Caregiver (2008)

Muling nagbabalik ang tinaguriang "Mega" star ng mga Pilipino pagkatapos ng mahigit limang taong reklusyon mula sa ingay ng industriya, sa pelikulang Caregiver ni Chito Roño (Eskapo, 1995). Walang kupas at natatanging pagganap ang isinabuhay ni Cuneta sa kanyang bagong pelikula, ngunit ang produksyon sa pangkalahatan ay nahahadlangan ng mangilan-ngilang pagkabisala. Bago iyon, nais kong bigyang pugay ang lahat ng ating mga kababayang naghahanap buhay sa ibayong bayan upang bigya ng magandang kinabukasan ang kanilang mga sarili at mga mahal sa buhay dito sa Pilipinas, ako man ay may kamag-anak sa abroad. Sa rami ng mga pelikulang isinadula ang pagsubok bilang OFW (Rory Quintos' Dubai, 2005; Olivia Lamasan's Milan, 2004) at ang muling pagsasama ng nawala'y na pamilya (Rory Quintos' Anak, 2000; Jose Javier Reyes' Katas ng Saudi, 2007), marahil natatangi ang Caregiver sapagkat isinadula ang hirap at pagsubok na hinaharap, kahit na isa siyang lehitimong manggagawa.

Production is bogged down by minor hiccups, in the script and casting. Hailed as Sharon Cuneta's comeback film after a five year hiatus (with Mark Meily's Crying Ladies, 2003, as her previous work) leaves so much more to be desired. The Philippine production sets the mood of this melodramatic piece, so much so that it left a high bar for the latter half to surpass. The preparation of Sarah (Cuneta), a grade school English teacher, as she leaves for London to work as a "carer" in a assisted living facility, shows us what every working Filipino sees. the discord of the nuclear family and to some, the helping hand of the immediate family. The colors are bright and airy, even the photography of each dramatic scene (the dimly lit wet market, the cold steel filled park) is carefully choreographed giving way to the inevitable parting. One scene in particular shows Cuneta striking a poignant moment with her lola (grandma) played with subtlety by veteran actress Anita Linda. Though at the beginning she forgets who Sarah is, at the last moment she asks her, "Di ba malamig dun?" (Isn't cold there?). Then she hands her red shawl to a stunned Sarah, holding back tears thinking that it might be their final encounter.

Then on to the main event, highlights of major tourist spots in the U.K. capital looks like it was taken straight from a postcard. The cold, blued atmosphere is a stark contrast to the former's vibrant life, foreboding Sarah's exploits in a foreign land. John Estrada's characterization as a loving husband gives way to his true self later on the film, yet i doubted Estrada's acting ability early on the film. He is unreal and unbelievable, that one wonders why did Sarah fall for this person in the first place. The story also had an identity crisis of some sort. It had too many subplots to tell that it tried to squeeze in as many as possible in a relatively short amount of time, even attempting to resolve these dilemmas as quick as they've married it into the pot. One feels hurried, that real life is simplified. Imagine life's problems neatly placed into a box and tied up in a pretty bow. Pressing issues such as alienation and racial discrimination are tackled but left hanging, though as if not to create a stir up. But that is precisely what should have been done, and not melo-dramatize each scene. Not to mention the swelling music that followed as if acting as a guide to which emotional scene is which.

Giving credit where credit is due, Cuneta delivers yet another fine performance, though far from her best. Roño returning to dramatic fair after a string of successful yet critic panned horror films straightens a curved path hopefully to greater acclaim, Eskapo will we see you again?

Casper (1995)

I've recently caught an afternoon screening of this movie on HBO, and it is still as cheeky clean as it has ever been 13 years ago. The villainous Carrigan (Cathy Moriarty) inherited a palatial yet dilapidated old mansion from his father, which can easily be a cross between Bruce Wayne's and the Addams Family, with its intricate Gothic facade and outlandish interiors. With her ever faithful sidekick Dibs (Eric Idle, more popularly known for his work in the Monty Python films) they seek the help of a Father and the ghostbusters to rid off the place from the "evil" spirits, and to ultimately get their hands on the vast treasure supposedly hidden within the Whipstaff Manor. As a last resort, they hire psychiatrist Dr. Harvey (Bill Pullman) together with his daughter Kat (Christina Ricci, Addams Family 's Wednesday) to investigate the paranormal, with his unorthodox method of speaking with spirits, they hope that this will make their step closer to the hidden wealth.

Accompanied by three mischievous ghosts, Casper the friendly one, goes a long way (literally) to befriend Kat. At the onslaught of computer generated imagery, the people from Speilberg's company brings to life a childhood memory. The story may be a trite bit predictable, but it surely makes up for its wondrous set pieces and atmospheric photography. Geared mainly as a kid's movie (also for teens, with its romantic plot) , adult companions can surely appreciate the nostalgic appeal of Casper, especially those who were born during its Harvey comics heyday. Despite the tired innuendos of the other ghosts, they mellow down a bit to give way to a more humanistic side by the end of the film, which is a welcome relief.

The film deals with heavy hitting themes on death and loss, yet it seems to dodge on the more profound questions. Perhaps an intentional decision of the filmmaker not to dwell too much on the philosophical side only to be lost by its intended audience, besides its Casper. First timers, may want to bring in a Kleenex because it will surely work out your tear ducts. It's a safe movie to say the least.

The Night of the Iguana (1964)

A disgraced Virginia clergyman, Reverend Lawrence Shannon (the chameleon-like Richard Burton) leaves for Mexico after a scandalous event ruined his reputation as a man of God. Hired as a tour guide to a group of loud mouth spinsters and a rather seductive under age blonde, Charlotte Goodall (Stanley Kubrick's Lolita, Sue Lyon), they are headed by the strong willed self appointed leader of the pack, Judith Fellowes (Grayson Hall). Shannon takes them to a trip along Mexico's coast, lined with shabby hotels and obscure dirt paths. Still on the road to recovery, Shannon yet again falls prey to the sins of the under age nymph and the accusing eyes of Fellowes. Determined to salvage himself from the pit of destruction, he takes charge and directs the tour bus to a secluded beach front inn. Away from the dusty hotels on their itinerary. Shannon meets up with his old friend Maxine Falk (Ava Gardner) owner of the inn. Unexpected guests in the form of a painter (Deborah Kerr) and grandfather poet (Cyril Delevanti). Little does Shannon know that they will help him piece his broken life together, along with the sad sordid lives of the other characters.

Based from Tennessee Williams' searing play on redemption, Burton portrays his character with a top notch caliber. Notice how the irrepressible Hall's Fellowes (with a tinge of authoritative mother figure bordering towards sexual tension, note: lesbianism) argues with Burton's Shannon as they fight for "Lolita's" attention. They all collide together with the flapper ladies in the tour bus in Gardner's hidden inn. Away from the confines of society's established normalcy, these characters find meaning to their existence and how to move on after a debilitating event. Burton even exclaims swimming to China to escape his worries. He finds solace with a bottle of liquor and the hot tropic weather, until he better acquaints himself with the grandpa and daughter artist tandem whose financial burden doesn't gets into the way of true happiness, he in turn finds closure to all the madness he has endured.

Director John Huston uses sharp black and white images to convey the tropic, psycho sexual atmosphere (even Gardner's cabana boys), tied together with indelible characterization by Williams brought to life by an impeccable cast.

Deliverance (1972)

Instead of the usual weekend on the golf range, four men embarks on a canoe trip down the Cahulawassee River in the mountainous region of Georgia, before it dries up to be converted into a huge lake for a dam. Director John Boorman (Hope and Glory, 1987) chronicles the trip as we witness first the "rape" of nature by man. Huge explosions echoes in the distance as the four men, goes deep into the majestic forest, unbeknown the danger that awaits them. It is similar to the old saying, "fish out of water." The four men, obvious city folk, feel superior to their surroundings even to their interaction with the locals, a sense of machismo and dominance as they offer money and bargain with the local hicks to drive their cars to their destination.

As the film opens its first fifteen minutes, we witness their obvious defeat both from their surroundings and the hillbillies (a truly memorable musical treat is up for the audience) a definite foreshadowing of events to come. Conflict arises between the men, nature and themselves. They have their own demons to conquer if the want to survive the ordeal. The violence in the film is real, and does not dwell on sensationalism. It is heart wrenching and at the same time, vile. The torture and rape scene of Ned Beatty, has been a pervading image in everyday life that we are forced to look directly, realizing the comparison between the "rape" of the land and the subsequent revenge of nature. An innocent bystander can get his slice of the pie.

Looking beyond the enduring scene, the film is as multi-layered as a film can get. It is a commentary on ignorance and man's destructive nature, that even the most benevolent is capable of the most horrific actions. The four leads, acted superbly by Beatty, Jon Voight (Midnight Cowboy, 1968) , Burt Reynolds (Boogie Nights, 1997) and Ronny Cox, is as diverse as a group of friends can get. They will never recover from what they've experienced, they may have come as men into the woods, but the scars they've suffered, will be carried for the rest of their lives with heightened paranoia. A true classic on the horror of man's inhumanity to man and nature.

Fargo (1996)

In anticipation of Joel and Ethan Coen's, No Country for Old Men (2007), i revisited their mid-nineties thriller, Fargo, and it truly is a homespun murder story, as its tag line promotes it to be. Set in the wintry states of North Dakota and Minnesota, it is a throwback to the noir thrillers of the forties and fifties, with its rather drab color palette of predominantly grays and whites. Based from an allegedly true story, what suppose to be a simple plan of kidnap for ransom, eventually turns deadly, when anxiety, suspicion, and disillusionment creeps into the picture. All ingredients of a perfect neo noir film.

Although, the story has been reincarnated in so many forms, what makes Fargo a cut above the rest, is the Coen Brothers witty repartee. From the authentic accents that gives it that black comic vibe, to its dynamic characters brought to life by an amazing cast. Headed by Frances McDormand (Mississippi Burning, 1988), who plays the pregnant cop, who happens to be an excellent profiler, Marge and William H. Macy (Magnolia, 1999), who is the financially downtrodden Jerry, who plans to have his wife (Kristin Rudrud, who has one mean regional accent) kidnapped. And everything falls apart, when the two mentally unstable kidnappers (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) makes one mistake after the other.

McDormand (who won a best actress Oscar, for her role), delivers her finest performance in this film. She's at her comic best, whenever she is with her husband. She just eats and eats and eats, like any pregnant woman would do, besides she's eating for two! One funny scene, sees her ordering her fast food to go, as she embarks on an ongoing investigation. McDormand, is a chameleon of a character adapting to her cold environment. Simply adorable and straight on fierce cop, with feminine sensibilities. Totally lovable character.

As a black comedy, it doesn't poke fun on the dead, but the inability of the kidnappers and mastermind to keep the lid shut, as the death toll piles. These mistakes, will lead to their downfall. It may not be outright funny, but one cant shake their heads in disbelief as we witness people do the unthinkable, as what McDormand said, "And for what? For a little bit of money. There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don't you know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well, I just don't understand it." The location also sends chill down the spine, best viewed on a dark cold overcast day. The vast white, looks pure and serene, yet void and empty, a perfect place to commit a crime. Get ready and don't forget to wear something warm.

Aliens (1986)

It is a rare feat that a sequel tops the success of its original, and Aliens (1986) fares well in all aspects. Seeing it in the early nineties in my 'jammies, scared as hell, i remember it as a thrill a minute ride that would not stop. And during the 80's we've been treated to some of cinema's wondrous sci-fi spectacle, Ridley Scott's bleak look on the City of Angels in Blade Runner (1982), Paul Verhoeven's for adults only hero RoboCop (1987) , Terry Gilliam's hallucinatory Brazil (1985) and James Cameron's The Terminator (1982) to name a few. We've all wondered how the new millennium would look like and how terrifyingly chilling George Orwell's literary prediction of the world to come in his 1984 and these films among others establishes a dystopia of a future.

I recently watched the film again re-released as director James Cameron re-edited some pivotal scenes about Ellen Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) humanity and a backgrounder on the now colonized planet LV-426 where Ripley and her doomed crew first encountered the alien, and its charm when i first viewed it has not waned a bit. In fact, the director's cut (clocking in at 154 minutes) flies by so quick you don't even know what hit you. The start may be a drag to some, but it establishes the characters, which most of them will be dead before the first half of the film is over. After which, get ready to be subjected to a thrill ride of planetary proportions.

Acting as an adviser to a rag tag team of marines, up to investigate the communications failure between the colonists of a discovered planet, Ripley will come face to face once again with her worst nightmare. With its film title as its moniker, we get a hint of what they will confront, and it certainly does not disappoint. No amount of fire power, as we have seen countless of times in creature features will ever save the day.

In one of the most embroiling scenes of the film comes across the maternal instincts of both main characters, between Ripley and the Queen Alien. As they face off one on one, battling for life and limb. One can't deny that Weaver would always be remembered as the woman who uttered "Get away from her, you bitch!" And she would forever be quoted. We may not have come close to a flying DeLorean (but mind you, we have earth conscious hybrid cars), but we have the memory of 80's movie magic of what we may dream of, nightmarish aliens and all.

Rescue Dawn (2006)

Christian Bale, is probably the most underrated actor of his generation. Even with his star making role in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins. No one seems to know more about him, other than his dark knight character. He has portrayed a handful of memorable characters, such as a German Nazi resisting youth (Swing Kids, 1993), a saw wielding yuppie (American Psycho, 2000), a frail insomniac (El Maquinista, 2004), a singing-dancing newsboy (Newsies, 1992), a privileged racist (Shaft, 2000) and the list goes on. Perhaps his distinction serves him well, since he's able to choose roles that really stand out, namely his Bob Dylan persona in I'm Not There (2007).

Under the direction of famed German director Werner Herzog (Aguirre: The Wrath of God, 1972), Rescue Dawn details the true story of survival of Deiter Dengler, a German-US fighter pilot whose plane was shot down by friendly fire. He is left to wander the vast jungles of Laos during the Vietnam War, later imprisoned in a POW camp. The film, commences with archival footage of air raids over the serene landscape of the countryside. The devastation of the rice fields and nipa huts are uncalled for compared to the destructive footage on Overlord (Stuart Cooper, 1975), which highlights battles between seen enemy. The declassified footages somewhat signified the lost grip of America over the Vietnam War.

Herzog sure knows how to work the scenic backdrop to its full potential, as showcased in Grizzly Man (2005) and Fitzcarraldo (1982), with right lighting and angles, the scenes will speak for itself, and in Rescue Dawn the Laos rainforest does look lush, wonderful and yet hallow. "The jungle IS the prison" exclaims Steve Zahn as he prevents Christian Bale from pursuing his escape. It does look magnificent but as we later learn from Bale's exploits it is no camping trip. It is great story on the resilience of the human spirit.

4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days (2007)

The film opens on a somewhat dark note, the year was 1987, Romania's under staunch Communist rule and the surroundings does not look fit to live in yet we see people go about their business. Selling black market items, American cigarettes, Tic Tac, branded toiletries among other high priced goods. We are not given a hint as to what to expect, as the characters move around from one place to another, arranging secret meetings, setting up appointments, paying for a room at a sordid hotel. The film's over all approach at a time of repressed emotions are conveyed with depth and subtlety. Perhaps due to budgetary constraints or the director's personal choice, though it does not paint a full picture of that time it certainly, gives us a hint of what a society can inflict to its citizens given the limited choices to a better life.

As Otilia (Anamaria Marinca), meets with Bebe (Vlad Ivanov), everything then falls into place as we witness their slow descent. Otilia, helps her friend, Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) arrange an illegal abortion. With sharp tongue, the abortionist details the operation to the misguided youth. Just by listening to him you can't help but swirm in your seat. We watch and listen, as they converse in the small damp hotel room about the length of operation, and the possible scenarios when things go wrong. After a heated argument, the ironically named Bebe proceeds with the operation, inserting a slender object into Gabita's vagina. Although, not as graphic as one would expect, it is still a hard watch.

It is more than a film on abortion, the characters are faced with life changing decisions that are shaped by their surroundings, the cold and imposing rule of Communism. Every decision means imprisonment even death to some. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days (4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile) is a wonder in minimalist film making proving less is indeed more, its Palm d'Or win at the Cannes is deserved.