Manila, Philippines - Filipino film scholars and cineastes identify their favorite decade — or golden age — of Philippine cinema by the prodigious quantity and quality of films released in a given year. Looking at fiscal year 2011 to 2012, a period that ends and begins with a crowd-drawing festival that awakens the moribund film industry annually with an array of exciting films, this writer has realized that the period produced so many good films that 2011-2012 could be dubbed a Golden Year.
The films being screened at the current Cinemalaya listed here are only those this writer has seen. Thus, if such acclaimed Cinemalaya films as Aparisyon by Vincent Sandoval; Bwakaw, Jun C. Lana; Sta. Nina, Emmanuel Quindo Palo; REquieme, Loy Arcenas; Kalayaan, Adolfo Alix; Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino, Lemuel C. Lorca; Diablo, Mes de Guzman; and Ang Nawawala (What Isn’t There), Marie Jamora, and other films aren’t here, it may be because this writer hasn’t seen them, at presstime.
And here are the top 26 films, from July 2011 to July 2012, in no particular order. Number 26 happens to be The Philippine STAR’s anniversary today.
1. Camera Obskura, by Raymond Red. It is said that the purest film is a montage of mere images, silent and wordless, with or without music to entertain the audience. This experimental Filipino silent black-and-white tribute to cinema, commentary on politics, our society and history, and push for film preservation by a Cannes-winning filmmaker is a masterpiece that is pure cinema art. It may not sit well with those who are used only to conventional narratives and modern film techniques, and it may take effort for some viewers to attune themselves to the silent film form. But Red’s bold, playful, loving, and brilliant experimental work, his return to the spirit of his free-wheeling days as a brilliant young auteur of short films, is a welcome step into the third phase of his film oeuvre.
2. Bisperas, Jeffrey Jeturian. All that is needed to expose the skeletons in the closets of a traditional, religious Filipino family is for some extraordinary incident to break the routine and shatter their complacency. A burglar, not shown in the film, does just that as he invades the home one Christmas Eve while the folks are involved outside in a religious activity, and leaves every part of the house in disarray. When the family discovers the messy intrusion, they also uncover one another’s indiscretions and little and big secrets, some of them not-so-pretty. A solid, incisive script by Paul Sta. Ana and a masterwork by Jeturian.
3. Captive, Dante Mendoza. In his new film, Captive, the former Cannes Best Director continues his expose of the darker side of Philippine life, the better to make society and the government aware of socio-political ills and address the issues. With his brilliant cinematic techniques, Mendoza takes us to the jungles of Mindanao and makes us empathize with innocent citizens — locals and foreigners — who are kidnapped and held hostage for ransom. It is a gripping, excruciating drama full of tension, suspense and action. Its captive audience becomes witness as well to other wounds festering in our body politic.
4. Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa, Alvin Yapan. How wonderful when a film depicts the beauty of the other fine arts — poetry and drama, dance, music and architecture. This one succeeds in doing it with help from the other artists in the team: Actors Paulo Avelino, Rocco Nacino and Jean Garcia who all do excellent work, plus the poets, production designer, cinematographer, editor, music and scorer. Takes up issues involving relationships and the higher ideals. Intriguing, frustrating but in the end, satisfying.
5. Posas, Lawrence Fajardo. The film depicts and in effect criticizes the system of law enforcement and the people put in it, as it zooms in on a cellphone thief who has the talent for running and, when caught, feigns innocence. Nico Antonio is every inch a pathetic lumpenprole who is in for some rude awakening. He meets his match (as character and as actor) in his nemesis — the brutal police officer played by this year’s Urian Best Supporting actor Art Acuña.
6. Amok, Lawrence Fajardo. In Posas, Fajardo and writer John Bedia rounds up several people — commuters, criminals, innocent bystanders, illicit lovers — and strings their individual experiences together in one nasty, ugly, violent and bloody moment as an amok (“am ok” or “am NOT okay?”) snaps and points his gun at random at a busy intersection on Taft-Edsa, killing several innocent people. The Dark Knight rampage in Colorado a week ago adds resonance to this chilling, outrageous film.
7. The Animals, Gino M. Santos. Youth is wasted on the young? This film shows how a group of young, reckless, upper-middleclass teeners hold a party and party like there is no tomorrow. Debuting feature director-writer Gino M. Santos (whose previous film work was the short Labingdalawa) and co-writer Jeffrey Stelton effectively and movingly capture the highs and lows of their young subjects and the milieu in which they move. When tipsy kids say they are “wasted” (which is part of this generation’s lexicon), the film shows more than a snapshot of getting “drunk” or “stoned” but the bigger picture.
8. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, Marlon Rivera. In this riotous satire on indie filmmaking, Rivera and writer Chris Martinez follow a young and enthusiastic indie filmmaking team — producer JM de Guzman, director Kean Cipriano and production assistant and factotum Cai Cortez — as they execute their dream plan and sees not only the harsh realities of indie filmmaking but also of social ills. A towering tour de force by Eugene Domingo who is hilarious, poignant and outrageous, with great support from the aforementioned younger co-stars.
9. Niño, Loy Arcenas. Family feud unfolds as members gather around a dying patriarch and catch not only his last gasps but also the vanishing traditions of people and the Old World. Good camerawork, editing and plenty of classical music stuff make it a cut above the rest. Fides Asencio Cuyugan, Racquel Villavicencio, Shamaine Centenera Buencamino and Art Acuña are among the fabulous actors in the ensemble.
10. Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story, Tikoy Aguiluz (who demanded the removal of his name from the credits). A yet-another look at the notorious Manila gangster and his true-to-life exploits — romantic and criminal. Spectacular black-and-white shots and fine performances add up to a masterful gangster action-drama. The ensemble cast led by ER Ejercito aka George Estregan Jr. are praiseworthy.
11. Ka Oryang, Sari Lluch Dalena. The shocking plight of women detainees during martial law is harrowingly, grippingly chronicled by a rising director whose filmography includes two Urian-winning short films. Alessandra de Rossi is intense as a pregnant militant, while co-actors including Angeli Bayani, Emil Garcia and Joem Bascon do well on their own.
12. Boundary, Benito Bautista. A cool and collected but mysterious dude takes a cab, strikes up a desultory conversation with the edgy driver and even befriends him, and is set up for some violent encounter. Notable for the engaging plot and its surprises, and for the performances of the two leads, namely, Raymond Bagatsing as the suave passenger and Ronnie Lazaro as the restless driver.
13. The Natural Phenomenon of Madness, Charliebebs S. Gohetia. A rumination on the effects of rape on two people who are otherwise caring of and close to each other. Laudable for its screenplay, the cinematography and production design, and the work of its two unknown but promising leads Jess Mendoza and Opaline Santos.
14. Deadline, Joel Lamangan. In his more serious efforts, the director, one of the major artists in the film industry, deals with social and political issues, the reason why mainstream producers drop projects like Deadline like a hot potato. The director then gets it done within the cost-cutting indie system. In the film, Lamangan examines another raging social issue and puts to light the role of media in a violent conflict and what dangers they face in the pursuit of their profession. Fine ensemble acting as usual, especially from the veteran Tirso Cruz III, as may be expected from actors helmed by Lamangan.
15. Patikul, Joel Lamangan. The Philippines’ biggest problem is lack of education. This film deals with one cause of this problem: Political conflict in a far-flung province, where teachers are terrorized and children are deprived of valuable academic lessons. The large cast does uniformly well, with Marvin Agustin a standout.
16. Teoriya, Zurich Chan. Balikbayan Alfred Vargas returns to his hometown and tries to reconnect with old folks and friends. A quiet, introspective character study of a man searching for his roots and seeking closure. Vargas delivers a low-key but intense performance.
17. Cuchera, Joseph Israel Laban. An exposé of the drug operation, how the illegal stuff is smuggled by a syndicate efficiently run by faceless lords and how it victimizes not only users but also the people within the ring. The audience is taken to the nitty-gritty of this dark, evil world.
18. Anatomiya ng Korupsyon, Dennis Marasigan. When he steps down from office three years from now, President Noynoy Aquino may be remembered best for his fight against corruption. This film is a microcosmic look at this social ill, populated by City Hall employees unwittingly trapped in an evil system and going about their quotidian ways and their petty concerns. Business as usual.
19. Sakay sa Hangin, Regiben Romana. A docu-like, poetic look at a cultural minority, their day-to-day business, the breath-taking beauty of the environment and rumblings that add some menace. The cinematography is stunning and the percussive music hypnotic. The film makes viewers feel like they have lived with our ethnic brethren even if only for a brief while. Beautiful and mesmerizing.
20. Liberacion, Adolfo Alix. In the ’60s, more than two decades after the war, a Japanese straggler was found in an isolated Philippine village holding on and hanging on to his illusion, believing that the war wasn’t over. Alix and his actor Jacky Wu in the role of the lost soldier trail the lonely, tedious existence of a man forgotten by society and civilization. Also notable for its dazzling black-and-white cinematography, deliberate pacing and eloquent use of sounds and silence.
21. No Other Woman, Ruel S. Bayani. A guilty pleasure to be sure, a romantic drama and love triangle that is presented straightforwardly, a soap opera minus the genre’s dumb characters and exaggerated plot twists and turns. Anne Curtis and Cristine Reyes as two smart broads and rivals for the love of a man are a knockout, making every red-blooded guy believe and understand why sensible hunk Derek Ramsay would compromise his happy marriage by succumbing to temptation. A crowd-pleaser all throughout.
22. Señorita, Vincent Sandoval. This little-seen movie tackles the battle between good and evil as performed by a transgender and an idealistic civic worker, who transforms into a hired dominatrix at night, her fellow do-gooders in a small town, and the dirty, shadowy politicians one of whom is her biggest and most generous client. Weighty, gripping drama which is well-photographed, edited and scored.
23. Shake Rattle and Roll 2011 (Rain, Rain, Go Away episode), Chris Martinez. The horror comedy takes a solemn turn as it revolves around a haunted business establishment of which workers were trapped and drowned in their low-lying, dungeon-like headquarters during a cataclysmic flood. In a serious role, Eugene Domingo shows she can do drama as effectively as comedy.
24. Thelma, Paul Soriano. An inspiring story about an aspiring athlete, the obstacles she faces including poverty, and how she hurdles them. Features an Urian-winning performance by Maja Salvador.
25. Give Up Tomorrow, Marty Syjuco and Michael Collins. The filmmaking partners follow the experiences of a young man (with six others) accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering two sisters in Cebu, from his arrest and protracted, farcical trial-cum-media circus, to his being pronounced guilty and his jail term, to his transfer to Spain. More than the prison experiences of the youth, the film presents the unending, frustrating struggle of the boy’s family to save him from damnation — to no avail. Give up tomorrow? There is no tomorrow in this case. The film covers all issues, highlights, discrepancies in the justice system and other related details to prove the boy’s innocence. The filmmakers use a stockpile of clips affecting and harrowing, and footage showing a weird, profoundly scary moment — the victims’ mother in close-up, laughing like a madwoman and threatening to kill the boy. It is documentary filmmaking at its most disturbing and powerful.
26. Tundong Magiliw, Jewel Maranan. Filmmakers and most viewers of indie films do not belong to the lower class, so an intrepid team led by Maranan sets out into the world of the wretched and virtually lives with a dirt-poor family living on a floating hovel bayside. In focus is a pregnant mother who tends to a brood of hungry children and talks to the filmmakers in the bright, sunlit waters and later, the almost pitch-black, firelit sea vessel. In the old days, this was called learning from the masses. The docu exercise feels like it moves in real time, claustrophobic but in the end edifying. Now, it may be the zeitgeist for the new millennium. When the woman gives birth, does the film offer hope, babies always symbolizing a fresh start? Or is it merely a cycle of miseries, a deadend? Not a pretty picture, but a disturbing eye-opener.