L.A. Times on OTJ: Heartbreaking as it is heart-stopping

Did the Film Academy of the Philippines err in not picking the action-thriller flick On The Job (OTJ) as the Philippines’ official submission to the 2014 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film?

According to Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre, that’s what many thought after catching the recent New York City screening of the Erik Matti film that’s consistently been getting dazzling reviews both from foreign language film buffs and mainstream critics, among them the discriminating New York Times which even named OTJ as a Critic’s Pick.

Edmund quoted some of the superlatives heaped on OTJ by critics. “A propulsive thriller that is never less than arresting,” writes the NY Times of the movie topbilled by Piolo Pascual, Gerald Anderson and Joel Torre. Matti’s “filming is wondrously alive.”

Even the NY Times’ West Coast counterpart, the Los Angeles Times, gave OTJ a thumbs-up, with special mention of Joel Torre’s brilliance as the weary assassin Tatang training young protegé Daniel (Gerald Anderson).

L.A. Times: “OTJ is as heartbreaking as it is heart-stopping…Torre is a revelation; simultaneously pensive and dead-eyed, the actor fills every gap in his character on paper with world-weary weight.”

I told Edmund that before making any hasty conclusion, the NY Filipino audience should also watch Transit, the country’s official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film in next year’s Oscars, and that the country’s finest, multi-awarded directors (led by Peque Gallaga) were tasked to select this official entry. No doubt OTJ is a finely-crafted film but maybe the screening committee found in Transit what they felt might win the hearts and the nod of the voting members of the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences).

“What can I say, I’m speechless...I’m thrilled,” a humble Joel told Edmund in an interview for Funfare before a sold-out screening at AMC Empire Theater at Times Square last Sept. 30. OTJ had its US-wide theatrical release late September after its distribution rights were acquired by a distributor during the Cannes Film Festival, where the Star Cinema movie premiered in the Director’s Fortnight and generated positive reviews. It’s now on its way to other international festivals and screenings across Europe and Asia.

 Edmund said that no other Filipino-made motion picture in recent memory has gotten an almost unanimous seal of approval from both the US and international cinema pundits as OTJ. Talks of a Hollywood remake is said to be underway.

“This is a wonderful break for a Filipino movie and credit really goes to Erik Matti, who wrote the script and directed it,” added Joel.

Bob Gutierrez of the De La Salle Alumni Association in New York said OTJ restored his faith in Philippine Cinema.

“It’s an excellent film...engaging from start to finish,” Bob said. “I haven’t seen a great Filipino film in a while like this one. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Erik Matti’s work.”

Interestingly, both Erik and Joel didn’t escape polite prodding from curious Pinoy New Yorkers about the small-scale controversy the OTJ director has stirred after commenting on the Film Academy of the Philippines’ (FAP) selection of Transit over OTJ as the country’s official entry to the Oscars. Transit, directed by Hannah Espia, is a Cinemalaya-winning drama of Filipino diaspora in Israel.

Erik clarified to Edmund that he wasn’t actually protesting or sour-graping but merely questioning why OTJ or Brillante Mendoza’s Thy Womb, both already noticed in international film festivals, was not picked, in spite of Mendoza’s alleged move to ask some senators to endorse his film.

“I was just asked about my opinion and I just answered it matter-of-factly,” explained Erik, who was bubbly and accommodating to fans and the press as he mingled with spectators during the Times Square screening. “It’s just like a parent whose child lost a contest. The parent would say I’m disappointed. I would have wanted my child to have won but they chose somebody else. And then everything was blown out of proportion.

“I just said I was disappointed with the FAP decision. I said I was hoping that the choice for the Oscars would be something that has a strong international presence, not necessarily OTJ. It could be Thy Womb. I know that in the Academy Awards, all of the films in the short list are good films. It’s just that we need an immediate presence so that when the Academy hears about our nomination, they know it’s from a major festival like Venice Film Festival in the case of Thy Womb or Cannes in the case of OTJ.”

 Erik added that the Philippines has almost always submitted a drama in the past Oscars which never made it to the five official contenders for the awards night. 

“So I thought OTJ would have been a bolder choice,” Edmund further quoted Erik as saying. “I thought it would open up a different kind of entry for the Philippines if it would be something like the marriage story of Thy Womb or something of a thriller with political and social issues like OTJ.

“I thought if they were to second guess the Oscars, then second guess it with the idea that maybe a Cannes entry or maybe a Venice entry would be noticed by the Academy Awards voters. From what I gathered, there were some people lobbying against OTJ because of its content that shows a lot of corruption in our system. If there are those who are worried that the country’s image would be tainted, it’s already out there, it’s all over the newspapers in the Philippines. If that was the reason why our movie was not chosen, then it’s a very sorry reason.”

Nonetheless, Erik said he is throwing his full support behind Transit.

“In fact I already said the Transit producers and I are friends, the director and I are friends and we go back a long way,” he said. 

Like OTJ, Transit is also getting glowing reviews.

The Hollywood trade magazine Variety, regarded as the bible of Hollywood, noted that “(Director) Hannah Espia makes an impressive debut with this gracefully directed and inventively edited look at the plight of Filipino immigrant workers in Israel…

   â€œâ€¦Transit is very well performed by high-profile thespians (Ping Medina, Irma Adlawan and Mercedes Cabral) and talented newcomers (19-year-old Jasmine Curtis-Smith and eight-year-old Marc Justine Alvarez), many of whom learned Hebrew online just prior to production. Showing no signs of having been filmed in less than two weeks, the impressively mounted film boasts smooth cinematography by Berhil Cruz and Lyle Nemenzo Sacris, and a lovely, subtle score by Mon Espia.”

Transit has just earned a special mention at the just-concluded Busan International Film Festival.

Dr. Ramon Legarda, a New York-based physician and co-owner of the elegant La Cocina de Tita Moning in Manila, said he believes it won’t be long before the Philippines will nab an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

“The Philippines’ interest in the Oscars is getting more intense every year and I’m sure the Academy will soon notice us,” Dr. Legarda said, “As long as we field a world-class entry na paghahandaan talaga at bubulaga sa lahat na puwedeng ipanlaban sa Italian and other European filmmakers na favorites na among Oscar voters.”