Holy Week is DVD Marathon Week

For most people, holy week stands for two Bs – beach and Bisita Iglesia. But I’m not most people. Why would I bother going elsewhere when Manila is the place to be? There’s no traffic, no crowds, and no establishments open. The densely populated city becomes a ghost town that you can actually take your driving lessons on EDSA. So instead of going on vacation, I went on staycation instead.

Staying in Manila can only result to two things – relaxation or boredom. But the latter will only happen if you don’t find anything entertaining to do. The key is in finding the perfect distraction. For me, it comes in three immaculate letters: D-V-D.

Here are the movies I saw during the holy week.


Tuhog

Directed by: Jeffrey Jeturian

Rating: 3/5

See how the true story of an incest rape victim is turned into a larger-than-life skin flick.


New York, I Love You

Directed by: Fatih Akin, Yvan Attal, Allen Hughes, Shunji Iwai, Wen Jiang, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Brett Ratner, Randall Balsmeyer, Shekhar Kapur, and Natalie Portman

Rating: 2/5

In the tradition of Paris, je t’aime, esteemed filmmakers present this anthology of love stories set in the city that never sleeps.


The Lives of Others

Directed by: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Rating: 3.5/5

A thriller set before the fall of the Berlin Wall where a Stasi captain becomes tangled with the lives of a writer and his lover who are under his surveillance.


It’s All Gone Pete Tong

Directed by: Michael Dowse

Rating: 2/5

A mockumentary about a legendary DJ who loses his hearing but not his faith. Will the real Frankie Wilde please stand up?


The Squid and the Whale

Directed by: Noah Baumbach

Rating: 4/5

The semi-autobiographical account of the director’s experiences during his parent’s divorce. Typical much? Baumbach presents his not-so-typical experiences with unflinching observation and sardonic wit.


Children of Men

Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron

Rating: 2/5

Two years of infertility led societies to collapse and terrorism to flourish. Will the world be ready for God’s solution?


The Road

Directed by: John Hillcoat

Rating: 1/5

The post-apocalyptic tale of a man and his son struggling to survive. A film as lifeless as the version of earth it portrays.


The Lovely Bones

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Rating: 2/5

A candy-colored fantasy about a girl trapped in that place between heaven and earth.


And last but not the least, I saw Babe, I Love You. Is there anything else I haven’t written about these Star Cinema love stories? Most likely, I’ll find myself typing the same adjectives I used for Paano Na Kaya and Miss You Like Crazy – generic, formulaic, run-of-the-mill, etc. And I can’t help it because they are all the same, which is why I’m struggling to write a meaningful review for Babe, I Love You. I need divine intervention! Let Anne Curtis’ pink nipples create miracles!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

You preferred The Lovely Bones over The Road??!! Peter Jackson didn't get the point of the book. Ack.

If I'll rate those films, it would look like this:

Tuhog - 4/5
New York, I Love You - 1.5/5
The Lives of Others - 5/5
The Squid and the Whale - 4.5/5
Children of Men - 4.5/5
The Road - 3.5/5
The Lovely Bones - 1/5

I haven't seen Pete Tong kasi nung binili ko yung DVD, may humiram kagad. Sana maisoli na. Haha

Wilfred said...

LOL, The Road got a 1. Love that film.

Fidel Antonio Medel said...

The Lovely Bones was ho-hum, but I admire the visuals. But you're right, Peter Jackson missed the point. I hate the fact that he couldn't decide which genre he wants to pursue - a serial killer thriller, meditative drama, or philosophical fantasy.

The version of The Road I saw was boring. There's practically nothing happening. They just walk and walk and walk, remember the past, and walk again. I want to see the babies being eaten by their parents, the cannibals chasing their 'food', and other sick stuff. But nada!

The Squid and the Whale is really special. I would have given it a 4.5 (like your rating) if the ending wasn't too abrupt.

And I'll return your DVD of Pete Tong. But take my word, you're not gonna like it.

Anonymous said...

Lalala. I'm starting to believe LOTR was chamba. Haha. Well, I didn't really like it THAT much to begin with.

I'll try to look for the full version. Whatever version you watch, mabagal talaga sya. Haha. Not for you.

I was never really interested with Pete Tong before mo ibida yung kaadikan nun. Haha. So I don't think papanuorin ko din sya in the near future.

Have you been using the download manager I told you about?

Fidel Antonio Medel said...

@Wilfred Good for you. I wish I could have liked it more. I went over your blog. I like the post about your top 7 favorite movie musicals. I love Moulin Rouge, one of the best films of all time. No love for Chicago? Please link me to your blog. Thanks.

@Sani Can't say anything about Peter Jackson's directing skills. I haven't seen any of the LOTR films. But I love the movie he produced last year. Hulaan mo kung ano? Haha.

Pete Tong is kinda like Party Monster with all the drugs, the ridiculousness, and the oversize rodent. Pretty interesting though. AT niresearch ko pa kung tototong tao si Frankie Wilde. Siya yung bida, hindi si Pete Tong. Hehe.

I'm using JDownloader for my downloads. I leave it open while I sleep. Saya-saya.

Theo Martin said...

Tuhog, for me, is one of the best, most innovative, thought-provoking Filipino films in recent past. You gave it a 3/5? Are you serious man?
Lives of Others, a 2/3? Seriously?!?

I love your other choices though, like Squid and the Whale and Children of Man.

But you really messed up with some of the choices, but that's just my opinion.

Fidel Antonio Medel said...

*looks at the post again*

I gave The Lives of Others a 3.5/5 and not a 2 or 3. =D

If it's 3 or above, then it's worth recommending. Mataas na yung 3. Am I too stingy? Haha. ;)

Wilfred said...

Hmm.. I thought you're already in my links. There, added.

Frankly, I also found the film lifeless, but I think that's the entire point. It made me feel depressed, as watching it felt like there is this sort of unexplainable emptiness surrounding me.

:)

Fidel Antonio Medel said...

Thanks. ; )

I saw The Road right after seeing Children of Men. Compared to the latter, The Road has a slower pace and has less action scenes, which kinda turned me off. I guess we can agree to disagree with this one.

Ryan Mach said...

I'll rate the ones I've seen:

The Lives of Others - 5/5
The Squid and the Whale - 4.5/5
Children of Men - 4.5/5

Pretty much the same with Sanriel's ratings.

Here are some films you may include in your next staycation:
-Goodbye, Lenin
-City of God
-The Dreamers
-Machuca
-Murmur of the Heart
-Sea Inside

But then again, you might have seen them already.

Fidel Antonio Medel said...

I haven't seen any of the films you mentioned. I already took note of them. I'll try to download them soon. Thanks for the oomments.

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