Film Works

I got ranked in youtube for 3 weeks…??

I’m not sure how this goes, whether in random or there’s a sort of an algorithm as how search engines like google does it… but it’s interesting to see something like this out of the many youtube accounts… hehe!actually, due to my obliviousness and lost knowledge in PCs, i wasn’t able to capture any image of getting top 32 during my first notice. it happened i think 3 straight weeks… thing was i wasn’t using my laptop then and it was a pc. i dunno how to grab the screen… in any case, i should say, this is really interesting

people can get really quite vain at times =p - i saw in google (using both pc and mac, safari, IE, and firefox), with my name (”rianne”) as keyword, my website is consistently within the 4th to 6th on the top page (and 1st and 2nd as the highest ranks garnered with googling images) weeee!! well, i guess it also has something to do with the fact that my name is not as famous as the likes of maria, anna, mark, carlo, etc. =p

Film Article: The Local Film Festival Circuit

The local film festival circuit
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

Film festivals celebrate both local and international films of various genres for the diverse Filipino audience. Some of the most noted film festivals that cinephiles, students, and even the general viewers and future film enthusiasts could check out the whole year round include:

Cinemanila International Film Festival

Cinemanila is an annual film festival focusing on the cinema of the Philippines as well as Southeast Asian cinema. Among the world community of film festivals, it has gained respectability with its programming of independent Asian films and its diverse programming of great films all over the world. It also features a number of film-related events to further enhance filmmaking as a craft.

Cinemalaya: Philippine Independent Film Festival

In the spirit of independent expression, Cinemalaya seeks to discover, encourage, and honor the cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity. It highlights short and full-length film competitions, film funding for chosen scripts, film exhibitions, seminars, conferences, and other film-related fringe events that articulate the Filipino identity and culture.

Animahensyon Pinoy Animation Film Festival

The Animahenasyon Pinoy Animation Film Festival highlights original Pinoy animation – giving both professional and amateur Filipino animators a venue to screen their original works. With its professional and student/amateur divisions, it aims to showcase a wide array of original animated content by Filipinos and the recognition of the Filipino talent in the field of animation – in the spirit of local and international animation excellence and competitiveness.

Moonrise Film Festival

The Moonrise Film Festival features documentaries on the world’s foremost cultural, environmental, and social issues. This environmental documentary film fest aims to make the public aware of the issues surrounding the environment through the film medium.

Pink Film Festival

The Pink Film Festival is a fitting tribute to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender “Pride” in the Philippines and the gains Filipinos have achieved in terms of advancing equality, and acceptance of all citizens. It showcases short films, documentaries and full feature films from all over the world to help raise awareness on various issues on sexuality, sexual preference, health, acceptance, and human rights.

Cinema One Originals

Cinema One provides another option for independent filmmakers to shoot their full-length features. Just like Cinemalaya, Cinema One also funds the production of chosen works and bring the films to a vast audience by airing them nationwide and worldwide under the “Cinema One Originals” banner.

Pelikula at Lipunan Film Festival

Mowelfund’s Pelikula at Lipunan Film Festival features indie films both old and new, shorts and full-length, during its festival season. It also features a series of festivities and exhibitions relating to Philippine cinema.

.MOV Digital International Film Festival

.MOV celebrates filmmaking using digital technology to showcase the wonderful potentials the film industry can reach using digital tools. It also features workshops in film criticism, cinematography, script writing, and other film-related endeavors.

Metro Manila Film Festival

The Metro Manila Film Festival showcases locally produced commercial films during the Christmas season – as it has been a tradition for Filipinos to watch movies during this time.

International Women’s Film Festival

In keeping with the season’s worldwide women’s month celebration every March, the University of the Philippines Film Institute annually holds the International Women’s Film Festival. It features in competition and for exhibition films (shorts and full-length) from women and films tackling woman issues and woman themes.

Gawad CCP para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Bidyo

The Gawad CCP has been known to provide a huge roster of film entries every festival season. It provides distinction to the four categories fiction, animation, documentary, and experimental films for the much-coveted Gawad CCP merit to the deserving films for each film category.

Various festivals of foreign films

A number of embassies, organizations, and agencies promote their films to the Filipino audience through film festivals like Cineuropa, French Film Festival, Eiga Sai, International Silent Film Festival, among others. The programming best suited for the celebration of cultural exchange then provides diverse selection of classic and contemporary films from various countries.

School-based and art house-based film festivals

A number of school-based, most of them student film festivals happen throughout the year. Some of these festivals happen within the school premises while some are opened and made more accessible to the general public by showing them outside the school grounds. There is the UP Diliman Student Film and Video Festival, the CineVita Film Festival of UST, Inyorai Bidyo Independent Film Festival of UP, among others.

There are lots of other venues for art house events coming up with film selections and programming like the annual Arts Month of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts every February, the Neo-Angono Artists Collective Public Art Festival, screenings at Instituto Cervantes, Magnet, Mogwai, Titus Brandsma, and lots of other valuable venues for films.

Film Article: The other half of a film called sound

The other half of a film called sound
By Rianne Hill Soriano

With film being an audio-visual medium, good visuals is halfway towards a good film. The marriage of visuals and sound is what makes up its totality. They always go together. No matter how good the visuals may be, if the sound is very bad, it would still be a bad film.

Most filmmakers and even film viewers would probably agree when I say that the sound aspect of our films becomes one of the most ignored parts of production work. It seems like there are two general reasons for this: the lack of time, resources, and budget allotted for sound production and less number of experts in the field tapped for it.

Both in commercial and independent films, it is very much apparent that the sound aspect usually becomes a problem. Priority is mostly given to the film’s principal photography. Most of the time, the directing, cinematography, and acting are given the top favors in terms of time and budget. The art requirements, location, and other production requirements may be given such decency of time and budget as well. During the shoot, if the shot is not good, a retake is almost always expected. However, if a complicated or difficult take, for instance, is finally shot right on while the sound is just passable (even with some minimal noise), time, resources, and/or budget constraints would most likely just settle for such shot rather than do another take – and the next idea to carry on is curing the sound during editing. I remember a sound expert from one of the top audio production houses in the Philippines catering primarily to advertising productions and high budget corporate videos telling me that live sound is always the best sound one can ever have for a film, or for any kind of video for that matter. Dubbing may be all controlled and there may be a great number of really good dubbers in the country, but dubbed lines can never replace the heart of live sound.

Come post-production stage, the filmmakers usually run out of time that everything gets rushed for the premiere. There are times that the prints/tapes/DVDs are just made ready a few days, if not a day before (or even a few hours before) the actual play date. And here, the sound elements are most likely the most compromised area once again.

Other than such technical difficulties and setting of priorities, another thing that should be taken into account is the fact that there are less people who become interested/passionate about film sound. Compared to directing, cinematography, acting, producing, production design, musical scoring, among other facets of film production, there are only a few Filipinos who become experts in sound production and engineering. Moreover, there are very few audio production houses (as compared to video editing houses) especially because there is no much demand for it. Being in this industry for more than five years, I have really noticed that sound experts and affordable/accessible audio production facilities are rare finds. More often than not, the production settles for video editors doing the sound as well – or sometimes allow the musical scorer to do the sound mixing, or if there is an audio production house rented, the minimal budget, time constraint, and/or lack of resources still wouldn’t make things happen for the best of the film. Furthermore, since there is no much demand for sound experts and audio production houses – either the filmmakers settle for somebody who is not expert in the field to do it for the production or settle with a rare talent with less resources to maximize the sound requirements due to the high cost of equipment.

There are no much film schools or even workshops for sound production the way such are very much apparent with the other aspects of filmmaking as directing, cinematography, acting, production design, animation, musical scoring, among others. For instance, a film student would most likely major on the more familiar/in demand facets of film production rather than becoming an expert in film sound. More often than not, taking a one semester subject about sound production is just about it. Even in seminars, workshops, symposia, and other film-related events/activities, film sound is usually ignored or overlooked. Indeed, a young filmmaker focusing on film sound is a rare gem.

Come to think of it, many Filipinos love music. And there are lots of Filipino music artists and sound production experts in the music industry. Looking into these facts, it would then be clear that it’s not a problem with production talent and audience appreciation but a question of preference and opening up to exploring more of the field. People should start giving more value to film sound like how priority is given to the visual aspect of films. If film schools are not yet ready to open up degrees majoring in film sound production/sound engineering, it would be great that Filipinos start having seminars, workshops, film festivals, and more award-giving bodies also valuing film sound. The film industry should really start looking into these things and let future film sound experts realize how significant they are in every film production.

Filipinos have good ears to come up with quality sound. It’s just a matter of setting priorities, increasing the demand for top sound production work, and allowing more film sound enthusiasts to realize their calling. And I would say it again and again, the whole film experience is always a marriage of two things: the visuals and the sound – together.

Film Review: Hancock

The Lonely Superhero
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

Directed by: Peter Berg
Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Jae Head, Eddie Marsan

“Hancock” is a character study of a superhero and his tale of redemption. While still mining on the superhero mythology and capitalizing on the selling points of a typical commercial offer, it is not a Marvel or DC comic book type. It doesn’t fly the route for the usual Superhero vs. Supervillain plot. Instead, it sets out as a parody that tries to be flashy and funny – leaping fluidly from comedy to action to romance. It attempts to present fate, mythology, and even racism; and at a certain point, it becomes a metaphor for what America is to the world. The tricky balance within its diverse elements delivers a certain pseudo-realism; however, the interesting ideas and fine work gets knocked off course by some superficial dramatic values especially during the second half where it shifts gears from a promising idea about a superhero with an existential crisis to a letdown payoff serving as a box-office insurance policy.

“Hancock” has a number of intriguing ideas that, if further developed or presented as more than throw-ins to a semi-confused material, would actually be a fully satisfying movie experience. It kicks off promisingly enough; but as it moves on, like its titular superhero, it just gets to work at some moments. While not a total failure, it takes a left turn about halfway through that the inventive first part self-destructs by the second half. The bright idea and interestingly deconstructing premise get buried within the muddled story that really comes apart at the seams. And what starts out as a film with a sense of quirky fun gets too worked up, loses sting and direction, and devolves into a mishmash of storylines that chickens out the last minute.

Being an irreverent hero reflecting the virtuoso of underplayed sarcasm as a superpower, it attempts to deepen the emotions, the spectacles, and the stereotypes by making itself into a movie that addresses some of the issues and vices a superhero would probably have if one ever existed by this time.

The good cast does what it can to fill up the weak parts of the material. There is a quirky chemistry fueled between the two dramatic heavyweights Will Smith (as Hancock) and Charlize Theron (as Mary Embrey), along with the support from Jason Bateman (as Ray Embrey). Smith as the sardonic superhero is skilled enough to sneak an appealing lead performance. Director Peter Berg utilizes the guy’s charm and marketability for the role of being the world’s lonely superpower and hard-living superhero who has fallen out of the public’s favor.

“Hancock” is like half of a good movie. It tries to be several things at once and it becomes a passable one on that. Compared to the more bloated, below-the-line superhero movies, this one generally delivers the familiar pleasures and some of the best-loved clichés of the genre while affectionately mocking some goofy superhero conventions. Its zippy paradigm, dark action, and edgy humor make up for the conflicted narrative moments that slip between confusing and contradictory.

Film Review: Serbis

The Dilapidated Cinema of “Serbis”
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

Marked with mixed reviews and generating strong and extreme reactions from international media, the 61st Cannes International Film Festival – In competition Filipino film “Serbis” directed by Brillante Mendoza finally reaches the Philippine film theaters. Edited to keep up with the guidelines of the MTRCB (minimizing some nude and sex scenes), this neorealist film keeps up with the local color of its story about a family living in a sleazy, rundown adult theater in Angeles City, Pampanga.

The major strength of the film is its valuable screenplay. To begin with, its concept has good potential. Its thematic elements tend to provide the audience with a glimpse of the lives of one matriarchal family operating a “serbis-oriented” cinema – and the viewers can look for deeper meanings to various elements in the story. From the dilapidated cinema to the domestic drama and frailties of an extended family, it shamelessly presents the filthy theater as the very personality relating to the psyche of the characters. The family, along with the people merely loitering around its premises and the various people passing by the nearby sidewalks, hang on to the inside and/or outside the theater as refuge to their unsavory or tangled lives and relations. The film clearly shows moral ambiguity within the wretched lives of the people and how they try to live their lives everyday. You see flooded and blocked restrooms, running sores, explicit fellatio, rentboys servicing gay clients, and steamy sexual acts. From the turn of events inside the ugly theater to the happenings around the busy street where it is located, the many people try to cope up with their own issues in various ways.

The treatment for the film works on certain aspects. However, it is quite sad to notice much shortcomings in terms of how the shots are mounted. To those who are more observant on the many elements a shot shows on screen, it is very disappointing to see a consistency on most of the background talents/crowd members (perhaps, most of them just happened to be there and they’re not officially talents for the film), either looking at the camera or looking at the famous actors and actresses they see in front of them. The shots could have worked as what is called as cinema verité; but knowing that these are major problems in crowd control during the principal photography, it doesn’t really work that way anymore. I personally don’t believe that this adds to the realistic aspect of the film. I think it really falls short in controlling the crowd in almost all shots and even reusing the background talents from one scene to another. Such factors could have been avoided, and yet they are seen much in almost all crowd shots – whether wide or close-up shots. They are very annoying to see.

I tried checking out reviews from its Cannes screening, and so far, it seems like I’m the only one who noticed these. It’s either the print provided for Cannes is entirely different (not just the differences on the nude and sex scenes) or they have not just noticed at all due to the many elements already happening on screen…

The approach of “just showing what is” fits the story. The seedy surroundings and festering moods put the slice-of-life realism intended for the film. Here, the places are explored as the shots follow the characters as they snake in and out of every door and room. Following the people around in their natural setting, these characters become metaphors to many Philippine issues. From the family problems to the society’s economic struggle, “Serbis” echoes much of the sordidness of the plight of a third world country. It shows the bitterness of abandonment, grieving for loss, escaping responsibility, letting time pass by, dividing loyalty, interacting with people who have different motives, among others.

It is quite noticeable that the male characters actually play the more feminine or subordinate roles. Lando (Julio Diaz) is the naive husband and cook of the theater’s carinderia. Nadya (Jacklyn Jose) acts as the manager of the cinema and is second in rank to the matriarch Nanay Flor (Gina Pareno). Alan (Coco Martin) is the cleaning boy and painter of the old school movie billboards and Ronald (Kristoffer King) is the projectionist and one of the service boys.

The film’s approach and treatment has a lot to say on its own. However, it is not for those seeking light entertainment inside the cineplex. The natural feel of the setting immerses the audience to the environment. It shows lots of elements that are not as important to how other stories provided such in a film narrative. There are moments that are difficult or tiring to watch. The nudity is not the cinematic or erotic type seen in most films. This film can be more appreciated by those looking for deep meanings and symbolisms to films and those who love good screenplays.

The acting department provides much value to the story. The characters are very rich and symbolic. And there are really many talents seen on the film. However, the opening sequence of the nude girl (Roxanne Jordan) looks more exploitative than valuable – not because of it being shot not that cinematically as the usual artsy compositions in films, but because of the tighter cuts that I believe are not that important to be excessively explored like that. In showing the realism on it, it would be enough to show the wide shots of the nude girl in front of the mirror and some minimal tighter shots which would not necessarily mean focusing too much on the private parts anymore. The other sex scenes are generally fine as they are needed in the story.

The sound aspect is another downfall of “Serbis.” There are inconsistencies with the sound design. Most of the drowning noise doesn’t work as an excuse for the film’s neorealist treatment. The too raw, deafening and unrefined sound quality could have been given a better treatment and design while still keeping up with the idea of the sound from outside invading the cinema’s interiors and exteriors. And the editing gets a little choppy at times.

The goat sequence, side by side with the thief sequence, that both suddenly appears inside the theater are my favorite parts of the film. They show how an external moving force disturbs the normal flow of things and how people usually react to it. And it is just so true that after the sudden disruption, everything just goes back as usual. These sequences have a lot to say really.

The concept of seeing the harsh realities of a third world country still seems to be the flavor that international film festivals would want to see from the likes of the Philippines. I don’t exactly know why or how come. Sometimes, it makes me feel as if these people may just want to boost their egos that their lives are better than the developing countries like the Philippines – where the main issues are always poverty, sex, and oppression. But I could never be sure about that, it’s just something that hits my mind at times. It makes the Filipinos wonder about it, right? Actually, there is nothing wrong in depicting these social issues and mounting a realist point of view of what happens in the country. However, can’t it be possible to still discuss/explore/present these issues and realities without soaking too much on the dirty side? I believe that whether films show the better side of the country in theme and story, or they still tackle the hardships in a third world/developing country, what should resonate more now are the positive side of the people’s lives, or at the least, minimize the depressing and oppressing images of the Filipinos (being too pathetic at certain respects), while still discussing poverty, sex, and oppression.

“Serbis” has many flaws. Most of them are on the technical, continuity, and crowd control aspects. And yet, it has its merits. Overall, the various elements of the film are alternately impressive and frustrating.

Film Review: Urduja

The Animated Urduja
By Rianne Hill Soriano

Directed by: Reggie Entienza

“Urduja” is the second film to feature local animation for commercial screening in our local theaters. And knowing how much resources and efforts are needed to come up with an animated film in a “Pinoy budget,” this film is a pretty good effort that can hopefully start a true spark for original Filipino animated content.

The storytelling works in catering to commercial moviegoers. It can also peak the interest of some film buffs and more demanding or curious viewers, particularly the more technical ones who know animation and graphics well. “Urduja” may not be something technically great (like its shortcomings in compositing and trying to play safe by minimizing details and character design to speed up production), but in some way, the storytelling (for such requirements and resources) saves it. If it were a live action film, of course, it could have been a rather different ballgame. But for a local animated effort for now, it’s considerably a good start already. Yet, the film could have been way much better with its storytelling if it weren’t founded with a totally formulaic treatment and too clichéd script.

There are a number of good backgrounds for the film. I really commend the artists who made them. There is the combination of both hand-drawn and computer-generated animation; but overall, traditional animation is much used for the film. Technically, there are shortcomings like some parts looking like a flat cartoon while other parts looking impressive enough for such a start for a Pinoy animated film venture. There are some apparent glitches. The lighting aspect is quite a miss especially with the need for more refinement with the light falling into the subjects/elements and more detailed shadows for them. There is a bit of roughness in the edges of some movements and drawings. But some are quite good really considering the kind of production and resources the film has. The lowered frame rate to save on more time and effort is understandable enough amidst the fact that some scenes tend to become too choppy and rushed, while some become extremely detailed. Nevertheless, the basic precepts of mainstream storytelling still become a committed effort which makes the film a still entertaining venture.

The technical issues of the film are quite forgivable for our market. And yet, it should be reiterated that it’s not a problem with the talent, it’s a problem with the budget. The time constraints, lack of resources, and minimal funding (animation demands a stable financing to meet its technical needs) limit the film amidst the fact that Filipino animators and artists are really very talented. Pinoy talents have been seen around Hollywood productions for the longest time. Some are credited, most are not. Sad but true. And Filipino artists are not just present in such filmmaking projects – think comicbooks, animated shows from various TV channels, corporate projects from many local and international companies… name it… Filipinos have been really excelling for all these years. However, the talent is just not enough to come up with a good film. The financial resources have a lot to say every time…

With regards to the concept of the film, I can quite understand why they chose the iconic character Urduja for it. However, on a personal note, I kind of feel betrayed how the warrior princess Urduja is featured in the film. Urduja is a woman warrior. Amidst working with fiction, I feel like the major things that should never be left out with stories or films about her would be: that she leads a group of Amazons and she will only marry the man who can beat her in combat. However, the film just uses the iconic factor of Urduja and makes a typical story with overused premise: girl-meets-boy and boy-saves-the-damsel-in-distress while the two struggle for their forbidden love. Even her clothes exude more of “Mulan” and “Pocahontas”-inspired costumes and not giving any well-researched depiction for the kind of Urduja that true writings and studies about her say. This point makes me really disappointed. Moreover, I do understand that creating battle scenes and more intricate character and costume designs would entail so much time and cost. But the thing is, why can’t we just try risking just a bit further for a better story from a new or a future iconic character that could fit the needs of the animated project – both financially and artistically – instead of trying to use “Urduja” as a brand name to sell the movie? Something more original that we can be prouder in terms of coming up with a fresh but wonderful new story – with a concept that can really fit the budget and the technical resources available for the production. We don’t need to try hard if we know for a fact that shortcomings are inevitable. We just have to be good storytellers even with minimal resources.

I have nothing about playing around with a fictional story about Urduja and the rest of the other characters. I just wonder why they have to feature Sumakwel as the bad guy against the Chinese pirate Limahong. With Limahong, it’s fine to feature him as a good guy then. No problem with it. However, with Sumakwel, who seems to come from the notes of history about the very wise Datu Sumakwel of the Visayas, is depicted as a totally black character. Yes, this may be a work of fiction; but even works of fiction could pay respect to history, in this case especially because we are talking about our “own” history. Why not just come up with a new name for the treacherous Sumakwel character than use a noble and valiant name of one of our historical datus? So now, there are chances of people, especially children, remembering the image of Sumakwel (who, I think, uses the “kampilan” sword like the one used by Lapulapu) as the cruel and coward traitor instead of being said to be one of the wisest datus of the Visayas. I think the film falls really short on their social responsibility if I may call it that… or perhaps historical responsibility… Doing a work of fiction is not a scapegoat in not doing good research on things that need value. Like I always say, film, like any other form of media, is a very powerful tool for the people.

For the other fictional aspects of the film like having a love triangle (which are not said in historical writings the way it is in the story) is considerably fine. Even getting rid of the concept that the Philippines have been highly matriarchal during the pre-Hispanic era is still okay. However, the writers and filmmakers should have been more careful in depicting the ways and means of getting married during that time similar to our history for the sake of a true concern and a more accurate depiction of the dynamics of pre-colonial life – for the sake of the viewers – than just keeping up with the movie’s commercial value. Actually, in doing so, I still don’t think it would make the story go against the flow for what they already planned then.

The sound production is relatively okay. There are parts that are good (those ones that seem to have been allotted more time working on them), there are parts that need more work (especially the lack of some ambient sounds on a few scenes as if there isn’t enough time to perfect them anymore). I personally like the ethnic music used. But definitely, the singing into ballads trying to catch up with the Disney way of doing it is a real turn off. With it, “Urduja” becomes a typical, boring, and inappropriate romance flick – and in the process, the art of storytelling is compromised. If they want to stick to the formula of putting song and musical numbers still, it should fit the mood and tone of the movie and not just merely making pegs from a number of Disney movies and overdoing and ripping off like “Lion King’s” “Hakuna Matata” for the rat and tarsier scene. The telanovela feel of these parts is really not a good way of making the film level itself better as one of the pioneer efforts in Pinoy animated filmmaking.

I also believe that the treatment of jumping to and fro between mangled English and Tagalog is very annoying. They could still reach out to the modern-day audience without using that much slang words and expressions making the movie look much more cheap. It’s not a very good idea to spurn the language like that especially peppering it with the Pinoy slang and the so-called “English carabao” you mostly hear during noontime TV. Such swinging between old poetic Tagalog and colloquial terms from pop culture doesn’t work like how the “Shrek” franchise does it… Well, “Shrek” is not really based from history. And it’s not even a period film to begin with.

The production follows the idea of a number of Hollywood animated film projects where the celebrities offering their voices for the characters kind of look like their animated character counterparts. This is quite fine, but making the animal characters more cute especially the rat and the tarsier (plus maybe adding a little more Filipino touch to their design/costumes) could have been better for a more charming effect. Their comic relief and antics are like the laugh-out-loud fun misadventures we watch on TV. It makes us laugh… but a more filmic effort in playing with the dialogues could have elevated it further.

Overall, “Urduja” is a valiant effort of obvious painstaking labor and big dreams for Filipino original animated content. It’s a good try. It may not be a full showcase of what the Filipino talents can really do, but it’s a pretty decent effort already. And hopefully, the next efforts for local animated film production would further improve. And more importantly, they should always take note that making a film entails having good research, playing around with a realistic production considering the budget, making valuable use of the film language, and keeping up with some social and historical responsibilities with the story and treatment. Let’s start depicting our original stories with a Filipino mark and not just always having to imitate what Hollywood mainstream does for their own projects. It’s about time…

July 16th, 2008 Posted by Rianne | Adaptation and Films with Related Inspirations from Lit, Animation, Children's/Family, Comedy, Film Review, Flicks, Heroes/Superheroes, Love Story, Pinoy Films | no comments

How Koreans Treat Tourists (basing it from my experience)

Basing it from my experience, Koreans treat tourists/foreigners well. I experienced asking people around for assistance whether on directions or other things and they seem very hospitable . When I go to shops, it’s quite fun because they seem to provide much hospitality, and well, if I may call it special privilege to people like me. You can really feel that they do extra effort to provide you with what you need whether or not they understand english. Oh, I noticed most people here still don’t know how to speak english. Most who know are the younger ones and they are not that fluent still. i also experienced getting compliments almost every time. They easily appreciate many things. And like here in the Philippines, people at the restaurants and stores always greet the customers warmly with a good day (in Korean).

I went to the mall last weekend on my own and since the subways here are quite confusing for first-timers (coz I needed to ride the train and transfer to another lane number and there are like around 6 transfer trains I think), a Korean woman offered to help me since she was going to the same area as me. I was going to Dongdaemun Stadium, a former place for the World Cup and it’s a very famous area for shopping. Imagine she really exerted much effort in finding the cinema amidst the many stores and she accompanied me until the elevator while she has a meeting some hundred meters away I think. That’s very nice of her really. Dongdaemun is such a shopping zone: like one whole Megamall for shopping clothes, another one whole Megamall for shopping shoes, a department store and shopping center (Cerestar and Freya) that’s more than 10-storey high, a 24-hour cinema (Freya theaters) with 10 available theaters catering to Korean, sometimes Japanese, and Hollywood films. Aside from those, there are countless vendors along the sidewalks (think Quiapo but cleaner). And it doesn’t really go chaotic and traffic due to them so if ever BF would be here, I think he wouldn’t really have to remove the vendors then.

It’s fun here you can also bargain even at the department store. And at most times, there are freebies when you buy things. Well well well, Pinoys love freebies! I received freebies like socks, vitamins, samplers of beauty products, small swarovsky stuff, among others.

It was so fun that I went to a store reminiscent of tiangge inside malls (the series of small stores - think greenhills) and I saw these wonderful accessories that I had my eyes bigger than usual and my mouth as round as my eyes in awe… I had around 20k won then and I knew that I just had to choose one among them which I could afford. So as usual I started choosing through the process of elimination. I also asked if I could use card to buy, but unfortunately (though most stores around already accept cards), they only accept cash. And actually, it became a blessing in disguise!! I told them I only have 20k won which I showed to the lady vendor. I had 3 handmade peruvian necklaces on my hand and I plan to choose one among them as they were priced: 8k, 15k, and 15k. Then the lady got my 20k and the 3 necklaces and placed them in a plastic. Then, she gave them to me… OMG!!! I saved 18k won!!! What a real winner… weeeeee!!! Ang saya!!! I’m so grateful to them!

My Ha-sook and Other Korean Stuff

Ha-sook is a Korean-style guest house. I’m staying in a ha-sook that’s 1 room for 1 person. It’s kinda high tech here. Though I have a key to open the door of my room (which I still prefer more for reasons I dunno - OMG am I getting old that I’m not in favor of its new technology??!), I open the gate of the ha-sook by pressing something… it’s hard to describe but I think there’s something about some magnetic stuff that makes it work. Then, the major door after the gate has no keys. You need to know the code and do some pulling and pressing to open the glass door. I prefer this coz at least I don’t have to bring too much keys then, it’s very accessible. Perhaps, I’m just getting paranoid that if my room has the same kind of lock, some people may figure out the code and barge into my room then. hmmhhh…

The lights here are kinda high tech too. Along the stairs, the lights open through the sensors. So if something starts moving or passing by, the light goes on. I think it’s programmed to be lit for a certain number of seconds. And if nothing moves anymore, it closes automatically. Overall, it’s a good technology as it saves power efficiently. The only disadvantage is, if you stay put and you don’t move within the stairs (say, you’re talking to somebody or your getting hot water from the dispenser which is also outside near the stairs), the lights automatically closes. And you need to go near the sensor and move your hands perhaps just to get in lit again. Now that’s not so nice… hehe!

I live at the 3rd floor. There’s another door at the 3rd floor entrance. You use a key with it. After which, that’s the time I get to my very door… I have a bed, dresser, TV, clock cabinet, desk, hat and coat hanger (I’m not sure how it’s called), and extra sheets. I have a nice view from my window.

Korean don’t have their shoes/sandals/slippers within the house. So I don’t wear anything for my feet. Sometimes I wear socks inside. There’s an available plastic slippers at the bathroom - which is shared by each tenants within the same floor. I share the bathroom with the landlady and her family. Until here, I think I’m still followed by my slight attacks of favorable antisocial/isolation modes as the rest of the boarders areon the other floors other than me. I’m considerably isolated from the rest then… sheeesssh!!! And since we have free breakfast and dinner, the dining area is within my floor, actually, when I open my door, it’s already the dining area. The bathroom is on my left. So most things are quite accessible. I don’t need to go up and down like the others. Wehehe!

From my room, I have a nice view of the mountain and the cityscape. I’m like at the middle of a mountain… Yes, I climb/trek everyday going home. I’m losing weight because of it. But I’m not complaining coz I’m eating so much chocolates now without any guilt and I love it…

It’s either raining or it’s very sunny here in Seoul right now. It’s so much like the Philippines except the humidity here is lower. And I haven’t experienced any typhoon here yet. The heaviest rain would just be like a serious drizzle in the Philippines.

Most of the structures here like the ha-sooks and apartments look the same. They seem to use the same kind of red bricks.

I think, like the Japanese, Koreans show their being nationalistic through their products. I have never seen a Sony Ericsson here. I’ve never seen a Toyota, a Ford, a Panasonic, and other foreign brands. Most electronics would be LG or Samsung. Cars are either Hyundai or Kia. Wow… they really patronize their own…

Korean Film Council: First Two Weeks

As a part of the Asian Filmmakers Training Program of the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), I can really say that the Korean film industry is definitely thriving. Why? Because to begin with, their government loves their film industry. They support their industry so much as if it’s an integral part of Korean lives. They have much budget for films They have the right government and non-government arms working together. They provide valuable projects to filmmakers. They also target the global market. In fact, they’re even spending money for the three of us, Parul of India, Ha of Vietnam, and me just for cultural exchange, learning Korean cinema and how it works, and providing a film training for us. I wonder when will come the time that the Philippine government will start supporting arts the same way… Hay… Imagine they provided us roundtrip airfare inclusive of the travel taxes, accommodation (one room per person), free internet, provision for mobile phone, breakfast and dinner everyday, monthly allowance, medical insurance, alien registration stuff, tuition fee of almost 4 million won which is around 4,000 USD, among others. So lahat yun times 3 coz we’re 3 here. And we’re also attending PIFAN and PIFF at Pusan this year courtesy of them. I’ve always been wanting to attend those two festivals, now it’s finally becoming a reality. Thanks to this program.

I have a couple of books, readings, magazines, and some Cannes stuff with me, I’ve been reading them everytime I’m free. Nakakainspire magbasa, and yet nakakafrustrate din kasi sa Pinas salat talaga sa ganito.

Halos araw-araw may libreng snacks sa afternoon, sometimes ice cream, fruits, breads, etc. for the people at the office. Marami ring stocks ng coffee and other drinks and snacks na you can use anytime. Marami ring freebies na kung anu-ano galing sa sponsors and other sources.

Nakakatuwa na nakakalungkot. Nakakatuwa coz it’s a privilege to be here and experience all these at nakakalungkot coz sa Pilipinas, highly unlikely na mangyari ito unless a big change happens by any twist of fate.

I really don’t believe that the Philippines is a poor country. I have met lots of people from the government who knows the nooks and cranny of politics and government. Some project managers, some office workers doing clerical works, and some are cabinet members. They say the same thing… we are NOT poor. We just don’t get to feel what are supposed to be for us because of graft and corruption. And our government just puts in budget to military. The rest are given remnants of what’s left with the budget (mainly shared by the military and the bank accounts of corrupt officials. Tsk tsk tsk.

If only the government learns to value education and the arts the way it values the military, and take care of the Filipinos in many aspects, we can provide a long-term change for the better. We hone the sciences, maths, and technology, but we should also hone the arts, culture, sociology, humanities, and the like. There should be balance. We shouldn’t become robots nor we shouldn’t become merely artsy fartsy. If only the government keeps the balance, slowly but surely, the Filipino values and priorities will soon make the Pinas a better place.

If only the producers would unite and everyone makes quality films, just like if you are offered all healthy food and you have no choice for your usual high-cholesterol diet, then Filipinos will start to watch and appreciate quality films - just like eating the healthy food instead of hte bad diet. It takes a big wave to impact a pretty good change. By that time, the masses would start loving even art films, and the level of art appreciation can affect the lives of the people and make living in the country much better in terms of values and cultural development.

Yeah. Too dramatic. Nuff said.

My classmates at Korea University

I’m yet to upload the photos from my cell and my SLR. Mean time, im typing this blog entry.

My classmates are: Japanese, American, Belgian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mongolian, and a German but he transferred to the afternoon class coz he wants the same sked as his Korean girlfriend.

So far, we’re enjoying the company. Most are always bringing in gadgets inside the class. Talk about technology. And most of them have electronic dictionaries already. Hmmhhh… Mukhang di na yata uso ang book type of dictionary. Talagang dependent na talaga tayo sa mga electronics and more convenient and faster ways to get what we need…

Learning Han-geul

Han-geul is better known to us as the Korean language. It’s funny I’m like kindergarten - i read so slow!!! I find it harder than learning French way back in college. Somehow I have thought: Am I learning slower this time due to like aging or it’s just that hard?? I learned French quite easily. But this time, it takes much effort and time for me to get the hang of Korean. Perhaps it’s because the alphabet is different. The manner of writing is different. So I’m better with understanding and speaking “barok-style” than getting the correct spelling when I write.

Most of my classmates are Japanese, around half of the class… Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Japan is near Korea. There’s so much pressure coz these Japanese are really good at Korean already. How come they’re in level 1? At one point I felt I was really dumb that I get things so slow when they happen to learn so darn fast. Apparently, some of them actually took initial classes already. But again, why are they enrolled on the same level as me who couldn’t even write my name in Korean during the placement test? Well, anyway, there’s an advantage to it then. They help me cope up coz they’re already into it. Hehe!

I lost 2 kilos in 5 days!

Okay, i have been here in Seoul for almost a week and from my original 45 kilos (I usually play around 43.5 to 45 kilos in the Philippines), now I’m 43 kilos! I eat mostly vegetables here and I trek everyday coz my house is like 5 minutes going uphill, while within the school and the city I walk like around 1 hour at least everyday (from house to various places to going home).

I don’t feel weak though, but I think this is the fastest weight loss I ever had… shux, I look fine still, but I just hope this is not bad for my health.

My colleague Ha from Vietnam also lost around 5 lbs. already. She has been for almost 2 weeks as she got here ahead of me. I wonder how Parul from India would do once she gets here on July 12.

Anyway, for those who wanna lose weight, I guess vegetables and brisk walking would be ideal. Well to be specific, eating Korean food and either doing treadmill for some kilometers or just walk and walk and walk for at least an hour everyday (whether you go strolling at the mall or pass by the streets)… Imagine losing 2 kilos in a week!!! shux… I need to take my vitamins!!!

Film Review: Wanted

The Adrenaline Killing Machine
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov
Starring: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann

I am a victim of yet another Timur Bekmambetov creation. The Russian director’s “Wanted” is a guilty pleasure.

After the historical kick ass Russian box office films “Nightwatch” and “Daywatch,” Bekmambetov makes his Hollywood debut with a modern-day fantasy about an ages-old brotherhood of assassins. A ferocious film with curving, clinking, and kissing bullets and visually pumped up inventive kills, the kinetic energy, ludicrous action, sensual violence, and stylized moves make the audience’s adrenal glands working overtime. And these are the film’s major selling points.

“Wanted” engages and wows throughout. It simply wants to dazzle by considerably redefining the genre with instinctively engaging and exceptional visuals while still maintaining a veneer of artfulness. As an amped-up action flick showing life in the killing lane through state-of-the-art CG, zippy effects, sleek sports cars, gritty hand-to-hand combats, improbable chases, and cool comeuppances, “Wanted” is a loud and explosive extravaganza of film editing, stunt work, and escapist fun. The valuable action and CGI effects alone would make ‘Wanted’ worth seeing.

Yielding towards the tangents of the graphic novel-style hyperviolence and visually thrilling and compulsively entertaining action scenes of “Sin City” and “300,” this film puts a high gloss on its virtue of outlandishness. It is cheerfully insane, bloodily frenetic, and adrenaline pumping. Bekmambatov wastes no opportunity to arouse his audience. He has remarkable visual ideas and a fine sense of pacing. He makes increasingly preposterous things look valid by distorting the view of reality into a great body of escapism. For its kind, the film has proportional parts of ridiculousness, absurdity, and virtuosity while blending slow, fast, and normal speeds cleverly – making old tricks look new. He creates whiffs of energy every now and then. He does amazing things with the various elements in the mise-en-scéne including cars, bullets, glass, hair, papers, among others. Emotion through internal and external motivations works at its best with his execution. He carefully mounts the emotional investments needed to enter the psyche of the character through various stimuli that hit the senses through the very essence of cinematic language and power – ripping up the screen with a distinctive style that bends time, scale, and motion in a whim without actually trying hard. The simple story on the archetypal heroic journey becomes a totally extraordinary sell with its thought-provoking hybrid of the action and superhero genres that manage to deliver what the fans crave.

The twist works fine for the film’s story and treatment. However, at times, the musical score tend to overpower the visuals that the totality of the scenes actually gets underpowered.

“Wanted” has a star-heavy A-list cast that further sell the film. With a stellar lead performance, James McAvoy delivers a strikingly nuanced performance as the disengaged slacker turned into the perfect killing machine Wesley Gibson. The film compellingly shows an apathetic nobody’s transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice trained by a team of sanctified assassins. He unlocks his dormant powers of lightning-quick reflexes, phenomenal agility, and instinctively sharp senses to avenge his father’s death, carry out the death orders given by fate itself, and save the Fraternity from the equally skilled Cross. The svelte Angelina Jolie as the deadly sexy Fox exudes such an alluring animalism magnified by the dark twinkle in her eyes and the sensual gestures of being a top killer. McAvoy and Jolie make such inventive kills that greatly conform to the film’s mind-blowing visuals. The secret society’s enigmatic leader Sloan played by Morgan Freeman makes such a personality for his role. So goes with Thomas Kretschmann as Cross. Russian actor Konstantin Khabensky, also of “Nightwatch” and “Daywatch” fame, provides a fine supporting role as well. The rest of the performances generally work – from the various people in the typical work place, the streets, and the dangerous associates of the Fraternity lingering around.

“Wanted” makes the audience enjoy impossible acts of kinetic creativity. It goes beyond the preposterousness of the premise with its thrilling stunts and hyperactive killing spree.

Film Review: Get Smart

The Smart Comedy
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

Starring: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin
Directed by: Peter Segal

“Get Smart” is a pleasant surprise. Without much expectation, this feature length spy spoof provides a hilarious take on the ’60s show where it has originated. Its main edge to most brainless satiric comedies would be – being silly without being stupid… It is a fairly conventional comedy-action movie peppered with entertaining action set pieces and affectionate spunk that make it work as an entertaining movie offer.

Injecting a little bit of the 60’s spirit while utilizing up-to-date gags, some thrilling stunts, briskly paced comic punch, slapstick charisma, and some pungent Cold War espionage flavor (inspired by the classic-cult sitcom), this wacky adaptation works well enough on a surface level to get solid belly laughs. Made up of feeble and funny jokes, brand actors, and enough special effects, its frantic main character Maxwell Smart, played by the comic deadpan talent Steve Carell, exudes a presence that uplifts the modern-day gizmo-crazed agent wannabe who effectively delivers the punch lines.

“Get Smart” jumps from slapstick, banter, and stunt-work to create a wacky parade of pure inspired silliness with rudimentary efforts to create the need for a funnily preposterous tone in reference to its small-screen inspiration. Considering its own hilarious trailer, this action-comedy spy movie film positively becomes a feature-length elaboration of it. With its quality, it works well enough by considerably not going over-the-top. Its excellent gags have passing references to terrorists, profiling, and inter-agency competition. There are moments that its own struggle to maintain balance between its comedic, action, romantic, and commercial elements get compromised, but their degrees can be overlooked considering its main purpose to entertain. And director Peter Segal and company utilize such a favorable technical value to the film – proving how much technology now contributes to the cinematic assets of a film production – where you can, in some way, overcome what it means to be “missing by that much,” as “Get Smart” says it. For this film, it still stands out as an engaging movie with some touch of delirious slapstick lunacy amidst its shortcomings.

There are a number of memorable and drop-dead funny scenes as: the airplane and sky jumping scenes, the dance scene, the famous CONTROL doors scene, the kid and mom scene, among others.

“Get Smart” works best through its skilled and likable players. Carell really draws laughs as he throws himself into every gag. As the inept agent otherwise known as Agent 86 for CONTROL – battling the forces of KAOS armed with nothing but a few spy-tech gadgets and his unbridled enthusiasm – he fills the phone shoes of the iconic TV series’ Don Adams while bringing a fresh contemporary angle to the character as the charming nerd spy called to thwart the latest plot for world domination by an evil crime syndicate. Anne Hathaway as Smart’s more competent partner Agent 99 makes a passable duo. amidst. Although the chemistry doesn’t consistently gel for the entire movie, it is pulled off by a sufficient number of goofy pieces to earn its entertainment value. On her own, Hathaway delivers with the required physicality of her lovely-but-lethal veteran agent character as Agent 99. Alan Arkin as CONTROL’s Chief also works as the head of the U.S. spy agency while bringing in his ever-eager analyst Smart as a new agent after the attack at the headquarters and the identities of their agents get compromised. Dwayne Johnson as the stalwart superstar Agent 23, Terence Stamp as KAOS head Siegfried, along with the rest of the supporting and minor characters, place the needed personalities to the formulaic twist of the story.

“Get Smart” is weightless as froth, but it’s pretty darned funny. Considerably, it is one of the year’s sharper comedies. It is a likable and delightfully silly screen adaptation filled with a couple of fun performances and preposterously entertaining action.

Manila to Incheon to Seoul

My twin Mon (not really by blood but by circumstances…) and me at the lobby of NAIA. Yes, again… this time we had the same flight schedule, though he went to Gate 7 (Cathay Pacific going to New York), I’m at Gate 6 (going to Seoul). The NAIA people thought we were going together in the same flight but got surprised when we showed our boarding passes… nyehehe! Anyway, kitakits next year Mon!! Galingan mo rin hehe!

After the NAIA:

I wasn’t able to shoot anything at Incheon International Airport because I have tons of things being carried… Man, I was carrying almost 30 lbs. of hand carry when I weigh 95 lbs. how was that… hmmmhhh…

I have some video shots and photos from my digital SLR at the airplane, none at the airport though arrgh!!!

After the Korean Film Council pips picked me up at the airport, I was able to use my cellphone to shoot some Korean highways… from Incheon to Seoul — it’s one hour away…

Going out of the Incheon parking (my SLR was left at the back of the car, so the available camera is only my mobile…)

Korean roads…
They have really wide highways!!! there may be many vehicles, but the highways are directly proportional to them… so the traffic is very much bearable… actually, they just stop for a couple of seconds or a minute or so for the pedestrians to cross within the areas with traffic lights. And the best part of it all, the city is not polluted!

It’s summer slash rainy season here. And even at 10pm, it’s like 6pm in the Philippines, the sun can still be seen hehehe! this pic was shot at past 7. pardon the overexposure, my cellphone was acting up.

My first meal in Korea:

Before finally seeing my ha-sook (my place of stay), we ate in a restaurant near my school which is also kinda near my ha-sook… they serve a lot of food… since i already had the famous bibimbap of Korean Air at the plane, we had the bulgogi this time… and lots of other food. actually even at our house, so many food are always laid on the table. most of them are vegies so no problem with me then i just notice that with the kind of food i eat i(even though i eat a lot - getting many people surprised why i eat a lot when im so skinny - even in Manila… Oh yes i look so PG haha!), and I walk like at least 1 hour everyday with some trekking moments since I live at the foot of the mountain - actually a little up at the foot of the mountain which is around half a kilometer away from a highway in Seoul, I think I will get back to the Philippines much skinnier, yikes…

Using the net at the Korean Film Council. I wish we have something like what the KOFIC has here… they love their film industry… especially their government… and so goes with the rest of them… hay…

I’ll save the more serious words to my Yehey articles and my film blog.

O di ba, I’m wearing my Philippine clothes, it’s almost the same temperature in the Philippines and in Korea now. But let me wait until November… Snow! Ski!!! Weeeee!!!

Next time I’ll post some pix of Korea University and other places.

My Trip to Seoul

Finally!!! I found the adapter I need to get my gadgets functioning!!! Now I’m using my laptop here in my room for the first time. It’s been such a busy week since my first step at Incheon and now at Seoul. I was 1 day absent to my class coz they started June 30 and I arrived June 30 6pm. Wehehe! I wish I can upload some pix here so my family and friends can check out what’s happening to me here. Well, obviously, Im not fond of blogging about my personal life… but looks like i have to open a lil bit just this time to keep people updated. I’ll see once I get enough time then. I’m still finishing 2 productions from the Philippines while I’m here in Korea for the Asian Filmmakers Training Program.

6 mos. of Seoul wouldn’t be bad I guess.. but of course I miss the Pinas and all my loved ones and friends there. even the food and the work.

i’ll be using this multiply blog and my film blog for my korean experiences.

incheon international airport is like an hour away from seoul. it’s actually a good idea to have the airport far from residencial and commercial areas. and oh, the view from the airplane while landing is so much beautiful… seeing all those small islands and seeing incheon…

after many issues with my Smart phone as they were saying I have to rent a phone in Korea because GSM is not compatible, well thank goodness for Sony Ericsson P1i, my roaming is alive and kicking! and i got a free korean mobile phone too, so i have two phones here, sosyal! in the philippines im better off having just one, hehehe!

Seoul is quite similar to Pinas, it’s like our Makati, there are so many vehicles in the streets, a little traffic, but bearable, coz the traffic is mainly caused by the traffic lights only. the highways are really wide, at least 4 lanes per direction. and above all, what i love best is that no matter how many vehicles there are in the streets, the city is not polluted. i havent had the experience of having to walk and cover my nose due to pollution - which i always do when im in Manila.

It’s summer here. i wear my clothes like i wear them in Manila. It’s almost the same temperature that i really didnt have to adjust… well not yet… come winter on december, im sure it would be freezing cold, i wish i could learn how to ski by then. hehehe!

i live at the foot of the mountain, i climb a bit like trekking for a few minutes just to get to my house. it’s cool, i have free breakfast and dinner, i have free internet… and i have my own room weeee!!!

i have a class at korea university, it’s soooooo beautiful… i wish UP can become like it in terms of facilities. it’s so high tech, it looks so good and the architectural design of this school is so amazing, and it’s such a big campus! and they have more than one campus within seoul.

good thing i have free food and accommodation. and i have some allowance… because cost of living here is quite high. imagine my books cost me almost 50,000 won. a typical lunch would cost me at least 2,000 won. and i think 1 dollar equals around 1,200 won… sheeeeshhh!!!

for the korean language program, there are many japanese in my class. they’re good with the language already, im so kindergarten compared to them. well, i speak english best though hehe! so far, i have a belgian seatmate named hannah and a japanese who talks in filipino so damn well i thought she was filipina, but she’s actually japanese. her name is yumi. she said she has lots of filipina friends in japan. and really, she’s so damn good in speaking filipino. im so impressed hehe! hopefully once im all settled here i can post some pix

Till next time when I have time… hopefully i can upload ssome pix then… anyone who has an idea on a software to be used to easily convert hi res photos to low res that is functioning when using a mac?? it’s hard converting a hi res photo to low res for internet purposes. i want my other portfolio pix kept at low res when i have it up in the net hope i get some help… thanks!

Film Review: Incredible Hulk

Unleashing the Green Beast One More Time
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt
Directed by: Louis Leterrier

“Incredible Hulk” sets a good range to the role’s angst of being green. It smashes the big screen with a stylistically and narratively daring re-imagining of what it’s like to be the big green gamma guy. It is interesting to note that the film succeeds in combining slow pacing to bring more depth to the characters and digital action spectacle for that urge for high-octane slamming.

After Ang Lee’s contemplative 2003 rendition entitled “Hulk,” this new comic book adaptation finds a viable way to retell an old Jekyll and Hyde story, dating back to the early 1960’s and a Cold War that inspired its share of unruly Marvel Comics misfits. This version from French director Louis Leterrier (also the director of “The Transporter” films) sets the stage for the character’s return in a more unadulterated, vastly entertaining form for that thrill ride most audiences are looking for in such a genre. Well acted and brilliantly directed and buttressed by some clever cameos, it conforms to its own rules and conventions with dignity and aesthetics.

After the huge success of “Iron Man,” “Incredible Hulk” is indeed another monster crowd-pleaser from Marvel. It may not hit as many nerve endings as how Tony Stark’s story makes such a cool and worthy cinematic journey, but this popcorn movie steeped in action keeps your attention. It is able to tell a legible story with plenty of clashes and enough humor as well – and there’s enough adrenaline pulsating throughout this bang-up comics-to-big screen offer going against the sliding scale of recent superhero flicks. The relaunch of Marvel’s green goliath delivers the popcorn goods with its familiar genre pleasures and its hero constantly on the edge and on the run. Its entertainment value is its key strength as it maintains its smash-and-slash affair with a simple story, swaggering action, and visually arresting visuals. In terms of giving the kind of big screen entertainment most people want, this explosive, action-packed adventure is essentially a reactive and revolving roller-coaster ride of superhero proportions.

Leterrier and screenwriters Zak Penn and Edward Norton have definitely put the incredible back in the world’s most primal force of fury. This Marvel offer really marvels at a good time when technology has further caught up with the imagination. Moreover, the filmmakers guiding this new Hulk film know the characters well – as they bring more depth and range to the roles. It’s loud and in-your-face and it maintains that same “we know this is crazy, but just go on with it” tone that made the previous Marvel offer “Iron Man” so much fun. And with the brief appearance of the devilishly goateed Tony Stark, it not only leaves the door wide open for a sequel but for an entire universe of Marvel movies… Now you really smell the franchise Marvel is cooking… Avengers anyone?

The strong opening act kicks off what the entirety of the film brings. More than just valuably setting the mood for the film, it works effectively in summarizing the needed information about the past of the main character. And it can actually work as a short film that can run on its own.

Leterrier adds highly charged and acrobatically choreographed action scenes, along with that sense of melodrama and erratic continuity, to make the film a thunderously efficient enterprise. A sentimental mixture of thwarted romance, military conniving, and brute-on-brute action, this potent mix of testosterone and adrenaline works as a smash-’em-up film suiting the comeback of Marvel’s green behemoth well. There are some terrific action sequences including a fun scene where Hulk uses police cars as boxing gloves while getting pelted with a swarm of bullets and dodging fireballs. The finale’s slugfest plays out like the WWF gone CGI – two hideous guys bashing each other and beating the crap out of each other.

The major shortcoming for this latest spin on a Marvel comicbook hero would be some aspects concerning the computer-generated Hulk. Considerably, technology has really done double-edged duty to create legendary characters come to cinematic life. The CGI is quite fine at most times especially when the big green monster is mostly hidden in darkness or smoke. However, in the light of day, he looks kind of cartoonish amidst the realism rendered by the elements surrounding him. And the CGI battle between The Hulk and Abomination slightly gets victimized by the typical issue on becoming too quickly paced that the glory of some needed fight details tends to be overlooked already. But all in all, the film has enough fun references and strongly crafted scenes to mark it as a highly enjoyable Hulk smashing treat.

“Incredible Hulk” yields more towards the adults than children considering the violent scenes seen throughout the film.

This solid superhero fantasy gains added depth from a strong cast. Oscar nominee Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk brings a wealth of talent to a role one wouldn’t normally consider him for. Norton doesn’t let down the audience by taking on the character of the green giant with a loud roar and putting great acting skills that lend a human touch to the monstrosity. He puts a good blend of serious and comic aspects to being a human and a savage beast at the same time. He mainly establishes such a solid persona through his doctor-like manner of thinking and fugitive-like escapes while continuously struggling to control his anger.

As the spike-spined, nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match Hulk’s own, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination delivers as a worthy bad guy. Liv Tyler as Banner’s girlfriend Betty Ross does a good job for her role in a frankly charming way. William Hurt as Gen. Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, the initial source of pain for Banner, moves well for most parts. Tim Blake Nelson as Dr. Samuel Sterns becomes slightly over-the-top with his acting as if he’s performing for a young theatrical audience. Nevertheless, he still contributes in weaving the story together. Stan Lee, Lou Ferrigno (including rendering his voice for the CGI Hulk), and some other characters from other Marvel titles also appear for cameos.

“Incredible Hulk” is the kind monster hero sequel most people would expect from a Hulk movie. It may not be the smoothest or smartest superhero/comicbook movie ever made, but it sure captures the spirit of its giant green protagonist. Perhaps, it follows “Iron Man” as this year’s second top Marvel adaptation. Its high-energy thrill ride is big, loud, messy, and most of all, fun.

Film Review: Caregiver

The Typical OFW Plight
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

Directed by: Chito S. Roño
Starring: Sharon Cuneta, John Estrada, Boots Anson-Roa, Ima Castro, Lotlot De Leon

In capturing the plight of OFWs, “Caregiver” is riveting in its human moments – the loneliness that sets in when one is away from loved ones, the struggles of racial discrimination, the tough work abroad, and the realizations in finding oneself and one’s real happiness.

Sarah (Sharon Cuneta), a former grade school teacher in the Philippines, quits her job amidst an upcoming promotion to become a caregiver in London. She joins her husband Teddy (John Estrada) who is working supposedly as a nurse there. Bound by much pain in his separation with her son (John Manalo), she leaves the country motivated by the dream of a better life for her family. As she arrives in London, after a short, wonderful sight of great English sceneries, the feelings of alienation and depression for a thankless, often difficult job, starts to conquer her. She also has to deal with a self-centered husband who has lost his self-worth – incapable of thinking of others that even his wife and son don’t seem to fit his priorities considering his supposed role as the head of the family.

Considerably, there is one OFW in the family, or at least one OFW who is a relative.

Director Chito Roño presents the actuality of Pinoy life in the Philippines and abroad. Taking into account the real problems within the family, the financial burden they usually encounter, and how they react to various issues, “Caregiver” shows a glimpse of how it really is… Many OFWs tend to relate to Sarah’s plight; or perhaps, relate to her husband’s being too dependent on other people and being immature and irresponsible as a father, husband, and worker; or maybe relate to the painful separation of a child to his parents. People can also relate to how Pinoys abroad try to keep up with life in a foreign land by keeping themselves in company of Filipinos. Pinoys of different personalities are depicted – marriage to foreigners, couples working hard to keep up with the times, workers battling it out with discrimination just to get a decent treatment in the work place, skilled and talented professionals swallowing their pride for a blue-collar job just to get a better compensation for the sake of their families in the Philippines, and rebellious children seeking love and care.

There is nothing new being laid on the table; and yet, “Caregiver” is effective in terms of making a realistic picture of the struggling Filipinos abroad. And it is how the emotions rendered by the characters in the movie – as OFWs and their families encounter them – that make the drama shine. With evocative dialogue and careful visual work not overpowering the narrative thread, the film drives home its main point in “finding one’s happiness to make oneself feel worthy and alive.”

Sharon Cuneta manages to give tinges of complexity to her role. From her sight of taking care of an aged family member to attending to the needs of strangers, she becomes an epitome of a Filipina, a wife, a mother, and an OFW who has selflessly preserved her relationship with her problematic husband, kept up with her maternal instincts even from a far away land, and taken care of strangers while struggling for her dignity with enough diplomacy and wit. She successfully promotes a character of a Filipina who has evolved into the woman that she is now: stronger, independent, and principled while still being loving and caring in many respects. The intensity of her willingness to survive without losing her dignity makes a heartfelt story until the time comes that she realizes she fails to get the same amount of care for herself the way she does it for others. Indeed, fleshing out the character becomes a top priority in making the film effective as it is. The roles portrayed by the supporting and minor characters are a combination of average and above average performances. From the dramatic scenes to the comic releases, the film becomes a believable offer through them. Indeed, the acting performances of Sharon Cuneta, John Estrada, John Manalo, Makisig Morales, Rica Peralejo, Jong Hilario, and the rest of the characters contribute well in providing a compelling and convincing story amidst the conventional storytelling and some stereotypical characterization.

“Caregiver” has a few shortcomings in its technical aspects, but these are easy to forgive. It may not be an artsy or a high concept film, but it keeps up with its main thrust on how Filipinos live and survive in a developing country and how they fight in the harshest times just to provide for the family by becoming OFWs. Its credible story and realistic depiction makes the film work for its order.

Film Review: Katorse Shorts

Finally, A Dedicated Program of Shorts on the Big Screen
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

A selection of 7 short films by the Katorse Writers Group (batch 14 workshoppers of Ricky Lee’s f scriptwriting workshops) graces Robinson’s Galleria’s Indie Sine with “Katorse Shorts,” a selection of 7 short films in a dedicated program normally given to full-length films only. With themes ranging from the romantic to the absurd to the tragic, the program is meant to bring to the consciousness of Filipino audiences that the short film medium is also a cinematic art form that can hold its own.

Overall, the films show strength in concept, story, and treatment amidst the many given limitations for such indie shorts having to cope up with financial and time constraints, lack of technical resources, among others.

The “Katorse Shorts” line-up include:

“Ang Kapalaran ni Virgin Mario” (11 mins.)
By: Ogi Sugatan
Cast: Yul Servo, Forsyth Cordero
Gay lovers, Mario and Jose, experience the most joyful of mysteries.
6th SHORTMOVES International Film Festival, GERMANY
Jakarta Slingshortfest (2006)
International Short Film Festival Detmold “FilmLichter06″

The film is stylized with comic acts about a pregnant male. It puts allegories catering to the kind of audience who are into the more figurative offers. With a theatrical presentation in depths of black, its visual elements merely include the characters and the significant elements supporting the scenes’ requirements. Considering the many kinds of audiences, this short film absurdly renders fleeting emotions within its minimalist surroundings that some might find interesting, some might find wackily droll, and some might find weird.

“Ambulancia” (15 mins)
By: Richard Legaspi
Cast: Alan Paule, Nor Domingo
Ambulancia tells of a painful twist in an ambulance driver’s belief that a dying patient can be saved by running over stray animals on the streets.
In Competition, International Panorama of Film and Video, Patras City Greece 2008
In Competition, NOUSSA International Film Festival, Greece 2008
Winner, Quisumbing Escandor Film Festival, Best Short Narrative 2008
Winner, Grand Prize, Viva-PBO Digitales, Philippines 2008
Official Selection, Asian Film Academy Fellows Night Screening, S. Korea 2007
Official Selection, CineManila International Film Festival 2007

The film’s screenplay is its major strength. Overall, the performances give it justice. The dialogues coincide with the tight pacing. The cuts succeed in building tension to the scenes requiring such. Trying to drive with that careful balance of keeping the twist while letting the main character indulge with the right emotions, a little more depth to how the character delivers the goods for a more solid pain and empathy to his plight, and this film elevates itself further.

“Manyika” (15 mins.)
By: John Wong
Cast: Bor Ocampo, Sheenly Vee Gener
Manyika is a tale of talking teddies, an impatient miss, and a misunderstood lover.
Best Short Film, 2006 Cinemadali Short Film Competition

The film could have been as mushy and overbearing like its stuff toys; and yet, it turns out striking – mainly come climax time. Within its realistic treatment, there is a kind of mystery established in the characterization that makes the film work. The voiceovers could have been lessened a bit and things would just be fine. There are some dragging expositions that could probably be due to limitations in the production. Nevertheless, the film’s touching end creates such an emotional slice of life story.

“Puwang” (25 mins)
By: Anna Isabelle Matutina
Cast: Elmo Redrico, Roence Santos, Bon Reyes, Lorena Landicho
Puwang is a starkly real look into a family on the verge of falling apart in the face of impending death.
2007 Official Selection: Lyon Asian Film Festival, France
2006 Finalist: Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival
2006 Exhibition Film: Cinemanila International Film Festival

As a father-to-his children story and vice-versa, this melodrama about life and living life promotes simple shots while delivering lines with the right emotional baggage at work. Its minimalist production design and cinematography blend well with the story as it carefully stitches issues that has damaged family relationships.

“Dead Letter” (20 mins)
By: Grace Orbon
Cast: Gamaliel Nicolas, Edel del Llarte
A young man’s journey into the world of writing.
In Competition, 3rd Singapore Short Film Festival 2006

Poetic on its own, there is that consistent angst expressed through words uttered by the main character. However, the film still needs further direction in order to solidify its point and effectively bring the linear and abstract aspects of its storytelling requirements effectively into the medium.

“Lababo” (17 mins)
By: Seymour Barros Sanchez
Cast: Nerissa Icot, Virnie Tolentino, Stephen Patrick Moore
Lababo is the story of a young woman and a crazy woman who both fell in love with the same American soldier.
Grand Prize, Viva’s PBO Digitales Short Film Competition 2007
In competition, 48th Bilbao Film Festival in Spain 2006
In exhibition, Internal Affairs 1, Jakarta Slingshortfest 2006
In exhibition, 8th Cinemanila International Film Festival 2006
In competition, 8th International Panorama of Independent Film and Video in Greece

Consistent with its style, the film’s progressive tone is apparent the whole time. Its supposed lines are merely supported by the talking radio announcer serving what voiceovers would normally offer – while also working as good metaphors on how the Philippines tend to seek leftovers from America in various respects. The narrative could have benefited further by utilizing more of the thoughts and emotions of the woman character inside the house waiting for her man’s return. And such could have further enhanced the emotional plunge into the many issues the film presents.

“Walong Linggo” (18 mins)
By: Anna Isabelle Matutina
Cast: Jaymee Joaquin, Joey Santos
A young man who sits alone in a cafe every Sunday morning suddenly finds himself strangely falling in love with a girl he doesn’t know.

The film’s treatment seems to be paying homage to the silent era films where the visuals and music comprise the totality of the film’s technical and audio-visual aspects. It puts the unspoken information through texts like title cards in the opening or closing credits of films of today. And the musical score plays a significant role in establishing the mood for each theme and the emotional needs of its love story.

Film Review: The Happening

That toxic breeze
By: Rianne Hill Sorano

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo, Ashlyn Sanchez, Betty Buckley

Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan crafts another chilling cautionary tale acknowledging the mystery that lies behind the terrors of the natural world in the “The Happening.” This paranoid eco-thriller presents an unclear natural crisis bringing a large-scale threat to humanity through an unknown toxic breeze beginning to blow from nowhere. With pervasive eeriness, the film features an effectively stylized physical environment that allows some disturbing violence and chilly moments to set in. With such a promising concept, the film could have just been more effective if he had been a little less cautious, while taking more time to polish the script and let the idea evolve prior to moving on to production. And there seems to be a too tight control over how the commercial aspects should surface – and this has significantly drifted away much of the best expectations for the “Sixth Sense” director’s latest work.

The major strength of “The Happening” is Shyamalan’s approach in using landscapes, rustling greeneries, and staged suicides to create a mundane depiction of tragedy other than the usual terrorist attacks, military wars, biochemical issues, and typical crimes in the streets seen in many movies. With a quiet but weighty resonance, the animistic bent of the film crafts moments of shivery and twitchy suspense and psychological horror. Here, he tries his best to make the rustling of the wind evoke the shudders in the most ominous tone he could keep up with. Accompanied by moments of drama and danger, this kind of sci-fi disaster film makes a clear effort to be socially conscious about humanity’s relationship with nature.

Overall, the performances of Mark Wahlberg as Science teacher Elliot Moore and Zooey Deschanel as his wife Alma Moore still bring a quiet dignity to their characters amidst some unclear emotions that seem to be left out in the middle of the mysterious breeze – as if these particular moments have left them clueless or confused (acting-wise) on what the director wants them to exude for the story. And along with the portentous pacing and stiff dialogue, the film’s atmospherics degenerates at a particular level. Nevertheless, they are able to generally keep up with the needed moments of tension and suspense between their stretches of running scared. Wahlberg has a certain appeal for the role while Deschanel has those physical features utilized for weird angles and exaggerated features that have worked with the likes of actresses including Christina Ricci and Helena-Bonham Carter for certain eerie roles in mystery, suspense, and horror movies. The rest of the characters including John Leguizamo as the Math teacher Julian and Ashlyn Sanchez as his innocent daughter Jess are filmed with such mysterious orientations trying to benefit from the rhythms and gory details of horror and suspense storytelling. As usual, Shyamalan makes a cameo in his film as Joey.

The idea is quite neat with people left pondering on probabilities and possibilities of what the world could unexpectedly bring. Left with no answers, explanation, or narrative closure, the style of letting the viewer fill in the blanks is okay. However, in certain aspects of the storytelling, with how the film turns out, it seems like Shyamalan has made the set-ups better than the pay-offs. “The Happening” builds up some creeps, but the intensity isn’t kept with a good enough pace all throughout. As a message film filled with ominousness, the film merely lives up to the shock value more than the cinematic awe nor the reformist temperament of its gut-wrenching horror requirements and the issues on humanity’s relationship with the environment. While there are some parts becoming effectively acquainted with the emotional language of the story, there are also some awkward moments and scenes that don’t seem to have been given enough time to really prosper.

“The Happening” provides genuine creepiness in a fictional fashion. With its chilling and hanging moments, there is such untapped potential to it – somewhere, there is a great movie struggling to break free. There is a good concept with valuable meaning and depth. However, much of the toxic breeze of commercialism and the urge for such a rushed completion has really victimized it. And while it is entertaining and creepy in certain aspects, it falls short in becoming a topnotch film or a classic on its own.

Film Review: Kung Fu Panda

The Unlikely Hero’s Destiny
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

Directed by: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Starring: the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane, Seth Rogen, David Cross

Fast, light, and easy-to-love, “Kung Fu Panda” would probably elevate the panda to the penguin’s cinematic status. Convincingly, the panda here makes movie magic. And the film succeeds in its playfulness.

Cinematically charming and ingenious, this animated cross between the elements of movies like “Forbidden Kingdom” and the premise of the likes of “Karate Kid” is definitely sweeter than expected. It actually shows more heart than you might think. The film is loaded with fun experience of comedy and action while keeping itself as a solid family film material through that black-and-white face of cuteness.

Without much expectation given its typical commercial disposition plus the fact that most movies similar to it (regardless of how many big-named stars are billed for voice services) become big disappointments, “”Kung Fu Panda” is such a pleasant surprise. If the initial assumption is that this animated comedy is slapstick, mediocre, or potty, it actually turns out to be a snappy, good-looking, and delightful cinematic offer that draws smiles for the whole family, the film buffs, and even the animators who would greatly appreciate the kind of animation and the heart that binds the elements together. More than starring a bunch of cute, highly-merchandisable animals, “Kung Fu Panda” has a genuine kung fu love that permeates the film to shine for anyone who is a fan of top-notch animated filmmaking, as well as those followers of the comedy and martial arts genres.

“Kung Fu Panda” is about an unlikely hero’s journey to fulfill his dreams of becoming a kung fu master. Po is a plump, drowsy, huggable black-and-white bear who has one, and only one, aspiration in life – to become an expert in a martial art that relies on agility, mental prowess, and lightning-fast reflexes. With his paunchy punching bag looks, he figure-atively throws his weight around and becomes an accidental fighter and subsequent Dragon Warrior – elevating his self-esteem and panda potential into kung fu heights.

With its inventive visuals, wonderful animation, tasteful music, appealing characters, and genuine story execution, this animated film stands apart from what has become a trend – making something different from the other recent animated films. It may be an unoriginal variant on the misfit-with-a-dre