Supreme’s guide to the 2012 MMFF

What you should (and should not) expect from this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival

El Presidente

MANILA, Philippines - Starring: E.R. Ejercito, Cristine Reyes, Nora Aunor, Cesar Montano

Directed by: Mark Meily (Baler, Crying Ladies)

The gist: Depending on which camp you rally for, either Emilio Aguinaldo is an overly valorized traitor (he ordered the execution of Andres Bonifacio), or God’s gift to Filipinos (he spearheaded the independence of the Philippines from the Spaniards). El Presidente stars both Aguinaldo and Bonifacio so it’ll be interesting how the relationship between them will play out.

Highlight: Actor-politician E.R. Ejercito plays yet another character with questionable morals, whom history has tried to whitewash. We should totally vote for him next year.

One More Try

Starring: Angelica Panganiban, Dingdong Dantes, Angel Locsin, Zanjoe Marudo

Directed by: Ruel Bayani (No Other Woman, Cool Dudes 24/7)

The gist: Director Ruel Bayani is quick to defend that One More Try isn’t a retread of his previous hit No Other Woman. This time, a couple (Dantes and Panganiban) is visited by an old flame (Locsin) who reveals that she and Dantes had a child from their one-night stand. From this viewpoint, it certainly doesn’t look like another kabit movie, but the trailer makes it look otherwise (“Kahit isang gabi lang, pahiram ng asawa mo”).

Highlight: Dingdong Dantes’s quivering lips and enticing nips.

Shake Rattle and Roll 14: The Invasion

Starring: Janice de Belen, Vhong Navarro, Lovi Poe, Herbert Bautista, Paulo Avelino, Arlene Muhlach, Dennis Trillo

Directed by: Chito Roño (The Healing, Feng Shui)

The gist: After the brilliance that reworked last year’s (supposedly final) Shake Rattle and Roll’s claim as the ultimate Pinoy horror franchise, getting one guy to direct all three segments feels like a setback. The trailer shows that at least the franchise is aware it’s never-ending.

Highlight: A reunion of the Shake Rattle and Roll alumni Janice de Belen, Herbert Bautista, and Arlene Muhlach. Fresh na fresh!

Si Agimat, Si Enteng Kabisote at Si AKO

Stars: Vic Sotto, Bong “Voice of the Unborn” Revilla, Judy Ann Santos

Directed by: Tony Reyes (Enteng ng Ina Mo, Pak! Pak! My Dr. Kwak!)

Instead of doing the much-predicted team-up of box office giants Vic Sotto, Bong Revilla, and Ai-Ai Delas Alas in ‘Enteng ng Agimat ng Ina Mo’, the fantasy duo settles for Judy Ann Santos in the longest iteration of a joke. “Hindi na nakakatuwa,” someone says in the film’s trailer. She may have just reviewed the film for us.

Highlight: John Lapus transforming into a pink environmentalist Hulk. This is not a joke.

Sisterakas

Starring: Vice Ganda, Kris Aquino, Ai-Ai Delas Alas

Directed by: Wenn Deramas (This Guy’s in Love with U Mare!, Praybeyt Benjamin)

The gist: Take a racist, classist douche (Vice Ganda’s character) and a delusional corporate giant (Kris Aquino’s character), throw in the typical soap opera plot line (A is actually the sister of B but A doesn’t know it yet) and you have the typical Wenn Deramas two-hour comedy bar film.

Highlights: Vice Ganda offering whitening products to a Grade A Supermodel (Wilma Doesnt), and Kris Aquino becoming self-aware and recycling lame jokes from her previous successes.

Sossy Problems

Starring: Solenn Heusaff, Heart Evangelista, Bianca King, Rhian Ramos

Directed by: Andoy Ranay (My Valentine Girls)

The gist: The trailer says, “Mayayaman nga sila but they have problems just like us.” Lol. Okay.jpg.

Highlight: The girls are styled by Daryl and Andre Chang. And there is hairography. Lots and lots of hairography.

The Strangers

Starring: Enchong Dee, Julia Montes, Cherry Pie Picache, JM De Guzman, Enrique Gil, Jaime Fabrigas, Janice de Belen

Directed by: Lawrence Fajardo (Posas, Amok)

The gist: A family gets lost in the woods and is soon hunted by a pack of aswangs. Hailed as the underdog of the festival, The Strangers moves in terribly familiar territory enough to make it look like a standalone Shake Rattle and Roll segment. But seeing Lawrence Fajardo, who has directed the taut urban thriller Amok and the underappreciated X-Deal, helming the project this could actually turn out good.

Highlights: Enchong Dee’s fake beard.

Thy Womb

Starring: Nora Aunor, Bembol Roco, Mercedes Cabral, Lovi Poe

Directed by: Brillante Mendoza (Captive, Kinatay)

The gist: A last-minute entry to the MMFF, Thy Womb tells the story of a Badjao midwife looking for a second wife for her husband to cope with her infertility. The film has already raked in accolades at film festivals (legitimate ones since it premiered in Venice last September).

Highlight: Nora Aunor asking random women to have sex with her husband.

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