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INSIANG... Trapped and Abused
The slums of Tondo crush the titular heroine of Lino Brocka's Insiang (Cinemanila Corporation, 1976), a young woman trapped in an environment of destitution and abuse which she can only struggle...
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The Women of BEERHOUSE
In the first episode of Beerhouse (Regal Films, Inc., 1977), director Elwood Perez takes us inside a bustling tenement and lets us watch Carol (Vivian Velez) and Lilian (Trixia Gomez). What we see is...
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PAANO ANG AKING GABI? Nothing But Sex
Although it is not pure exploitation, Paano ang Aking Gabi? (Seiko Films, Inc., 1986) comes close to being about nothing but sex. In effect, the entertainment value of this film comes completely from...
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KASALANAN BANG SAMBAHIN KA? Deep but Superficial
Initially, the circumstances in Kasalanan Bang Sambahin Ka? (Viva Films, 1990) are innocent enough. Alex (Julio Diaz), a soon to be married executive goes on a date with Catherine (Vivian Velez), a...
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KARMA For the Incurable Romantic
Once Sara (Vilma Santos) and Eric (Ronaldo Valdez) meet, Karma (Sining Silangan, 1981) stumbles. Danny L. Zialcita and the cast never communicate what is so special about Sara and Eric’s love. On what...
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MINSAN, MINAHAL KITA... Vibrantly Good
For all the romances the movies have given us, there are precious few that show two people gradually falling in love. Contemporary romantic comedies generally engineer a movie-long feud that builds to...
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The Wild Beauty of APOCALYPSE CHILD
Two key elements lift Apocalypse Child (Skinny People Productions, Arkeofilms, 2015) beyond formula, at least for most of its running time. The particulars of the film's Baler setting, with its...
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The New Karate KID HUWAG KANG SUSUKO
Kid Huwag Kang Susuko (Regal Films, 1987) is an exciting, sweet-tempered, heart-warming story with one of the most interesting friendships in a long time. From the directing team of Peque Gallaga and...
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PARE KO Heartwarming... Mostly Truthful
Although Pare Ko (Star Cinema, 1994) contains several scenes that are a great deal more dramatic, my favorite moments were the quiet ones, in which nothing was being said and nothing seems to be...
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T-BIRD AT AKO... Lesbian Love
Much like Kapag Tumabang ang Asin (1976), T-Bird at Ako (Film Ventures, Inc., 1982) peaks to the creative and sometimes delusional nature of desire. Danny L. Zialcita plays their pettiness for some...
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The Fragility of Youth in UNFRIEND
Like the brief relationship it portrays, Unfriend’s gut-punch emotional impact depends on just how unexpected its final trajectory is. The pitch builds slowly but with geometric progression, climaxing...
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ANG LALAKI SA BUHAY NI SELYA... Interesting and Emotional
Ang Lalaki sa Buhay ni Selya (Star Pacific Cinema, 1997) is very much a chamber piece. It has a strong cast which is sadly lumbered with dialogue that relies too often on well-worn clichés. It’s a...
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SERBIS... House of Sin and Cinema
At its best, Brillante Mendoza's Serbis (Centerstage Productions, Swift Productions, 2008) is a vibrant slice of life that establishes the theater as a living organism nurturing a society of outcasts....
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MAGING AKIN KA LAMANG... The Recreation of a Passion
Maging Akin Ka Lamang (Viva Films, 1987) is the recreation of a passion, but the passion entertained by this particular woman in love, played with frightening self-possession by Lorna Tolentino, is...
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BAKIT LAHAT NG GWAPO MAY BOYFRIEND?! Hits All of its Targets
Particularly in its early scenes, Director Jun Lana's Bakit Lahat ng Gwapo may Boyfriend?! (VivaFilms, IdeaFirst Company, 2016) is extraordinarily funny. The film builds on theatrical direct-address...
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MADRASTA... The Voice of Reason
The art of a movie like Madrasta (Star Cinema Productions, Inc., 1996) is to conceal the obvious. When the levers and the pulleys of the plot are concealed by good writing and acting, we get great...
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BIRA! DARNA BIRA! A Triumph of Both the Sublime and Ridiculous
It's often the case that films we loved in our childhood don't hold up half as well when viewed again as an adult. Likewise it's very common to rediscover a film we hated in our teenage years only to...
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ALYAS BATMAN EN ROBIN... Camp and Over the Top
Tongue-in-cheek humor prevails in Alyas Batman en Robin (Regal Films, Inc., 1991), a witty homage to the Dynamic Duo’s exaggerated exploits. The Caped Crusaders emerge when criminal masterminds The...
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FANTASTIKA WITH WONDER WOMAN... Schlocky and Fun
Fantastika with Wonder Woman (Prima Productions/Petersen Film, 1976) follows Fantastika (Pinky Montilla) and Wonder Woman (Alma Moreno) as they attempt to defeat an evil sorcerer with immeasurable...
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The Sparks of an Emotional Connection in MINSAN PA NATING HAGKAN ANG NAKARAAN
Most romantic movies are so determined to chart the course of a love story, how boy meets girl leads to happily or unhappily ever after that they miss the intensity and import of beginnings. But...
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