Gravity ~ Film Review

by: Uel Ceballos

I love the Gravity film because it granted me the experience of the outer space. I’ve long fancied to be an astronaut and this film had somehow brought my fantasy into its closest reality. Gravity’s execution was breathtaking. It will take you to the world you hardly ever knew (unless you’re a major in Science, you’re an astronaut yourself or something that is related on it) – in the outer space where the greatness of our Creator is truly magnified. From the start to finish, you will never stop wondering on the outer space’s awesomeness despite its unfriendly nature on human. The VFX team had surely exerted lots of efforts and creative juices to make the setting appeared with seemingly undisputed authenticity.

The grandeur views on Gravity is the movie's main selling point as the fantastic depictions of the space stirs the curiosity of people with respect to what lies there beyond the celestial elements. The film was given the title “Gravity”, and 99.9% of the scenes happened in abyss wherein the gravity does not exist. You would see here how the astronauts move in the void as if they are swimming in the underwater. The space is enthralling and terrifying at the very same time. Like the vast desert or the deep ocean, the space’s mysteriousness is inviting yet the potential dangers that it can impose upon you is far superior and innumerable. Everything that you see in the film is seemingly genuine however, if you keep thinking about its digital creation and manipulation, you wouldn’t be able to benefit from the marvelous spectacles that Gravity has in store for your sight. Gravity is a great beauty to behold but it also presents a different kind of thrill that will make you hold your breath up to the end of the film.

Gravity is a sci-fi thriller film that is focused on Dr. Ryan Stone on her first shuttle space mission. While in the mission with the veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski and the rest of the team, a Russian missile hits on non-operational satellite which causes the reaction of high-speed debris coming over to their location. Space debris had hit the Space Shuttle Explorer where Dr. Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski are and this is the start of the suspenseful series of events that will make you gasp for air. Not to exaggerate things but you will certainly share with Stone’s struggle here as she almost run out of oxygen while working on her way to survive the unforgiving outer space.

George Clooney’s character here has only a short time exposure but he has done it with the expected excellence. Though clad in heavy spacesuit with his face vaguely shown behind the helmet and only his voice justifying the character, he has still made the character likeable and charming in a remarkably Clooney-way. His charm still got its irresistible effect even on such a limited role. His role though short, is very significant to the entire movie as the story of Gravity wouldn’t be strong enough without that character of Kowalski in it.

Only that the entire film is focused on the space drama, putting only to second importance the life’s story of the two main characters. There is the effort though to establish it through the conversation of Stone and Kowalski, but it was very less that their emotional and psychological status wasn't fully developed. The psyche of the characters was not completely established through the story thus I couldn’t tell to what level of appropriateness had the characters justified their decisions and actions. Devoid maybe of the emotional elements with respect to the characters’ inner feeling but Gravity has indeed delivered an incomparable suspense space drama spectacle.

For this wondrous thrilling movie that made me hold my breath and gasped for air, I will rate it with 7 shots of Espresso! 

Life of Pi ~ Movie Review

by: Uel Ceballos 

No film has ever awed me like the “Life of Pi” did. This is certainly one of the most beautiful and enthralling films I’ve ever seen in my years of being a film enthusiast. Director Ang Lee never fails to deliver film with a poetic beauty on such finest and most enthralling spectacles.

The film is based from a novel of the same title written by Yann Martel, focusing to Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel whose faith is challenged by adversity and catastrophic event that have nearly thrown him into lethargic solitary if Richard Parker hadn’t made it to the lifeboat when the Japanese freighter Tsimsum met its doom. Only that Richard Parker is the last companion that you would ever pray to have whether in an island or in a lifeboat that measured only for 30 headcounts of survivors. This is all for the reason that Richard Parker is not like anyone of us, he’s a fierce and strong 450-pound Bengal tiger who consumed ten pounds of meat a day. Imagine being with him for 227 days in the midst of Pacific just like Pi had experienced when the shipwreck happened.

The book itself is already an astounding masterpiece that it interested producers to adopt Life of Pi for a motion picture. One would be curious to think on where side of the Earth did Yann Martel inspired this story just like where hole did Tolkien dug the Hobbit and where island did Suzanne Collins find the Panem for her Hunger Games. The book was written in a manner that will set you grasping the elements of religion and spirituality for the sake of getting educated by it if not submitting to it. It’s a beautiful story that in one way or another you would hope it were all true not because you’d revel for such tragedy but because the whole event, unforgiving and calamitous on its being, carries with it a message that no one would acquire with totality otherwise experienced first-hand.

Meticulously weaving the fiction elements and sequences is one thing, rendering it into film is another story. No wonder that the project had gone through series of events before the concept was concluded and the people to work behind it were finalized. The film was made to be a 3D live action computer-animated adventure that thanks to the deity of visual effects, Life of Pi mesmerized us with its aesthetic cinematography. It would never come into your mind that Richard Parker wasn’t a real tiger at all and the place they were set into wasn’t the vast and enigmatic Pacific Ocean as you thought it was. Even the earlier parts of the movie which told Pi’s life back in Pondicherry granted us with genial sights of India in its peaceful and vibrant uniqueness of culture and tradition. Watching Life of Pi will fill your eyes with the loveliness yet ferocious temper of nature. You’ll get reminded that ocean, island, wild flora and fauna alike all share magnificent beauties along with savage attributes of which once provoked will get you near zero percent of chance to survive.

Though we viewers haven’t witnessed how everything was made in this another 3D phenomenon success after the movie Avatar, it’s needless to justify now that all was created out of scrupulous effort and years of expertise in 3D visual effect and artistic film treatment. Magic was figuratively done when the leading visual effect company Rhythm and Hues had turned the giant wave tank into Pacific Ocean and created the character of Richard Parker the tiger. One of my favourite sights in the movie is that shot of Pi standing on the boat with the water on still and reflecting the magnificent sky with hues of enticing blue and sun-orange.  The scene is too powerful that dialogues are unnecessary because that few seconds of the silent view can already speak for itself – such profound, deeply moving beauty is both communicative and prevailing, the kind of artistic approach that Ang Lee is well adept at.

Not only that Life of Pi was able to intrigue us with its promising technological prowess but it did set us all curious of the leading cast Suraj Sharma who is fresh and inexperienced in acting but did a knockout performance in his role of Pi. Ang Lee has given the film an interesting appeal when he chose international casts for the movie, cutting off from the potential list those who appeared to be inharmoniously recognizable among the others.

For those who haven’t watched this movie yet, go and find time to see. This will surely worth your time and will touch your soul.

I’ll cheer on it with 10 Espresso Shots and I hope to see more movies as splendid like this one!

TOP 10 PINOY FILMS OF 2013 THAT I HAVE SEEN ~ by: Benj Ramos

Bale hindi talaga ako pro sa pagsulat ng film review kase ang alam ko lang ay manood at kumaen ng nachos sa loob ng sinehan at saka magtiis ng ihi hanggat di natatapos. Pero since 50 pinoy films ang napanood ko nung 2013, hayaan nyo kong magbigay ng opinyon ko about my Top 10 Best Pinoy Films That I Have Seen. Masusi kong ni-rank ito sa tulong ng SGV & Co, Punong Bayan at Pamet.

10. BLUE BUSTAMANTE by Miko Livelo

photo courtesy of http://4.bp.blogspot.com

Wag nyo ko kasuhan ng livelo, number 10 talaga to. Salamat sa mala- bioman na ideya ni Miko.

It's about George Bustamante (Joem Bascon) who struggles to find a job in Japan. Gusto sana niya engineer pero di siya pinapalad. Thanks to his partner-in-crime portrayed by Jun Sabayton he lands into a job he never imagined doing -- a TV actor.

He keeps this job a secret to his family fearing that it might disappoint his wife Juniper (Dimples Romana) and his son Kiko.

Challenge sa masculinity ni George ang umarte sa isang kiddie show. Pero wapakels nakamaskara naman siya hindi siya marerecognize. This film is more than a sentai film (setai ha hindi hentai, magkaiba yun), it's a movie for OFW in a lighter approach. Nostalgic ang aura especially sa audience na naabutan ang ganitong klaseng palabas. Papasilipin ka sa off screen production.

9. TUHOG by Veronica Velasco

photo courtesy of wikipedia

Perstaym ko marinig ang title kala ko bastos ang plot. Medyo sexually suggesting kase eh, Tuhog. Ano pa ba pwedeng pelikula pag ganyan ang pamagat? Uhog pwede pa.

It's a movie of 3 stories tuhog into one. Tonio (Leo Martinez) fears aging. He feels least important as he grows old. Fiesta (Eugene Domingo), a grumpy bus condutor who dwells in fear and hatred has found a new hope when she meets Nato (Jake Cuenca) and proves her that there's more to life. Caloy (Enchong Dee) and his LDR partner Angel (Empress) are virgins who are excited to meet and to have sex for the first time.

Tonio's story is my favorite. Hindi porket matanda na e hindi na pwede tuparin ang mga pangarap. Yung kay Fiesta naman medyo mahaba ang exposure ng story nya. Yung kay Caloy parang it lives up to the title, 'Tuhog'. Medyo SPG.

The characters aren't related unlike sa Jologs. Tinuhog lang talaga sila. The film depicts the 3 stages of life: Coming of age, being in love and getting old.

8. ALAGWA by Ian Loreños

photo courtesy of http://jerichorosales.tv

Robert (Jericho Rosales) is a single dad who works pasideline-sideline in the Chinese community. He lives with his son, Brian (Bugoy Cariño). It's a natural father-son relationship though minsan napagbubuntungan ni Robert ang anak sa mga pagsubok na pinagdadaanan niya. Until one day, his son gets kidnapped and as the desperate father searches unveils the hidden modus of selling kids in Hong Kong to make them beggars.

I haven't seen Loreños' The Leaving so this is the first film he introduced himself to me. And yeah, i want more.

This film about child trafficking gives Jericho a stellar performance. It somehow reminds of Slumdog Millionaire, that child selling thing. And please, don't blink at the ending. Napamura ako.

7. TRANSIT by Hannah Espia

photo courtesy of http://3.bp.blogspot.com

A Filipino family in Tel Aviv with expired visa is in hiding after the Israel Government passed a new law deporting kids of migrants. Janet (Irma Adlawan) and his brother Moises (Ping Medina) hide their children from the police authority.

What sets it apart from that tuhog-tuhog interconnected storylines is that Transit gives you the perspective of each character. Hindi ka mauumay sa paulit-ulit na eksena because it gives the audience something new which is not shown in the previous scene.

Kudos to the characters because they speak Hebrew like a pro. And that scene where Joshua (Marc Justine Alvarez) recites the Torah is pretty impressive. Indeed, deserving to represent our country in the Oscars for Best Foreign Language film. Kaya lang it didnt get the nomination.

6. SATURDAY NIGHT CHILLS by Ian Loreños

photo courtesy of http://1.bp.blogspot.com

Tatlong magkakaibigan na sa sobrang kaadikan sa gimik at sugal at napasok sa isang illegal sports betting collection. Blinded with their big earnings, they don't see the consequences await them.

Superb acting from the 3 mainstream actors, Rayver Cruz, Joseph Marco and Mateo Guidicelli especially to Mateo.

I was not aware na may nageexist na ganitong illegal activity until this film. So pati UAAP at kung anu ano pang labanan na pwedeng pagpustahan ay nahahanapan ng pagkakakitaan. Sa mga nasisilaw sa easy money, watch this.

Ian Loreños is also the director of Alagwa which is also part of this list. I had a chance to ask him if he's more into a crime-thriller director but he said he's open for different genres. Sir suggestion ko, stick to what you do best

5. DANCE OF THE STEEL BARS by Cesar Apolinario

photo courtesy of http://filipinojournal.com

This is a film inspired from the dancing inmates of Cebu. Frank (Patrick Bergin) is a philanthropist accused of murder. Mando (Dingdong Dantes) who has a passion for dancing is a convicted murderer. Allona (Joey Paras) is a transexual who helps Mando in fulfilling his dream.

Two "steel" movies premiered in the same date. Alam kong dadagsain si pareng Superman kaya inuna ko yung kay Dingdong. At tama nga, wala pa kameng bente sa loob ng sinehan. Walang regret.

Dingdong is a versatile actor. I've seen his other film, Tiktik and that one with Bea Alonzo. And he can dance pala ha. Found out that he was a former member of a dance group.

This semi fiction semi documentary-ish film will tell you that not all prisoners are guilty; and not all guilty and convicted are natural evil.

4. EKSTRA by Jeffrey Jeturian

photo courtesy of http://philtimes.com.au

Loida (Vilma Santos) works as a telenovela extra to support her daughter from studies. All she wanted is to be the best extra she can be. She believes in giving your 100% in everything that you do, whether for a small or big role. But how will she handle the pressure of being the primera extra given that chance to have scenes with the biggest stars?

The film gives you the off screen production of teleserye. This time, bidas are not bida. Extras are. Vilma takes home the Best Actress in an Extra Role if there is such thing. That audition scene? EPIC.

3. BABAGWA by Jason Paul Laxamana

photo courtesy of http://www.starmometer.com

May gwapong lalaki sa facebook. Biglang icha-chat ka. Kukunin number mo. Kikilitian ka sa kanyang bedroom voice. Tapos hihingian ka ng pera. That's the modus of Greg (Alex Medina) with the help of the mastermind, Marney (Joey Paras). Pero paano kung mainlove siya sa bibiktimahin nya sanang si Daisy (Alma Concepcion)? Ipaglalaban ba ni Greg ang sinisigaw ng puso o ang sinisigaw ng kanyang sikmura?

Bakit ito nasa number 3? Kase ito ang the best Cinemalaya entry na napanood ko this year. It is as if you are watching a real thing caught on tape. Very timely lalo't nauuso ang mga posers at manggagancho sa social media. Morever, it allows you to use your senses. Lilituhin ka sa iyong nakikita, naririnig, nararamdaman at naiimagine.

2. ANO ANG KULAY NG MGA NAKALIMUTANG PANGARAP? by Jose Javier Reyes

photo courtesy of
http://misstache.files.wordpress.com

Siblings decide to sell and divide their properties now that both of their parents died. But the hardest decision is what to do with their aged nanny, Yaya Teresa (Rustica Carpio) who has served in their family for 60 years.

Jose Javier Reyes should stop his chismoso career on TV and start writing and directing films like this. Sa kabilang banda, Rustica Carpio once again has showcased her believable acting skill.

Makinig ka sa usapan ng magkakapatid. Yung feeling na isa ka sa kanila at hinuhusgahan mo kung sino ang tama at may katwiran. Sino ka sa kanila? Bawat karater ay may point.

With this all star casts and outstanding screenplay and cinematography, it easily paves its way to the top of my favorite Sineng Pambansa entry for this year.

1. ON THE JOB by Erik Matti

photo courtesy of http://1.bp.blogspot.com

This is a crime thriller film about two inmates na nakakalabas pasok sa selda at kumikita para pumatay whoever they are ordered to kill. Tatang (Joel Torre) is a pro in doing so. Eventually he'll pass it on to his curious and determined apprentice, Daniel (Gerald Anderson). However, Francis (Piolo Pascual) makes sure it's not going to be easy for them

This is the best Pinoy action film i've seen, bar none. Hence, also the number one for my year end list. Malungkot, masaklap, madilim at masalimuot. It gave me a heart attack in every scene. Cinematography is outsanding. Clear ang mensahe. And, JOEY MARQUEZ.

Story of Love, Friendship, and Crime ~ "The Guardian" Book Review

by: Uel Ceballos

No one can ever question the unparalleled knack of Nicholas Sparks in pulling the heartstrings of his readers. Sparks is known for his inspiring romance novels wherein several of them have already been turned into a movie such as “A Walk To Remember”, “Message In A Bottle”, and “Dear John”. There’s really something in this guy’s words and way of telling stories that set the readers in various hues of emotions. His books always succeed in hitting the effects that the story would want to trigger from the readers – to bring out the hopeless romantic side in them. Sparks is such a virtuoso on such thing; he never fails to nail it. 

On this book, “The Guardian”, Nicholas Sparks has given us something new of which he hasn’t done in his other previous books. He has added another element here, the element of thrill and suspense and the result was as awesome as he did to his other novels. 

“The Guardian” focused on Julie Barenson who is living in simplicity in Swansboro, North Carolina. Her husband died and left her a Great Dane puppy named Singer. Julie mourned for her husband’s death and took her almost four years before she finally decided to get back into dating. Many guys are pursuing Julie but only two of them have really captured her eyes and maybe this time, her heart. One is Richard Franklin, a gorgeous, refined engineer, a real romantic and definitely every woman’s fantasy.  The other guy is Mike Harris, easy and uncomplicated guy, an industrious mechanic, and the best friend of Julie’s late husband.  You may think of it as another typical love triangle wherein the main rule is “may the best man wins.” Well, you couldn’t really help thinking that way because it really is. But as I said this novel has presented us a different kind of story of which the author has never risked doing before. Sparks has put together the elements of romance, suspense and friendship and the story was perfectly distributed in parts that accordingly justify each element.

The unique thing about this romance-suspense novel is that the story of love wasn’t set to be inferior to the tale of suspense. Actually if not for the gist at the back cover and the foreshadowing comments and appraisals in the first leaf of the book, you wouldn’t anticipate the psycho-thrilling constituent of the story while reading on the first few pages. Sparks had already build up the relationships and the psyche of the characters before he had gone to the main dangerous twist that laid on the story, thus the occurrence of peril was duly justified. 

Nicholas Sparks used a dog character and that added to the beautifully balanced story. Singer represents the element of tenderness and friendship that will surely melt your heart. If you have loved Marley in the autobiographical book “Marley and Me” and have admired Buck’s bravery in classic novel, “Call Of The Wild” then you will surely love Singer as well for his unique, light and easy but remarkable character here in “The Guardian.”

I was personally amused when the author mentioned here one of my favourite Broadway musicals, “The Phantom of The Opera” and how it was used for a metaphorical forewarning of what will about to happen next. I can already picture the scenes in a movie while I'm reading through the pages. The pursuit of the antagonist here has also make up for a good detective fiction that somehow reminds of John Grisham’s kind of novels.  

For this book that marked Nicholas Sparks’ attempt to reel away from his usual way of writings, I’ll cheer on it with 8 Cups of Latte! 

10 of the Must-See Biographical Films

by: Uel Ceballos
 
Biographical films are really something that worth your time of watching. These sorts of movies tell the significant stories of persons, places, and events that carry weighty themes and priceless lessons that could only be found from true-to-life accounts. Oftentimes, these movies affect us more than any other films can do because we are pretty much aware that the story being presented did happen somewhere in the past. We feel connected to the story and to the subjects in one way or another, and oftentimes we get attached to it either objectively or subjectively speaking. Biographical films narrated the stories of the persons that possibly happened as well to the other people in other part of the globe, or could possibly happen in our own case somewhere in the future.

Below I got the list of my favorite biographical films that really got me off guarded to the verge of emotions. Check them now and hope you can see the full movie as well!

1. Schindler’s List – A heartbreaking demonstration of the Jews’ sufferings in times of the World War II, you would certainly cry your heart out here while seeing how the two-thirds of nine million Jews were being killed by creatures of their own species – Nazis who are biologically human but got a monster souls in them. The film was based in the life of Oskar Schindlers, a German businessman who unlikely managed to save thousands of Jews by employing them to his factory. This film had shown us the “good German” through the like of Oskar Schindler and the “evil ones” through the like of those people who have mercilessly perform the killings.

2. Jose Rizal – Jose Rizal movie tells the life story of Philippines’ National Hero Dr. Jose  Rizal who lived during the Spanish occupation in the country. The film had beautifully shown the important stages in Rizal’s life from his childhood up to his captured and detention until to his final execution, which was done through firing squad. Jose Rizal had done a great role in opening the eyes of Filipinos through his influential writings of which the two most popular are the books Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. His love for his country was in such incomparable fervor that it eventually urged the Filipinos to campaign a revolt against the Spanish administration.

3. The Pianist -- This is another great movie that tells the life back then in the years of World War II. It is based on the life story of Polish-Jewish pianist and composer Władysław Szpilman, who like other Jews had gone also to the ghetto and to the mercy of the Nazi German. This film, heartbreaking as any stories that have got something to do with the dark times in World’s History, showed how Szpilman’s attachment to music and dedication to his craft had played significant role for his hope and survival. 

4. The Elephant Man – Truly moving, The Elephant Man proved that there were unfortunate people in this world who were maybe ill-fated in many senses but still loved and cared for by the Lord. This film tells the story of John Merrick, a severely deformed man who was exhibited in carnival and given the name “The Elephant Man”. He met here a surgeon from London Hospital Frederick Treves who had helped improved his condition and found him a place that he could consider as home. Many people were feeling sorry, but much many were those who were frightened and saw Merrick as a monster. The saddest part is that despite the poor man’s devastating form, there were still numbers of heartless people who’d like to make profit out his condition but then angels never stop from coming into Merrick’s account and that quite showed that God has never ever gone missing in action in Merrick's life.

5. Gandhi – Starred by one of the greatest actors in Hollywood, Ben Kingsley had given us here a knockout acting performance as he played the role of Mohandhas Gandhi, the person who led the non-violent independence movement from the United Kingdom’s ruling. We knew Gandhi for all his remarkable words of wisdom and unbiased outlook on almost everything, including religion. Learn more of this person who had lived his life in the simplest way that you could ever imagine, and yet had influence greater sum of people. 

6. La Vie En Rose – Marion Cotillard had not only depicted the life of Edith Piaf here but she had enlivened the French singer’s soul to another body – into her own body. This is among the astounding biopic films that had shown the combination of both great performers from different time and of different genres of performing arts that this film earned Cotillard the Academy Awards for Best Actress. La Vie En Rose tells the extraordinary story of the celebrated French singer Edith Piaf who had lived between 1915 -1963 and had left us her wondrous music to listen into and life story to be our source of inspiration and life’s important lessons. (Click here to see review of the movie)

7. Lawrence of Arabia – This 3-hour running film is worth all your time as it will not only tell you a significant part of the world’s history during the World War but it will tour you to the vast and dangerous sea of sands in the Arabian deserts. Lawrence of Arabia is a biographical film that is based to the life’s story of T.E Lawrence, a British Army officer who had united the Arab tribes for one big Arab revolt independence campaign from the Ottoman Turks Empire. I was particularly awed by the vast depiction of the desert here that Lawrence had come to love despite of all the dangers the place had imposed to him and to others. But much more, I was emotionally moved by the demonstrated cause-and-effect of war to both ends of the warring parties – blood, death, and loss.  

8. Hilary and Jackie – This is one of the most troubling films I’ve seen but indeed one of the most sophisticated and classy movies ever produced. It tells the story of two sisters Hilary and Jackie who were born with great talent for music -- a flutist (Hilary) and a cellist (Jackie) – they were both seen with potential to follow international stardom but only Jackie had pursued it to that level. Hilary and Jackie had moved me with the touching stories and disturbing issues of the family Du Pre’s virtuosi. (Click here to see review of the movie)

9. The King’s Speech – Another great story that is quite moving and inspiring, The King’s Speech tells the story of King George VI of the United Kingdom on how he overcame his stuttering problem through the help of Lionel Logue, an Australian therapist whose qualifications for the job was confronted at some point in time. The film not only demonstrated the improvement on King George VI’s speaking problems, but it had also imparted significant moral lessons and inspirations.

10. El Presidente – A film that tells the years of Emilio Aguinaldo, one significant person in Philippine History whose life was not greatly highlighted as that of other country’s heroes but often bombarded with issues and speculations about the part he played in the history. El Presidente had shown the role played by Emilio Aguinaldo for leading the Katipunan movement in Cavite which eventually contributed greatly to the Philippine’s independence from the Spanish Empire. The film had also shown Aguinaldo’s side of story in regard to Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio’s controversial execution which was still debated today by the Philippine historians.