Hotel Mumbai

I remember watching this doco at National Geographic years ago, and I got stressed as fuck. Now the movie’s out, it was too painful to watch. Don’t get me wrong – the movie’s really good, albeit a poignant reminder of Mumbai’s darkest days in modern history.

Patay Na Si Hesus: A Movie Review

I was never a fan of Filipino mainstream movies. I find it overrated, overhyped, and sometimes, it’s not worth my money. Sometimes, the plot and story lines are often overused. I’m this type of movie goer who overanalyzes every element of the movie (on rare occasions, however, I watch flicks that don’t need critical thinking). Since the advent of Filipino indie movies in the early 2000s, it had touched several subjects that were considered taboo in mainstream media. I have never seen a movie that is so funny, so poignant, and so insane in many levels. 

There are so many movies that portray the typical life of a Filipino family, but none of them portrayed it like Patay Na Si Hesus did.

Train of the Undead: A Movie Review of Train to Busan

Credit

Train To Busan (Busanhaeng)

118 minutes

Directed by: Sang-ho Yeon

Starring: Yoo Gong, Dong-seok Ma, Soo-an Kim

I grew up in the generation of zombies. My contemporaries are so obsessed with the undead that they kept on producing movies, TV shows, and novels about it. The plot stays virtually the same yet people are still entertained by it. I enjoyed a few and noticed the evolution of the zombies. They used to be dumb and slow but now they run faster than Usain Bolt. I guess they should qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and maybe... just maybe, they might win medals made of human flesh.

A few months ago, I came across with this movie's trailer on Facebook. I never thought that the Korean movie industry is willing to invest in this kind of genre. But what made this movie stand out from the rest of the zombie flicks?

We Are Infinite: A Movie Review

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller
Written and Directed by Stephen Chbosky

Despite being a straight A student, my life in high school was never awesome. No wait, I sort of hated it. Sometimes I get bullied emotionally (thank God I was never beaten physically). Sometimes, I let them copy my homework in Chemistry, Calculus or Physics in exchange of not bullying for at least a month or two... but it actually didn't work. Often times, I was accused of being a teacher's pet because I was just being participative in the class.

Reading and watching The Perks Of Being A Wallflower made me realize that I wasn't alone of experiencing this kind of ordeal so to speak.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

A Little Thing Called Love / First Love (สิ่งเล็กเล็ก ที่เรียกว่า..รัก)
Directed by: Puttipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn and Wasin PokpongRelease
Date: August 12, 2010 (Thailand)
Runtime: 118 min.
Cast: Mario Maurer / Pimchanok Lerwisetpibol / Sudarat Budtporm / Acharanat Ariyaritwikol

I first heard this movie from Juan and I got curious since he had written a good review about it. This Thai movie was released last August 2010 and I just watched it on YouTube.

The movie is all about puppy love. Nam (Pimchanok Lerwisetpibol), a young and ugly girl had a huge crush with Chon (Mario Maurer), the school’s heartthrob since her freshmen year. With the help of her supportive friends, she somehow got the chance to have some brief, close encounters with her knight in shining armor. It was not an easy road for Nam, though. Some girls were more beautiful and more talented than her. She thought that she will have no chance to be with Chon. Eventually, she grew up and became beautiful and discovered something more about Chon.

The plot of the movie is simple. It’s all about infatuation and the struggles of Nam. Despite its simplicity, viewers will get touched by it. Like Nam, we will do whatever we can just to get noticed by our crush. Nam had tried her best just to be on top of the class, or be the lead cast of a play or be the leader of the drum band. Innocence, as a theme, also played a vital role in this movie. By just merely seeing our crush walking along the hallway or hearing their voice over the telephone will definitely make our day complete.

The movie is a great combination of laughter and tears. I definitely had a good laugh on the first half of the movie but as the movie progressed, especially on the 7th part of the movie, I shed a tear because the scenes were really heartbreaking. I thought Windstruck, A Moment to Remember and Hachiko were the only three movies made me cry. I was wrong. Even if the plot formula is similar to some romantic movies, like the I-should-have-told-him/her-I-love-her style, it will definitely leave a mark to the audience, regardless of the age.

Indeed, as what the movie trailer claims, it’s everyone’s story.

High school may not be my favorite part of my life, but I will always treasure those days when I look forward to see my crush in school. By just seeing her will already make my day complete. Ay, kilig.

PS: Pimchanok Lerwisetpibol really looks like Kim Chiu! Swear!

Movie Review: Tae Guk Gi (Brotherhood of War)

I wish this was all just a dream. I want to wake up in my bed, and over breakfast, I'd tell you that I had a strange dream. Then I would go to school, and you and mom would go to work.

Tae Guk Gi (Brotherhood of War) is a Korean movie which focuses on the struggles and conflicts between the two brothers who were pulled by the Korean anti-communist government to fight against the Communist people of North. This is actually the fifth Korean movie that I have watched since the hype of Korean drama in the local television after The Classic, My Little Bride, My Sassy Girl and Windstruck. Actually, I was quite curious with this movie since Banban plurked about this Korean flick last night. Because I didn’t have anything to do last night, I give it a try (luckily, someone uploaded the movie in YouTube).


You know, I ain’t a big fan of war movies because one, I hate seeing people dying through the shrapnel of grenades and the piercing noise of tankers and bullets. Two, I hate the sound of explosions. And three, it’s actually a foreign movie. Sometimes, I get a little bit confused on the movie because I am more focused with the subtitles.


But in the end, I was deeply touched by this movie. There are actually lots of things that I really liked about this flick. Tae Guk Gi has similarities with The Classic, a Korean movie since they have the same style at the beginning of the movie, more of starting on the protagonist’s old character then stumbles with things that reminded on their past, the leather shoes for instance in this movie. The movie proceeds with the story behind the leather shoes, all those happy memories with his brother and family before the war of the two opposing forces of Korea broke out. The movie deals with lots of sacrifices of the older brother to his younger sibling and it really touched my heart. Oh by the way, the OST of this movie was really good since it really matched the mood of the movie. The cinematography of this movie was good and visual effects were realistic. Despite on dodging bullets, decapitated heads and blood spurting from the soldier’s body, it was really wonderful and compelling. Above all, I just realized that even if I had a hard time to catch with the subtitles, I still feel the strong emotions from the movie. This flick has the ability to catch every one’s heart. Even if I only understand Kansameda, Ahn-young, Araso and the likes, I can still feel the pains and sufferings of the two brothers.


There was this certain scene on the movie where I almost cried. It was the scene where the younger brother found finally the grave of his older brother and was even talking to the bones of his brother. It’s a sad scene… a really sad scene. *Sigh



I’ll give 4.5 out of 5 stars for this movie but since the rating of 4.5 is impossible on this site, let’s just round off and make it a perfect five!!!



Here’s the trailer so you might have an idea what the movie ‘looks’ like. Lol. BTW, the movie was released around 2004 and won numerous awards in Korea.




and here's the OST

The 5 Greatest Movie Soundtracks

Tell me. How does one considers a movie to be great?


Does it need to have great actors? Does it need to have a superb script? Does it require great visual effects and cinematography? Or perhaps does it need to have a great Original Soundtrack?


Imagine your favorite movie without music. Despite how effective the actors were, it would still be dull, boring and lacks something, and that something is very crucial on building emotions throughout the movie. Through music, it enhances the emotions from the actors. Also, the OST determines the right mood of a certain scene.


Of all movies that I’ve watched since the early 90s, I have found five movies that have the best Original Soundtrack, in my own opinion.



Number Five.
On the number five spot, we have the OST of the 2004 blockbuster disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow. It was beautifully arranged by an Austrian-born film composer and writer, Harald Kloser. He also has worked with several movies like The Thirteenth Floor (1999), 10,000 BC (2008) and the upcoming cataclysmic movie, 2012 (2009). The tension between man and Mother Nature can be easily felt through his startling yet amazing musical scores. Of all the musical scores in the soundtrack album, The Day After Tomorrow, Tidal Wave and Superfreeze were my personal picks. So, when a deadly F5 tornado is on your way, try listening to this soundtrack before the tornado picks you up, errrr, not.


Number Four.
Korea’s all time favorite movie, 소개합니다 or Windstruck (2004) takes the #4 spot. The story was heavy and drew tears easily from the viewers. The intensity heightens during the dramatic scenes. This album does not contain only the creations of one artist, but it is a collection of songs coming from different songwriters. Youme’s version of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door was a sweet and delicate one. Stay (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs) was really cool, as well as its unique Pizzicato version. My top picks for this album aside from the two are Reunion Theme by Kwak Jae-Young and X-Japan’s phenomenal song, Tears.


Number Three.
Who would have thought that the two of the most controversial novels of this decade will make its way to the big screen? Apparently, the exciting adventures of Robert Langdon shouldn’t be confined in the book. Thanks to the ingenuity of this German composer, Hans Zimmer, he made The Da Vinci Code (2006) and Angels and Demons (2009) a fantastic flick. Apparently, he even continued the legacy of Chevaliers de Sangreal to Angels and Demons. Nonetheless, he made the adventures of Robert Langdon on the big screen a thrilling one. Hans Zimmer is also known for his works on The Lion King (1994), Crimson Tide (1995) and Gladiator (2000).

Number Two.
Yet, another novel made its way to the big screen. Neil Gaiman’s Stardust became a blockbuster hit during its world premiere around October 2007. The unbelievable love story of Tristan and Yvainne was fictitious yet compelling, thanks to its original soundtrack made by the English composer, Ilan Eshkeri. Eshkeri have collaborated with Hans Zimmer and the late Michael Klamen in his early projects. He also co-wrote the hit single Rule the World with Take That. Bounded with digital strings, synthesizers and wind instruments, Stardust’s OST is really worth listening. Try Coronation, Septimus and the flamboyant Pirate Fight. You’ll definitely enjoy this OST album.


Number One.
Now you may wonder who took the number one spot for this countdown. Well, the original soundtrack of Titanic (1997), composed and arranged by James Horner deserves to be the top of this list, the cream of the crop. According to MTV, it became a worldwide success after releasing more than 11 million copies in the United States alone. Also, the remarkable song, My Heart Will Go On sang by the Canadian singer, Celine Dion had spent 16 weeks at #1 in the US Billboard Charts. Truly, when you listen to this album, you’ll feel that you’re in the “unsinkable” ship. You feel that you are flying. Most of all, during the second half of the album, you feel like you’re dying in the freezing cold of the Atlantic Ocean. This OST is truly amazing.


(Runner-ups: 50 First Dates, The Lion King, Braveheart and The Lord of the Rings)




Truly, an effective movie doesn’t solely rely on to the script, the acting, its visual effects or its cinematography, but rather music an important key to determine whether the movie is great or not. Without music, the movie industry would be in peril. They coalesce to each other in order to answer the demanding needs of man in the field of entertainment.

Book vs. Movie: Angels and Demons

Almost five years ago, I read Dan Brown’s four books and I really loved them. But my favorites were the controversial The Da Vinci Code and its prequel, Angels and Demons. It was indeed beautifully written by Dan Brown, so beautiful that the powerful Catholic Church despise his finest works of literature. On the 17th of May 2006, The Da Vinci Code was released in cinemas worldwide but it was restricted for mature viewers only. I was only fifteen at that time and there’s no way to watch that on the movie house. I only had the chance to watch it six months later on DVD. Unfortunately, I was NOT happy with the movie version and like what all Dan Brown fanatics have claimed, the book is always better than the movie (except for Stardust).

Three years later, its prequel, Angels and Demons was released and I was waiting for it for almost a year already. Finally, the long wait has come to an end. I just watched it on the movie house this afternoon and today, I’m watching it online, again. I have even downloaded its OST!




So, what’s the fuss of this movie by the way?


First of all, people are somewhat curious of what’s really happening inside the Sistine Chapel during one of the Catholic Church’s rarest events to occur, the Conclave. The ceilings and the four corners of the historical Sistine Chapel was the only witness of this religious event for the past thousand years aside from the Cardinals who will cast their votes for the next Vicar of God, the next leader of the Catholic Church. We all have this notion that cardinals are clean, not materialistic and do not practice vices. Apparently, Cardinals smoking pipes, talking to their high-end phones and recording videos using their state-of-the-art video camera were portrayed in the movie. It’s just an eye-opener, to see that Cardinals are just human beings though they are one of the leaders of the most powerful religion, the Catholic Church.


Another thing is this. Aside from people’s curiosity on religion, they are also nosy with the antimatter. As what the novel had described, antimatter is a new generation matter which can generate great amounts of energy in just an infinitesimal amount. Antimatter is made through the gigantic particle accelerator which ran the entire complex of CERN in Zurich, Switzerland. A cataclysmic event or annihilation shall occur if antimatter is in contact with matter, the things that we see everyday. This study is primary concerned with the creation of the universe, to see whether the idea in the Holy Bible would be coherent with science.


The idea of having science as the mortal enemy of the Catholic Church stretches as early as 1000 AD. The Catholic Church before thought that scientists were heretics and those who will not follow their beliefs shall be excommunicated by the pope or worse executed by grotesque means. The novel portrays a different story, some sort of the revenge by a secret society called the Illuminati.


The novel was indeed powerful that it drew media attentions worldwide. Such upheavals of it claimed both praises and criticisms. The movie was almost called off due to the protest made by the Catholic Church. But fortunately, the production continued this project.



What I really liked in this movie were the cinematography, the original sound track and the visual effects, most especially when the antimatter exploded into the midnight sky of Vatican. All were great. The script was surprisingly simplified though and as what I had expected, scenes from the book weren’t included in the movie. Here are some:

• The movie didn’t portray the state-of-the-art Boeing X-33, the plane use to transport Robert Langdon from USA to Switzerland in just three hours (normal flight duration on this route usually takes a good 8 hours from a jumbo jet).

• Robert Langdon was asleep and he wasn’t swimming when Vatican called him.

• Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra didn’t meet at the Vatican. On the book, they met at CERN.

• The mischievous BBC reporter Chinita Macri (or was she a camerawoman?) wasn’t in the movie.

• In the book, Robert Langdon had caught in the helicopter and flew together with the Carmelengo and the antimatter. The Carmelengo escaped by using his parachute and Robert Langdon had a majestic dive in the Tiber River. In the movie, only the Carmlengo rode the helicopter and Robert Langdon only watched him in horror as the helicopter rose before the grandiose explosion.

• In the book, the Assassin died when he fell from his secret hiding place. In the movie, he escaped without the terrifying fight scene from the book, but eventually killed when his car exploded.

• The movie and book had different beginnings. In the former, it was just a narrative story about the demise of the pope while the latter explains the death of Vittoria’s father and that was the time when the canister went missing.

• The Carmelengo’s life story wasn’t emphasized in the movie.

• The head scientist of the CERN didn’t visit Vatican.

I think this is already enough because I might get killed by someone due to these spoilers. Haha!


But yeah, the movie was at least depicted in a straight-forward manner and likewise, this is better than The Da Vinci Code. Whether you have read the book or not, this is going to be one of the greatest movies of this year. I’m looking forward to watch this flick on DVD again.

Movie Review: T2 (Pssssst)

“Sabihin mo sa akin, sino sila?” “MGA ENGKANTO!” “Pssst!”
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I always hear this trailer on TV. Directed by the talented Chito S. Roño, this horror flick reflects on to Filipino’s culture and ingenuity. It shows how artistic and how imaginative Filipinos are when it comes to literature, particularly when we delve on different classical folklores and tales. Some of which may be true base on eyewitnesses’ accounts while some are just impossible to believe at.


The story revolves only to the two main characters with a few minor characters that add color to the storyline. I think it was a great idea to focus only on to the main characters since people won’t be confused while watching flick. With a few touches of colorful flashbacks from the main character, I think the storyline wasn’t bad at all. Another compelling thing about the movie is the cinematography and the visual effects. I really commend the “rat” special effects because I thought it was real. I had goose bumps, upon seeing those millions of rats crawling on Maricel Soriano’s body.


Overall, the movie wasn’t that SCARY, but rather what made this movie scary were numerous “surprising scenes”- scenes that intentionally focus on one character and then all of the sudden, another character of the movie appears on the screen accompanied by a frightening sound. Speaking of the characters of the movie, I thought of the acting to be good and natural. Maricel Soriano is still the Diamond Star. Mika dela Cruz is going to be the most promising young actress of the Philippine television in the near future. Elias’ (Eric Fructuoso) character is funny. All other characters portrayed their roles well, at least.


I consider this as a true horror movie because:

One, real horror movies do not need knives, chainsaws, and other scary thingamajigs.

Two, real horror movies do not need to have flying decapitated heads, mutilated fingers and toes or raging rivers of blood.

Third, real horror movies do not need to have sex scenes before the character dies from a morbid death.

Well, just sharing my insights about it.



Feng Shui was scary, Sukob was predictable yet creative and T2 was surreal. Kudos to the production team of Direk Chito S. Roño!


“I do believe in engkantos, I do, I do!”

Knowing: Movie Review

Do you believe EVERYTHING happens for a REASON? Or do you believe life is just purely coincidental?

Knowing is the latest sci-fi flick which shows the untimely demise of the planet earth due to series of natural calamities.

It all started in 1959 when a teacher collected her class’ works on what they aspire or foresee about the future. Some had drawn rockets and spaceships with out-of-this-world planetary imaginations. But for Lucinda Embry, it was different. She just scribbled random numbers on her paper and her behavior was eccentric after the ceremony. After 50 years, the citizens around the school reopened the time capsule and distributed it with the new generation. Lucinda’s work landed into the hands of a monotonous kid, Caleb, son of a distraught MIT professor, John Koestler who believes in the theory of Randomness which depicts that everything in life is by chance or coincidence. Disturbed by his son’s paper, he quickly deciphered something horrible in the paper and time is indeed running out. Lives must be saved out there and one must think and act quickly before it’s too late.

Ideally, the special effects were great most especially the scene when a passenger jet (I think that was an Airbus A320) crashed along the national highway. It looks like it was real, accompanied by power lines ripped off from the tower while the plane makes a dreadful decent. Also, the cinematography was great as well as the sound effects. Although the drawback on this film was, some of the lines weren’t clear. Overall, the movie was really great. You will be surprised with the ending though, and I won’t spoil you. HAHAHA

Knowing is now showing in all cinemas across the nation. You won’t regret watching this sci-fi flick.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A Movie Review

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is such a heart warming flick. It entails with a man born with a mysterious case that is, growing in an opposite way. But despite the peculiarity of his life, he still lived in a normal life, thrived with the normal ones, experienced the same way of life and learned to love. His life was indeed remarkable even if it’s way fictitious.

This movie was originally written by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s and it’s a short story. Also, the plot was incredibly fascinating even if the flick was almost three hours. For those who haven’t watched this movie, then don’t hesitate to watch this. It’s not too late to watch this. I expected nothing short of radiance with a film coming from director David Fincher, director of the masterful "Zodiac" and screenwriter Eric Roth, writer of the classic "Forrest Gump". The acting was astounding in the movie. Brad Pitt and the spectacular Cate Blanchett share a fire that reverberates so smoothly out to the audience. Another notable achievement in the film was the visual effects; none of it was overdone and it was quite convincing. The music in the film was great as well. The haunting and mythical music is composed by Alexandre Desplat. One thing that did surprise me in the film was the amount of comedy present, but I guess comedy is needed for a tale with such sorrow. I really do think that this film is a classic. Even with a story as fictional as Benjamin Button's, the message rings true.

We grow old physically, but our daily experiences in life will forever remain in our hearts. This movie will always reminds me that everyday, life is an adventure and it isn’t measured in minutes, but in moments. Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.

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Some people were born to sit by a river. Some get struck by lightning. Some have an ear for music. Some are artists. Some swim. Some know buttons. Some know Shakespeare. Some are mothers. And some people dance.

Slumdog Millionare: A Movie Review

He is eighteen. He is a teenager. He is a call center agent assistant and had lived in a miserable life since his childhood days. Yet, he beat the odds and won 20 million Rupees.


Directed by the talented Danny Boyle (28 Days Later and Sunshine), this movie muses on the life of a teenage millionaire who allegedly accused of cheating by the host since it is utterly impossible for a slum dog to answer all of the questions in the show. Despite the maltreatment he received from the authorities, one by one, Jamil Malik (played by Dev Patel) recounted his life from the struggles of his childhood life to the desperation of finding his first love, Latika (Freida Pinto). Bit by bit, he gave explanations on why he managed to answer the questions flawlessly and eventually won 20 million Rupees. Each question is coincidentally related on his life. He didn’t need to be intelligent to answer the questions in the show.

This is not your typical flick. It poses great acting, as well as the cinematography. This is a movie that bursts with narrative force, enveloping in a poignant romance. The plot was well presented and it was a compelling and a heart warming movie.

No doubt that this movie bagged four Golden Globe awards.

Every moment of his life is a clue to the answers. Every question brings him closer to his one true love.

And oh, I really enjoyed the credits. Let’s sing and dance to the beat of JAI HO! :)))))

Jeux d’enfants (Love Me If You Dare)

Well, thanks to YouTube (and Chin-chin's almighty convincing powers), I decided to watch this French flick instead of reviewing for my long exams.

Jeux d’enfants (Love Me If You Dare) is a love story between childhood friends Julien and Sophie. Everyday, they think that life is just full of dares and games, thanks to the magical tin can toy (whatever you call that truth-or-dare game). Although they act impishly in school and home, they still enjoy the company of each other. As they grew up into young adults, Sophie realized that she was already in love with her best friend, Julien, though the problem is, Julienne acts as if he’s still eight years old. But eventually, the feeling was mutual and they fell in love with each other.

What I really admire on this movie is the story. Actually I thought it was a dreary and cheesy romance film but as I progressed on to the movie, I fell in love with it. The movie portrays lots of adventures, misadventures, funny moments, tears and etcetera. Also, the flick suggests love in an indirect manner. Unlike some ordinary romance movies which portray love unswervingly, Jeux d’enfants showcases love in a surrealistic approach. It’s like constructing a sentence with a splash of figures of speech, metaphor and hyperbole to be exact. Some scenes where undeniably impossible to exist in real life but the emphasis is really there.

This flick elucidates the meaning of true and unconditional love. The feeling is irrevocable. The ending was really, REALLY touching I tell you. So if you want to feel that you’re in love (again or for the first time), I guarantee you, yes YOU to watch this French flick.

Game or not? Cap u pa cap? ;)

Got this from YouTube. Let Go - Imogen Heap with scenes from Jeux d'enfants. I just posted this video so you'll have an idea about it. :)