Some of the finest (local) films in 2004

(First of two parts)

Unlike last year, when Magnifico swept all the honors in the various award-giving bodies, this time the various awards organizations will yield different results. But in spite of the fact that there isn’t going to be any uniformity among the winners, we cannot deny the fact that 2004 was basically still a good film year. Below are some of the finest film products of 2004:

• Milan (Star Cinema) – I may not like its early part, but the film’s latter half more than makes up for that. The film’s strong points – aside from having a good material (by Raymond Lee) and inspired direction by Olivia Lamasan (who also co-writes the script) – are the performances of the lead stars (Piolo Pascual and Claudine Barretto) and some of the supporting cast members, notably Ilonah Jean.

Milan is not only a travelogue that shows the beautiful tourists’ spots in Italy. It also depicts the difficult life of Filipinos in that European country. Definitely a must-see for overseas contract workers or those just hoping to land jobs abroad.

• I Will Survive (Regal Films) – Directed by Joel Lamangan, this is the best comedy film of 2004. Aside from a solid script that is really funny and at times outrageous, it also boasts of energetic performances by Maricel Soriano, Dina Bonnevie, Eric Quizon, Judy Ann Santos, Jay Manalo, Serena Dalrymple, Richard Gutierrez, Pilita Corrales, Reggie Curly and Tonton Gutierrez.

• Naglalayag (Angora Films) – The story of a man falling for an older woman doesn’t really have that much appeal to me, but this drama by Maryo de los Reyes has other ingredients (like a good script by Irma Dimaranan and excellent performances of Nora Aunor, Yul Servo, Chanda Romero, Jaclyn Jose, etc.) that made me decide to put it in my list of best films for 2004.

• Sabel (Regal Films) – I have to say that this is among the best works of Joel Lamangan. With a script by Ricardo Lee, it has a complex structure that is nevertheless translated beautifully by Lamangan onto the big screen. It is undoubtedly the most socially relevant film of the year.

Unfortunately, it didn’t figure prominently when it competed in the 2004 Manila Film Festival – having been clobbered in the race by Naglalayag.

Hopefully it fares better in other awards contests this awards season.

• Now That I Have You (Star Cinema) – This is the most delightful film surprise of the year for me. Directed by Laurenti Dyogi, I didn’t expect much from this movie, but it definitely entertained me from the beginning up to the very end. This is obviously the result of a wonderful collaboration between Dyogi and scriptwriter Jose Javier Reyes, who is always at his best coughing up this type of genre (youth-oriented).

Contributing a lot to the success of this romantic comedy are the refreshing performances of lead stars Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz, who really make a beautiful pair (they look good not only in their romantic moments, but also in scenes where they are shown quarreling). Even the supporting cast members add so much fun to this very engaging film: Nikki Valdez, Lui Villaruz, Jojit Lorenzo, Christopher Peralta, Noel, Colet and Cholo Escano.

It may not win best picture in any of the award-giving bodies, but it was the one film that truly entertained me last year. (To Be Continued)