has Down Syndrome; Jude, a lovesick trans man; and Jay, who is living the bum life – join her with varying degrees of reluctance as she drives them in her extra-mini mini-van. One unplanned detour comes after another, each pushing this family closer to confronting the past and figuring out how to enjoy the ride to an uncertain future. This film is not your typical Pinoy comedy movie as it has a distinct Visayan flavor to it. This is definitely not your regular Star Cinema-produced watered down rated PG comedy. A big NO. This is a screwball comedy that no one would have expected from a local filmmaker. There's a naked nun, a guy eating his own cum, and a barage of non-stop putang-inas and vagina talks. No one was ready for a movie like this. Not even me. But here I am, reviewing the film after watching it's last full screening on a stormy Monday holiday.

Family is one of the most favorite topics in local comedy films, from the highly successful Ang Tanging Ina franchise to the yearly Vice Ganda comedies we see every year, it always has something to do with family. I guess that is primarily because us Filipinos value our family ties a lot. And Patay Na Si Hesus plays on this theme. In the movie, we follow Iyay's family as they go through all the stopovers and sidetrips and obstacles just to see their dead father one last time. Most of these sidetrips ends up in hilarious and idiotic situations. There's also some jokes and scenarios that may come as offensive to those sensitive and conservative moviegoers. But aside from the slapstick humor, the film also manages to mix in some funny banters and laughable conversations here and there which gives the film's humor some variety. Though there are some moments when the jokes are hit or miss, most of the time they're often hysterically funny. What makes the film so relatable is that it pokes fun at the typical Pinoy family virtues and culture.

The film gets so much out of it's very talented cast. Jaclyn Jose plays her character Iyay with so much flare. Her deadpan humor and attitude made the character so fun to watch. I've seen Jaclyn Jose in a lot of drama shows and movies but i guess this is the first time that I'm seeing her in a comedy film and it's a breathe of fresh air.  Chai Fonacier plays the lesbian Jude (formerly Judith Marie) with angst, much like her amazing performance in the Cinemalaya Best Film Respeto. After seeing her in that movie, I was so excited to watch Patay Na si Hesus and see her take down another role. And she still amazes me with her performance here in this comedy. Melde Montanez was amusing to watch as Jay. I love it every time he throws his mother's lines back at her. Vincent Viado was so cute and adorable as Kuya Bert, their brother who has Down syndrome. Mailes Kanapi was uproarious as the bizarre and nutty nun Lucy. Her character was the most daring thing I've seen in a local comedy because it may come off as offensive and unappealing to some. But she manages to make the audiences go wild with her insane performance in this movie.

Once the film hits it's third acts, it starts to slow down a bit and the jokes starts to diminish to give way for some emotional moments. But once the film strikes back again, it is still hilarious as hell (especially that coffin scene). It's no wonder that a lot of people are lining up to see this film because of good word of mouth. The film itself lives up to it's hype, though I must say that i was left wanting more after the film ended. Still, Victor Villanueva's Patay Na Si Hesus is a riotous, laugh-out loud comedy like no other local film has ever been. It's an unbelievable one hour and a half of insanity, silliness and absurdity that is worth your every peso.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5

Patay Na Si Hesus (2017)
Directed by Victor VIllanueva,
Starring Jaclyn Jose, Chai Fonacier, Melde Montañez, Vincent Viado, Mailes Kanapi, Olive Nieto and Sheenly Gener

 

***

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.

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

Sakaling Hindi Makarating review

Love is one of the main recipes of every Filipino film. It's present in almost every single film released locally. It's like a film is not complete without it. And most of the time, the film presents love as something that is to be shared with someone else. A partner. A lover. But here's one movie which portrays love in a new light. Sakaling Hindi Makarating.

It's a romance movie, but not exactly. Well, it does have a bit of romance injected in the story, but it doesn't really focus the whole movie on that aspect alone. Usually, romance movies portray people finding love and happiness in another person. There's like three other local movie releases this month that does exactly that. But Sakaling hindi Makarating stands out among these film not because it deals with a poetic love story that is bound to be tested by destiny and time. Instead, it's focus on showing us that one can also find love and happiness without the need of another person in your life. It's a romance story that will inspire you to love yourself.

Let me just clarify something before we proceed. This is not the first time I have watched this film. This movie is actually one of the entries in last year's CineFilipino film festival. It is also one of the festival favorites, as it won 7 awards during the festival including 2nd Best Picture and Best Director. I first watched this film when it had a rerun in UP CineAdarna last April 2016. The director, Ice Idanan, some of the crew and cast members were even present for a Q&A after the screening. I even got to ask them a question which made the whole (packed) theater laughed: "Para po makatulog ako ngayong gabi, can you tell me kung sino po talaga ang nakatuluyan ni Cielo?" Then, I was able to watch it the second time last December 2016 during the Inquirer Indie Bravo Festival at Cinema '76 Film Society, a micro theater in Mandaluyong City. There, I met the movie's producer, Melai Entuna who shared some trivias and fun facts about the film. And finally, after a long wait, the film had it's national theatrical release last February 1, almost a year after it's original showing.

Sakaling Hindi Makarating is the first independent Filipino film that I watched and enjoyed inside a theater. It is also the first film that made me fall in love with indie films. I don't know what happened to it but it put a spell on me after, that I craved for more indie films as the months passed. Then, a friend of mine,  Jonell Estillore, a movie blogger and founder of Cinema Bravo, brought me to Cinema '76 which was a haven for indie film lovers. And since then, I started watching more and more indie films that I could watch, from Nestor Abrogena's Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa to Marie Jamora's Ang Nawawala. And even though Petersen Vargas' 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten already holds the title as my most favorite film of all time, Sakaling Hindi Makarating will always have a special place here in my heart as the first indie film I've fallen in love with.

Sakaling hindi Makarating (In Case They Don't Arrive) is about a heartbroken woman named Cielo (played by Alessandra De Rossi). She and her finacee have just broke up after that latter decided that his life is in the States and wanted the two of them to live there permanently. Cielo does not approve this as her life is here in the Philippines, causing their break-up. She ended up staying in the apartment that they shared, crying herself to sleep every night (with some alcohol on the side). There, she met her neighbor, Paul (Pepe Herera) who handed her some postcards that were dropped in their mailbox. The mysterious postcards depicted different provinces in the country, but she doesn't know where and whom it came from. The only thing she knows about the sender is that he hides in a pseudonym, M. So she embarks on a journey, travelling to each of the provinces depicted in the postcards, in hopes of finding the real identity of the anonymous sender, M.

Just like what I've said earlier, this film is a romance film, but not quite. It shows romance in a different point of view. The movie is like a discovery of one's self. Of finding a new meaning for love. Ice Idanan wanted us to see love in a different angle. She wanted to show to us that you don't need someone else, a man or a woman, to complete yourself. To make you feel full in your life. She wanted to show to us that we can be happy and feel loved even if we are single or alone. She wanted to focus on showing us how to love ourselves. If you search for the word romance /rōˈmans,ˈrōˌmans/ in Google, one of the definitions you will get is that it's the feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love. It's doesn't necessarily mean that you need someone to have romance in your life. The fact that you love yourself is already enough. But I guess we all miss that point at this era where romance is all about love teams, blockbuster hits and Wattpad chicklits.

One thing that really made this film so memorable too was the performance of the actors. Alessandra De Rossi is definitely one of the most underrated actresses in the country. I mean, she should be given more and more projects where she can utilize that talent. She was so amazing in her portrayal of Cielo. She was able to make us believe in her character. I remember watching her in another indie film before, Antoinette Jadaone 's Relax, It's Just Pag-ibig (2014). And she was so amazing there despite her short appearance. She totally stole the show. And seeing her again in Sakaling Hindi Makarating, I must say that she did it again. Pepe Hererra was also great in his role as Paul. He adds a little bit of humor in this film, and somehow makes us want to have a friend like him who would always be my our sides whatever happens. JC Santos in his pre-Till I Met You days was also great. He looks dashing in that long hairdo and also shares a great chemistry with Alessandra De Rossi. The rest of the cast, from Teri Malvar and Hiraya Plata, were also outstanding in their roles.

Aside from the great cast, one will never forget the film for it's gorgeous cinematography. The film, which was shot in five of the most beautiful provinces in the Philippines, uses these picturesque locations not only as backdrops but tools to move the story forward. As Cielo travels from one location to another, she discovers something new to her life. She slowly grows up into a more matured person. Ice Idanan's cinematography itself will definitely bring out the wanderlust in you. I recall smiling and just staring blankly at the screen, wishing I was inside the movie as it jumps from one gorgeous location to another. Every scene is carefully framed and orchestrated to highlight these locations, from the sweeping aerial shots of the colorful vinta regattas in Zamboanga to the breathtaking cliffs of Batanes, this whole film will impress you. This, mixed with a beautiful soundtrack, is just too irresistible. 

With it's simple yet heartfelt story, outstanding cast, and astounding visuals featuring the beauty of our very own country, is sure to bring delight and uplift one's spirit after watching it. This film will bring you hope that you can find happiness in this world even though you don't have a plus one to celebrate Valentines Day every year. It's a stirring and touching journey in finding one's self, and a realization in life that happiness, in indeed, in each one of us.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ out of 5

Sakaling Hindi Makarating (2016)

Starring Alessandra De Rossi, Pepe Hererra, JC Santos

Written by Ice Idanan & Petersen Vargas, directed by Ice Idanan

Best Director-Ice Idanan; Best Actor-Pepe Herrera; Best Cinematography; Best Musical Score; Best Sound; Best Editing; Best Picture (2nd Place)