DIREK CONVERSATIONS WITH JEFFREY JETURIAN

By Ed Saludes

Two years ago, Cinemanila convened a group of commercial and independent film makers at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Greenbelt 3. Director 1 won a Palme d'Or few years back. Director 2 attended Cannes' film school, Cinefondation. Director 3 made three of the longest Pinoy films in history. Director 4 is a part-time model and a part-time professor in La Salle. Director 5 is a big Susan Roces fan. Director 6 has Igorot ancestors. Director 7 is represented by his live-in partner. Director 8 is the heir to the beauty business empire of his mother. Director 9 loves the name Maximo. Director 10 is known for submitting half of the 400 entries in Cinemalaya.

As the coordinator of the festival, I was tasked by the festival director Tikoy Aguiluz to document that very rare gathering. After the three-hour meeting, I was grinning like Joker between my ears. I have just realized that in a room filled with Filipino film makers, it is easy to determine who are talented or not. It doesn't even require watching their films. You just need to observe how they behave in a group conversation. Those who dominated the discussion and whose voices reverberated on the four corners of the coffee shop are the 'not-so-talented ones'. The 'talented ones' did most of the listening.

One of the talented ones present in that occasion was Jeffrey Jeturian. Direk Jeff to many, he has already done seven films since his critically-acclaimed debut, Sana Pag-ibig Na (Enter Love) which gave the late Nida Blanca Best Actress grand slam honors from major award-giving bodies. For the past seven years, he had gained local and international recognitions for his films such as Tuhog (Larger Than Life) which competed in Venice Film Festival in 2001 and last year's Kubrador (The Bet Collector), the most-awarded Filipino film of 2006.

In spite of his busy sschedule, Direk Jeff granted an interview with the Writers Guild’s Project Backspace at the Bang Café in Tomas Morato ten hours before he left for the 2007 Singapore International Film Festival.

This time, the talented one did most of the talking.

How is life after 'Kubrador'?

Last year was a particularly busy year for me in terms of travel. Because of "Kubrador" (the film has so far been invited to close to 50 international film festivals since it premiered at the 28th Moscow International Film Festival last April 2006), I've been kept busy traveling from one film festival to another where the film has been invited to compete or be exhibited. I was in Moscow, New Delhi, Toronto, Pusan (Korea), Mumbai and for the fourth quarter of last year, was hopping all over Europe (Valladolid, Brussels, Amiens, Tessaloniki, Rome and even Estonia, where I served in the jury of the international film competition) week after week. It was only in the last week of December that I was able to return to Manila, so now I have to work double time to catch up on projects that I've passed up while I was gone and start earning again. I am busy with TV work now, particularly, the TV drama anthology series, "Maalaala Mo Kaya" where I get hired on a semi-regular basis.


Jury member of the competition programme EurAsia Jeffrey Jeturian only seems to laugh on collegue Krzysztof Wierzbicki's threatening gestures. (2006.POFF)

When was it that you first realized that film was your calling?

I was in second year high school in San Beda when Lino Brocka's "Maynila Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag" was shown. I saw the film and I was so moved by it that I told myself, "If films have this power to touch people's lives and create such impact on their outlook in life and worldview, then I hope I can be a filmmaker someday, too". That was in 1974 and that someday happened in 1998 when I got to direct my first film, "Sana Pag-ibig Na". It may not be the kind of film that would affect people's worldview, but I'd like to think that with my growth as a filmmaker, I am slowly getting there. *laughs*

What I am sure of though is till now, after seven films (Sana Pag-ibig Na, Pila-Balde, Tuhog, Bridal Shower, Minsan Pa, Bikini Open and Kubrador) I can proudly say that I haven't done a film that I am ashamed of. The first time I realized that directing was the only thing that I want to do was when I was asked by my friend Ellen Ongkeko Marfil to direct one scene in a drama episode she was directing for PETA-Bisyon back in 1996. The scene was very simple: a teenager guy would deposit garbage in the front yard of their house and as he does so, he would catch his older brother (who was asked to leave home by their father days ago because of a misdeed) looking from a distance. No exchange of dialogues, just loaded glances. It was a two-camera set-up for television and though the scene was very simple and required no real directorial calisthenics, nothing can match the high that I felt while "directing" the scene: from blocking the actors to deciding the camera placement to giving orders from the OB van to the two cameramen when to go to a full, medium or close-up shot.

I can even say that that moment was one of the happiest times of my life because I realized that directing was the one and only thing that I wanted to do. Ironically, the night of that same day, my dad, who would have been pleased seeing me fulfill my dreams, passed away. It was all so sudden. He died from aneurysm.

Was film making offered to you on a silver platter or was it a long struggle?

I had to rise from the ranks. From college (UP Broadcast Communications), Marilou Abaya got me to be part of her director's staff for the film "Baby Tsina", starring Vilma Santos, in 1983. I was Production Assistant. Shooting took all of six months to finish, half of which time we weren't getting paid our salaries any more (Talent Fees are "packaged" in shooting films) but that was okay by me because I was learning so much from the experience. I then became Script Continuity (Script Girl or Boy), Art Director, Production Designer, Assistant Director in various films and TV dramas to directors like Maning Borlaza, Leroy Salvador, Eddie Garcia, Chito Rono, Joel Lamangan and others.

Even as a director, I had to start from scratch as my first "directorial" job was the 5-minute TV program, Legal Forum, of Atty. Josabeth Alonso. But even that was providential because years later, in 2004, Atty. Josabeth Alonso went into producing movies and she got me and Armando Lao to collaborate on "Minsan Pa", her initial venture as producer. In 2006, she produced her second film, "Kubrador".

Who, according to you, are the Directors (Pinoy, foreign) whose works are commendable?

I am a fan of Zhang Yimou's earlier works like "Story Of Qiu Jiu", "Raise The Red Lantern", "Road Home", the Iranian director Mahjid Majidi, Pedro Almodovar, who I admire for his ability to make deviant characters look sympathetic and the director of "Y Tu Mama Tambien" (Ed.- Alfonso Cuarón).

Have you opted to make films which do not fall under the category of 'mainstream cinema' because of budget constraints and the frustrations of getting actors?

I've done the films I did because they are the kind of films that I wanted to do, regardless of whether they're mainstream or not. Even in my most commercial films (e.g. Pila-Balde, Tuhog and Bridal Shower), they are not mainstream in the sense that the themes and plots were not formula and that even if the genre was sex, that wasn't the main focus of the films. Pila-Balde was about the struggles of a young woman to have a better life; Tuhog was a satire on sex in Philippine cinema, and Bridal Shower was about the commodification of love in modern life.

You have been critically and popularly acclaimed in your films. How does that make you feel? Satisfied or pressured?

The acclaim that my films have gotten over the years is just an affirmation that what I am doing must be good. They must not, in any way, affect my work. So long as I get to do the kind of films that I want to do, I will keep making films.

Do you feel that film makers in the Philippines, especially those who are here for the love of their art and passion towards their craft, are at a disadvantage (facilities and financial-wise) compared to their counterparts elsewhere?

We are at a disadvantage, budget and technology-wise, but in terms of ideas, skills and talent, we are at par with everyone else. In the end, as in all art forms, it is what you have to say and how effectively you've communicated it that matters.

Tell us more about your next project, Nenok.

It had been shelved due to its sensitive subject matter. We have consulted some lawyers and they advised us that the screenplay might be libelous.

Screen shot of Kubrador. (Filmfestamiens)

What is the significance of Kubrador's victory at Cinemanila 2006?

Kubrador's winning is significant because it is the first time that a Filipino film has won the grand prize in Cinemanila. We didn't think the film had a chance against the other entries, among which was Cannes winner, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley", plus the fact that the competition was on home ground. And then the film was about "jueteng" with a briefer at the start on how money from jueteng has overthrown a president and put to power his successor. Ironically, it was GMA who handed out the trophy to my producer at the awarding rites held in Malacañang.

Best Filipino films of all time?

Maynila Sa Kuko Ng Liwanag, Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?, Burlesk Queen, Kisapmata, Insiang, Batang Westside, and Babae sa Breakwater.

Watch the Youtube trailer here.
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Ed Saludes is from Journals.


Readvolution Note:

Babae sa Breakwater (DVD, original) is available for lending to members of the Writers Guild’s Readers Circle. Not a member yet? Text READER_(your name, email address) to 0927.441.8781 and enjoy exclusive privileges now!

REEL REVIEW: 300

Cover of the comic book 300


by Ivy San Diego

It’s very rare that a movie adaptation of a book (or a graphic novel) exceeds the original of artistry of the written literature. 300 is one such rare case where the movie exceeded the reader’s and the audience’s expectations. Director Zack Snyder created a unique exceptional masterpiece in doing this film adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel.



Leonidas, the wise king of Sparta was played by Gerard Butler. Born and raised by the Spartan ideals of honor, duty and glory, Leonidas was a skilled warrior, a loving father and a devoted husband to Queen Gorgo which was played by Lena Headley. When he receives the news that Xerxes’ plans to extend his sovereignty over Sparta through his emissary, King Leonidas adamantly rebuffs this seemingly diplomatic proposal.

Amidst the “bribed” oracle’s objection for Leonidas to go to war, the great king continued to assemble 300 of his finest warriors to face Xerxes and his vast army. This wasn’t about “male ego”; it’s about fighting for freedom and honor. While Leonidas waging war against the Persian army, Queen Gorgo was trying to convince the Spartan council to provide more troops to assist the king and his men.

The graphic fight scenes showed 300 brawny muscular men who fought with dignity to the very end. Seeing an immense army coming at you takes a lot of courage and audacity; the confidence to face death with honor is how Leonidas and the 300 men exhibited the Spartan creed that “Great men are born and bred…”



The graphic novel itself has a simple plot thus the need for a larger-than-life cinematography and Snyder was able to deliver this in a well-crafted picturesque interpretation of Miller’s art. Since the plot lacks the grandeur of Lord of the Rings or the emotional impact of Brave Heart, Snyder used big frames, close-up shots, slow motions and painting-like backgrounds to capture the audience’s imagination.

It is important to note that the actors also gave an outstanding performance. Gerard Butler and Lena Headley exhibited what a true Spartan man and woman is. Their acting was fiery yet controlled. Even the soldiers were fighting with their heart and soul as if it were the last battle they would face that day.

Overall, the movie was excellent. I actually wanted more, it wasn’t a “complete” movie for me but I guess that’s proof that the director and the producer succeeded in expanding the audience’s imagination and for that, it accomplished its purpose in creating a masterpiece.

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Ivy San Diego is from Journals. She is a Frank Miller fan.

CULTURE EXPRESS: IMAHE NASYON 2007

IMAHE NASYON... a groundbreaking, conceptual omnibus film by 20 alternative filmmakers who were tasked to present their personal visions on national issues. It is underlined by a conceptual question asked by line producers Jon Red & Carol Bunuan-Red:

"How do you see the past 20 years?"

In 2006, IMAHE NASYON attempts to answer the question. That question also became a thematic and uniting thread across the films, but each film is made of different cinematic genres that is representative of the filmmaker's style, stressing the concept that in spite of individual visions we share the same goal: to depict a truthful image of the nation.

The omnibus project was conceptualized by Jon and Carol in commemoration of Edsa 1, a political revolution that changed their generation forever. It is also a celebration of the struggle and growth of Philippine Independent Cinema which, in essence, is a cultural revolution only now gaining public acceptance.

A unique and common element in IMAHE NASYON is rising Indie actor PING MEDINA who is featured in all the 20 films. He represents the next generation who will play a crucial role in the direction of the nation and its image.

Imahe Nasyon was directed by Poklong Anading, Emman Dela Cruz, Yeye Calderon, Neil Daza, Lav Diaz, Tad Ermitaño, Mes de Guzman, Rox Lee, Topel Lee, Milo Paz, Robert Quebral, Ellen Ramos, Raymond Red, R.A. Rivera, Lyle Sacris, EJ Salcedo, Sig Sanchez, Dennis Empalmado, Ogi Sugatan, and Paolo Villaluna.

IMAHE NASYON will be screened from February 21-27 at the indieSINE Robinson's Galleria.

View YOUTUBE trailer HERE.

REEL REVIEW: NOBODY KNOWS

by Ed Saludes



Film: Nobody Knows
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu
Country of Origin: Japan
Website: http://www.lhp.com.sg/nobodyknows/

In 1998, four children were found living by themselves in a small apartment in Japan. Best known as the "Affair of the four abandoned children of Sugamo", it caught the attention of the Japanese and international media and made headlines all over the world.

Sixteen years later, a film was made by Hirokazu Kore-eda based on the said event. Thought the plot is based on the actual event that happened, the filmmaker informs the viewers in the opening credits that the film is not a retelling of what transpired to the four children when they were left by theeir mother for 9 months but an interpretation of what he saw on TV and read in the newspapers.

A mother (a TV host named 'You') of four moves into a new apartment with his eldest son, Akira (Yayi Yugira). The new apartment only allows one child so she smuggles her three other kids. She is afraid of attention and eviction and clearly, she has done this before with the way she smuggled the two youngest children (stuffed in suitcases and made to believe that it was just a game). Soon, the films exposes that all of her children were sired by different fathers.

The children are reminded to stay out of sight. Kyoko (Ayu Kitaura), the elder girl must do the laundry at night when no one is around. Shigeru (Hiei Kimura) and Yuki (Momoko Shimizu), the little ones, must learn to curb their outbursts. Akira, the oldest son, is tasked to do the shopping.



Not so long enough, their mother disappears. She comes back once or twice and essentially, Akira becomes the head of the household. He has to depend on the cash her mother sends him.

Before her mother's long disappearance, Akira confronts her mother. Keiko, the mother, protests and asks her son, "Am I not allowed to be happy?" Akira also asks her why they are not in school just like other regular kids in the neighborhood. In her breathy, childlike voice Keiko points out that even a famous Japanese wrestler and a Japanese president never attended school. She promises to come back for Christmas.

When the money stops coming, the children are left to forage for food and supplies. Week bleeds into weeks, month into months and the direness of the situation becomes clear.

With their utility bills unpaid, they lose their water and electricity. Eventually, they are forced to survive on their own. Most of the responsiblity falls on Akira. Forced to take the paternal role, he forages for free ramen from a local convenience store, cooks curry and finds alternative way to get free water - from a fountain in a local park.

The film took a year to make and spans a year in the children's struggle to stay afloat. Shot chronologically and quasi-documentary style, the film realistically depicted the physical changes of the children - Akira's voice becomes squeaky, his younger sister and brother grow few inches taller and Kyoko becomes a young lady.

Though the treatment is gentle and compelling, we can't deny that the film's central theme is about childhood trust being stretched until it snaps. Humanist filmmakers often use children and old people to test how vulnerable we are to the harrowing plights of humanity. Director Kore-eda belongs to that esteemed group of humanists like Ray and de Sica whose films send chills down our spines and break our heart and senses into melancholy.

The film works finely with its keen eye on small details. We see Akira choosing from a pile of dirty clothes to pick one which does not stink so as not to disappoint his crush. Later, you will see him holding the tin cap of the soda his date bought from the vendo machine. We see Kyoko's cuticles whose fading red ink denotes an impeded adolescene. We also see Shigeru carefully guarding the small plants he cultivates out of used ramen cups. His little garden thrives amidst the hunger its cultivator is suffering.

Then there's also the performances of the newbie actors. How the kids evoke so much emotions from their untrained thespic skills is a gift you often sees from previous child actors who populated the films of Ray and de Sica. Yayi Yugira, who plays Akira, bagged the 2004 top prize for acting in Cannes.

Kore-eda has been directing for two decades and has done close to ten films. Nobody Knows is his first film that I saw. But I think it suffices for me to say that Kore-eda is the most talented of contemporary Japanese directors.

Among the baby Ozus and Kurosawas bannering Japanese cinema, Kore-eda is the most truly gifted.

About the author

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Ed Saludes is from Journals. He was a volunteer in the recently-concluded 8th Cinemanila and was a member of the production of the award-winning film Kubrador.

REEL REVIEW: 8TH CINEMANILA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

by Ed Saludes

Here are a few notes on the recently concluded short films competition of 8th Cinemanila International Film Festival which ended last November 16 after a two-week run at SM and Ayala malls cinemas.

The top award for shorts is the Ishmael Bernal Award for Young Cinema which, with all humility, has produced the most talented young Pinoy film makers today. There’s Mes de Guzman, 2002 Ishma winner whose Ang Daan Patungong Kalimugtong gave him the 2006 Urian Best Director. Kalimugtong, by the way, was also a Cinemanila winner in 2005 in the Digital Lokal competition – the programme for (longer) full-length narratives. Notable also is Raya Martin (2004 Ishma awardee) who became the first Filipino to be given a film scholarship by the most prestigious Cinefondation, the film residency programme of, again, the most prestigious Cannes Film Festival. It came after his victory in Cinemanila when he was endorsed by the festival director, direk Tikoy , to the French embassy.

Ryan Martin and his award-winning 2004 work Bakasyon

The ‘prestige’ list won’t be complete without mentioning the latest ‘golden boy’ of Southeast Asian cinema. His name is John Torres (2005 Ishma recipient), whose recent triumph in Vancouver Film Fest put him in the ‘hottie list’ now being lorded over by of Thailand’s Apitchapong Weerasethakul (Cannes 2004 and 2005 winner) and our very own’s Jeffrey Jeturian of Kubrador fame.

John came out of nowhere and surprised the film community with his very personal Todo Todo Teros which is a film about how we terrorize our loved ones and those people around us emotionally, psychologically, physically and politically. Even Philip Cheah of Singapore fest is gushing just by the mere mention of Torres’ name and his outstanding first feature.


Stills from Todo Todo Teros and The Ballad of Mimiong's Minon

Joining the ‘prestige’ list is Jon Ballesteros of Negros. He just won the short film competition of this year’s festival as the new Ishma discovery. His entry, The Ballad of Mimiong’s Minon, was the standout for the selection committee and which was also the longest in the field of 8 at 35 minutes. Shot with a low-grade video, it relied on the power of its seamless story telling of a folk singer who loses his guitar and finds himself in the company of a blind minstrel whose music brings him to a place, nonexistent perhaps, except in the imagination of the blind as a bat artist.

Ishmael Bernal Awardee for Young Cinema, Jon Steffan Ballesteros for The Ballad of Mimiong's Minon

Peque Gallaga is probably beaming with pride again after another of his Ilongo protégé made his dent in the indie scene after Lawrence Fajardo of Kultado fame (Ed. - Kultado premiered during the 1st edition of Cinemalaya at the CCP in 2005) opened new doors for regional film artists and revitalize their forgotten film industries.

Then there’s Hopia Express of Ateneo’s Janus Victoria. Adjudged as Best Short Film (2nd place after Ishma Award), it presents an improbable romance between a GI (genuine Intsik immigrant) working as an attendant at a hopia store in Binondo, and a call center employee (played by Mark Anthony Fernandez). This is obviously a homage to Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood for Love with the touches of a Joyce Bernal kilig flick. Clermont Ferrand’s festival director, Jean Michele Dissard, is so impressed with Hopia, he is bringing it to the Cannes of short films in France next year.


Stills from Janus Victoria's Hopia Express and Marc Laureano's Embers

Another stand out is Embers from New Zealand, megged by a New Zealand-based Pinoy film maker Marc Laureano. Set in rural Kiwi land winter of 1946, it tells the story of of an isolated young wife who awaits the return of her husband from WWII. Her fears about his demise come to vivid life in her imagination, but his sudden return only brings new fears. Laureano flew all the way from NZ to present his film and he was delighted to have met his fellow young directors and watch Pinoy shorts for the first time.

Five more shorts vied for the top Ishma award. Grandma’s Recipe by Imelda Betiong, a San Francisco-based Filipina film maker is the ice breaker of the competition whose wry humor and relaxed clip is a parable of the cooking contests our US based kababayans indulge in as a means of evoking memories of home. There’s also the very eerie Buog ("sleep" in Tagalog) by Milo Tolentino. It is a 30-minute short on a victim of child abuse who finds a mysterious playmate in a lighthouse. By using real-time spacing and long lingering shots, the film succeeded in evoking atmosphere of fear, sadness and suspense among the audience. Hubert Bals Film Fund’s Gertjan Zuilhof approached the film maker after the screening and offered to present his film in Denmark this February.


Stills from Imelda Betiong's Grandma's Recipe and Milo Tolentino's Buog

Finally, the young cinema competition won’t be complete without the outstanding works from UP Film institute. Shut out last year in the competitive list, three thesis projects of the state U’s film program made the cut. Working on the central method of theme and dance, Misteryo ng Hapis by Mark dela Cruz, Sakdal Laya by Tey Clamor and One Man Show by Dohna Sarmiento and Glenn Ituriaga are all creative triumphs because of their confidence in the power of visuals to tell their stories.

Stills from Tey Clamor's Sakdal Laya and One Man Show of Dohna Sarmiento / Glenn Ituriaga

Among the three, perhaps One Man Show easily leads the pack. It focuses on the sad tale of a vaudeville act in a medium slowly being eased to extinction now replaced by slapsticks-ridden one-man-shows in comedy bars. Comedian Gary Granada played the performance of his career as he essays his role well of a solitary showman in bittersweet restraint. What happens when the last note of the song dies down? This short is a must see for old folks for a 15-minute trip down the memory lane of music and dance with the bygone eras of the golden days of Pinoy vaudevilles.

More details here: 8th Cinemanila International Film Festival

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Ed Saludes is from Journals. He was a volunteer in the recently-concluded 8th Cinemanila and was a member of the production of the award-winning film Kubrador.

REEL REVIEW (AUGUST 2006): KUBRADOR

Photo source: Wickipedia, probably by Boy Yñiguez (?)


SCREENPLAY: Joel Jover
CINEMATORAPHY: Roberto Yniguez
EDITING: Jay Halili
CAST: Gina Pareno, Soliman Cruz, Nanding Josef, Johnny Manahan, Jhong Del Rosario, Nico Antonio, Fonz Deza
PRODUCTION: Joji Alonso / MLR Films
MUSIC: Jerrold Tarog
DIRECTOR: Jeffrey Jeturian

One word immediately entered my mind when I saw this film: PANDEMONIUM. The clutter of shanties, the tight winding passageways that are littered with children, jobless men, and people who go about their lives as if it was meant to be lived the way it was depicted in the film – without direction, routinary, and full of fear and uncertainty.

The film revolves around the life of Amelita “Amy” Montemayor (Gina Pareño), a jueteng bet collector (“kubrador”). She leads a regular life but one full of risks. For someone in her position, this is exactly what “a regular life” means. Her day begins with a prayer to the saints and the Holy Virgin (“Sana hindi po ako mahuli ngayon.”), and after some shouting matches with members of her family, she goes out and does the routine of collecting bets and delivering them to the main collector, who brings these to a place where the winning numbers are chosen. Everything seems to be a study in contrast – some people are winners (a Wowowee segment show can be heard in the background), some are losers (the opening scene has another bet collector wearing an FPJ shirt that says, “Tuloy ang Laban!”).

The film opens and closes during All Saints Day – a mere three days in the life of Amy but full of luck (or misfortune, whichever comes first), accidental deaths, frustrations, dreams dashed to the ground, angst bursting at the seams. I am not surprised if people were either silently shedding tears or constantly shaking their heads in the comforting darkness of the theater. This is a film you wish to torture erring politicians with by making them watch it hours on end.

Kubrador is a well-thought piece of work although it tends to meander, rendering it too long and reducing its chances at getting an ending that is both effective and memorable. Most of its parts, however, are opportunities for self reflection because they are perplexing as they are tragic. As a society – and largely a Catholic one at that - it is a great wonder why we have allowed so many of our own people to be pushed against the wall and make them resort to risky means of getting a living. It would be interesting to find out the answers when we consider our own contributions as an individual – if there’s any, to begin with.

It’s not all sadness, by the way. In fact, Kubrador has it light moments. Despite the abject poverty, the family - and the sense of family – is still very much present. The funny moments are when Amy finds a numerical equivalent to every event or situation she finds herself into. Also, short appearances by some of the Philippines’ best theater actors – Soliman Cruz and Neil Ryan Sese (both appeared in “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros”) make for interesting viewing, and was that Gabby Eigenmann who was accidentally (and fatally) shot during a street altercation at the North Manila Cemetery? Gina Pareño, of course, is exceptional. She remains to be one of our underrated and oft ignored best actresses.

I read somewhere that Kubrador was the first film to be given an A rating by the Cinema Evaluation Board this year. How this will help the film at the tills is still questionable as most films given an A rating last year were commercial flops. The purist may assail me for wanting these films to do well commercially, but my intention is pure and simple: a commercial success means better chances of getting the film’s message across. And Kubrador’s message is important because it involves a life – or lives – that call for, and need help.

If anything, I got out of the movie house feeling a lot heavier – on the shoulders, I mean. While walking out of the quiet mall, the thought of Picasso’s Guernica briefly entered my mind. This work features the impact of war on people. Mixed emotions, mostly of fear and anxiety, is written all over the subjects’ faces, but no one notices that on the bottom portion of the painting, a symbol of hope – a small flower – tries its best to emerge from the ensuing confusion and disorder.

I wish and pray for the same for Amy and the rest of us who fight our own little wars everyday. And that’s something I’d definitely put my bet on.

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DYG, current Writers Guild President, used to be a film reviewer for Yehey!

For more reviews, read here. See the official KUBRADOR blog and website here.

DA VINCI CODE (2006)

REEL REVIEW
by
DYG


I came, I saw, and I wasn’t conquered.

I will give it to you straight. The film version of the Da Vinci Code was a disaster, burdened by a brewing controversy of its own making (which, thankfully, helped it at the tills), and a ho-hum performance by its lead characters.



Directed by Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, M*A*S*H) and screenplay by Akiva Goldsman (producer of Poseidon, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Constantine), the film successfully wasted the amazing sceneries of Paris and London by its irritating in-your-face photography. With the rare distinction of actually filming in all the locations found in the novel save for anything within the Holy See’s jurisdiction, there weren’t enough long shots of the Louvre and of the normally-breathtaking English countryside to provide a sense of grandeur, and the shots in the churches were given to trivial details instead of taking in their vastness, majesty – and emptiness - to capture the mystery that is most essential in this film’s success. After all, this is the very same thing that made the novel a winner. It has set fire to its readers’ imaginations, that to see the film version would be the next best thing to seeing the places mentioned in it.

But lo and behold, Ron Howard failed miserably in capturing the essence of the book. He focused too much on the controversial parts of the book (for obvious reasons) that he forgot that the novel was, first and foremost, a cultural trip across Old Europe’s most secret and mysterious locations. The controversial twists were merely that – twists.

The film also tried to end itself on an emotional and triumphant note, with a realization by Robert Langdon that Mary Magdalene was actually buried beneath I.M. Pei’s (in)famous glass pyramids at the Louvre. For those who’ve read the book, this is a new and totally different ending, but it only appears like an afterthought if only to close all the issues it raised during the length of the film.



Needless to say (but I’m still saying it), Tom Hanks is wrong for the character of Langdon. He doesn’t have gravitas to live up to Langdon’s reputation. Audrey Tautou is a pretty and swell actress as exemplified by the global success of Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain , but she appears staid and restrained in the Da Vinci Code. It must be because she has to speak in English, although this hasn’t been much of a problem with French actresses Sophie Marceau and Julie Delpy. Maybe she’d get used to it soon enough to be able to accept more English-speaking roles. (Note: a little-known film, Dirty Pretty Things, where she plays an illegal immigrant working as a chamber maid, is a must-see for fans and cineastes)

French films are to blame for this because they are rarely shown outside Europe – and available DVDs are almost always without English subtitles. Tautou’s last film, A Very Long Engagement, obviously was shown in Manila to cash in on people’s happy memories of her in Amelie, but I digress.

Sir Ian McKellen, playing the role of ‘The Teacher’, is the only winner in this film. Being English helps, I guess. French actor Jean Reno has done far better roles than this one. Léon comes to mind easily. Paul Bettany (Dogville, Wimbledon, A Beautiful Mind) as Silas is threatening enough but he could have given the role a little more oomph to incite fear, but I guess this wasn’t meant to be. He only went by the book, so to speak. Alfred Molina (Frida, Chocolat) as Bishop Aringarosa was forgettable.



Overall, the Da Vinci Code was a boring thriller sans the thrill. It wasn’t worth all the hullabaloo and I found myself in a semi-catatonic state all throughout. Well, just go on and see it; then, move on with your life.

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