I subscribed to IWant TFC last year but it's really only recently that I have started to optimize it. I discovered that the IWant library includes films from the Second Golden Age of Philippine Cinema including a couple from critically-acclaimed director Mike De Leon. Here are the movies I got to see in the last couple of months.
Kisapmata
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| photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kisapmata |
This movie was released during the 1981 Metro Manila Film Festival but only now, almost 40 years later, did I get to see it. I remember my mom telling me a long time ago that watching Kisapmata gave her a feeling of claustrophobia and I gotta say, I fully agree. Vic Silayan plays the lead role, a retired policeman named Dadong, and he is so domineering, intimidating, and even menacing that you can't help but feel the same fear that the characters feel from the way Dadong laughs, makes snide remarks, or manipulates the people around him. (He won Best The story unfolds in a way that you know something sinister is happening in the house but you don't immediately know what it is. It's in the second half that we start to slowly understand what is really going on behind closed doors (literally) and the revelations are quite jarring and chilling. I can completely understand why this movie swept the 1981 MMFF, winning a whopping 10 of 13 awards! While this movies is pretty intense and heavy, it is definitely very highly recommended. Kisapmata is now one of my favorite films.
Kakabakaba Ka ba?
I actually watched this film once, many years ago, when it was shown at the UP Film Center. Mike De Leon's range as a director is truly one-of-a-kind because he directed Kakabakaba Ka Ba?, a musical comedy a year before his psychological thriller Kisapmata was released. While this movie is light and easy to watch, it still injects really interesting social commentary about how religion can potentially be used to control the masses. It seems Mike De Leon's favorite actress back then (maybe still now?) is Charo Santos-Concio because she appeared in three of his movies, including this one. I also forgot that Christopher De Leon and Johnny Delgado can sing. The song "Bigyan niyo po kami ng tinapay" (I don't know if that's the official title of the song) is so catchy that I think it's a shame I can't find a clip of it on youtube. The climactic musical number where the devious plans of the Grand Master in Japan are revealed is so engaging and lot of fun to watch.
Oda sa Wala
Oda sa Wala is a very unique movie. I haven't seen any film - local or international - quite like it. It is extremely minimalist, with very few characters and little dialogue. The story revolves around Sonya, played by Pokwang (who goes by her real name Marietta Subang in the credits) who lives what seems to be a bit of an empty life. After watching it, I knew it was very interesting and intriguing but I didn't appreciate it as much as I expected I would. However, I found myself thinking about it a lot, trying to understand and analyze what happened and figure out why Sonya did some of the things she did. When a movie stays with you like that, you know it's pretty darn good. (SPOILER ALERT: I will talk about some details of the movie.) Towards the end, when we learn that what we saw in a certain scene wasn't real, it makes you wonder what other scenes could've just been in Sonya's head. Visually, this movie is stunning, from the cinematography to the framing to the color-grading. I was also really surprised at how good Pokwang was. She delivered an impeccable performance (she won Best Actress award at the QCinema International Film Festival). You might need to be in the right frame of mind to watch Oda sa Wala but I do recommend it.
Death of Nintendo
Death of Nintendo is a coming-of-age film set in the 1990s. I read some positive reviews about it and since I kinda wanted to watch some lighter fare, I decided to give it a go. To be honest, I thought it was just okay. I'm not particularly sure t know what makes this movie significantly different from other coming-of-age films. I also wasn't quite certain where the story was headed or even what happened in the end. I also wasn't a fan of the cliched use of domineering parents as plot devices, causing kids to act or react in certain ways. I do like how Philippine culture and traditions are presented here and the use of the Pinatubo eruption and the incessant power outages in the 90s as backdrop added flavor and personality to the film.
*****
My IWant TFC list now contains dozens of movies and I'm excited to watch some critically-acclaimed Filipino classics such as Himala, City After Dark, and Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos. I have of course added other more recent films and some light-hearted, feel-good films too. I'm definitely looking forward to watching more local movies.
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