The Leaving

Synopsis:

There is always a constant transcience in this world. This is the premise of “THE LEAVING (離別)”, sets in a neo-Chinatown in Manila where the “Tsinoys” (Filipino-Chinese) struggle with the diminishing of their morals and culture. We follow three intertwining stories (MARTIN, The LOVERS, WIFE) that leave elements on the other stories such that they are all connected.

“THE LEAVING: MARTIN”

MARTIN is living independently when he suddenly got laid off from his job, he’s  now caught up in a situation of uncertainty. MARTIN later decides to leave the country and work abroad.  He tries to visit the places as he collects memories of his past to find answers.   But the sudden strange encounters during the CHINESE HUNGRY GHOST FESTIVAL(中元節) gives him something more than what he’s asking for.

“THE LEAVING: LOVERS”

A TSINOY businessman, WILLIAM is already married but finds his happiness with JOAN, a charming, nomadic bachelorette office worker. But the uncertainty in their relationship causes JOAN to decide to leave the country to start a new life on her own. But as JOAN is about to leave, her departure is halted and results in an unexpected event.

“THE LEAVING: WIFE”

A typical conservative Filipina-Chinese housewife, GRACE moves in the apartment building with her husband in same building where MARTIN lives. Neglected and unappreciated, GRACE finds comfort through his neighbor MARTIN but their relationship is fenced by their present circumstances. GRACE finds out her husband is cheating on her…then a sudden haunting later on unravels a horrifying secret.

All beings exist to find permanence in this world. But it seems to be the most grounded are the ones do not really exist at all…

I caught the last day for this year's Cinemalaya, I guess work hindered me from liberally going to the film festival anytime I want but that's okay, this is real life now and I don't have the luxury of time to freely do what I want. What mattered the most was that I got the chance to watch a couple of films last Saturday July 17 before Cinemalaya 2010 ended.

The first film I viewed is "The Leaving" by the Filipino-Chinese director Ian Dean Lorenos, boy CCP's main theater was packed for this film, I found the topic interesting because it tackles the Chinese living here in the Philippines and the upcoming "Hungry Ghost Festival" (in August).

I felt uneasy reading the synopsis from cinemalaya.org, I cannot wrap my mind around the three part synopsis but after watching the film then have I fully understood why it was written as such.

Narrative structure wise, it was unique that the film was shot at different points of view. It was experimental if I could label it because we could see how the same solid facts can have different interpretations for various characters; I guess this is what people mean when they say there are two sides to a coin.

Joan dismayed when William doesn't show up

Story wise, some parts are unrealistic- given Chinatown's chismis culture, it's almost impossible to go out with your mistress without the whole town knowing about it. Also, I find it hard to believe that people who kill their mistress, chopped her body into pieces and placed it in a sack could easily dump the rotting body on the sidewalk in broad daylight; the garbage collector picks up the sack without noticing the peculiar stench. 

Grace hurt by William

LJ Reyes was named the Best Supporting Actress for Cinemalaya 2010 but I can't see any fleshing out of her character; all throughout the film she was simply a flat character- she's just Grace the martyr wife and the dutiful Chinese daughter who always complies to her family's decision for her life. I saw a glimpse of roundness peeking from her character when she displayed some complexities of a normal human when she lifted a knife and pointed it against William while he's asleep. Acting wise, LJ has improved and for me as the viewer, I can already feel the message she conveys even if there's just a subtle twitch on her face- it already tells me a thousand words; Ian Lorenos should have given LJ longer screen time and more important role as a wife. 

Mystery unravels when the sun sets in Chinatown area

I was very much interested in the topic "Hungry Ghost Festival" because I've been seeing ghosts in the office since I had my first overtime there and the office is located in Chinatown. My family does observe the "Hungry Ghost Festival" and we offer food to the hungry ghosts here at home but I guess I learned more about the culture after watching the film, according to the stories I've heard, the "Hungry Ghost Festival" is a time of the year when the gates dividing earth and hell open so hungry ghosts could ask for food from the living- but I guess it's not always food they're hungry for; in "The Leaving", restless souls with unsettled business come back to haunt those who are in debt and often times they come to collect someone's life. 

There are shots in the rough cut trailer showing some of the horror scenes but I opted not to include them because it really sticks to my mind and I will have a hard time sleeping plus it doesn't help when the ghosts at the office started to make themselves heard.

Grace off to look for her husband

I am very satisfied with the insight on the Hungry Ghost Festival but the film left a sour and bitter taste on my taste buds because I found the film too patriarchal by showing women who gets married transforms into a duster clad housewife who is locked in the house in solitude, when her husband comes home she should have prepared his meal already. Another issue is that contrary to the idea shown in the film, pre-arranged marriage is not popular anymore, is it? I have encountered couples who are from pre-arranged marriages but they are quite old already and I have not encountered younger generation couples who are pre-arranged or kai siaw.

 Also, most Chinese women I know now would leave a marriage when they learned that their husbands are cheating and they won't endure such marriage just to be able to eat her meal three times a day, this is contrary as to what Grace's mother said "you should just tolerate your cheating husband, he provides you well with a house and you eat three times a day" I really wanted to curse and punch Ian Lorenos on the face and tell him "What an effin' point of view! Are women simply pets you just feed and provid shelter to and we promise never to leave the house?' but perhaps that was what he wanted to trigger in us- to let us see older Chinese women's point of view and how they don't see it as an oppression because they are provided with food and shelter. 

Martin and Grace in a temple

Another thing I don't like about the film is that it mystifies Chinatown- instead of demystifying how Filipinos view Chinese, I felt that the film just built a barricade between the two cultures but of course there are always two sides to a coin so this is just my interpretation; I have yet to hear how a Filipino audience viewed the film.

I found it funny and sad at the same time when some of the talents are Chinese but they can't speak the Fookien dialogue well; Fookien is the primary language spoken here in the Philippines next to Mandarin and the least spoken is Cantonese. Kuddos to LJ Reyes who spoke Fookien fluently. 

Joan and William in a love scene

Overall, the film was interesting but I just clenched my fist a few times when there are traditional ideologies oppressing women as portrayed in the film. 

"Telephone" Parody by Lady Gagita and Benzonce

Recently, Youtube superstar Lady Gagita and Benzonce bursted into the spotlight
My brother first introduced me to the quirky duo
Later on one of my friend mentioned about the Mayaman University production team ("mayaman" means rich in Filipino terms) and we all claimed we've viewed the parody of "Telephone", amazing!
Later this week I checked the broadsheets and I even saw Lady Gagita in print! 

Wow oh wow aren't these two getting the attention they truly deserve.

Do they deserve a spot on my blog? =p Yes they do! 

As one Youtube commentator said, they're very resourceful when it comes to costumes and  I love them for it. 

It doesn't matter if you have the budget or not, as long as you have creative juices and passion for it you can create an outstanding music video.

What caught me and my friends' eye, since we're all film majors, Mayaman University is not your ordinary home made parody. The location might be low budget, the costumes are not really replicated but still it takes a lot of effort because they created a lot of costumes. However, the people behind this video really know how to work the camera and editing, we're even thinking Vinzon Leojay Booc and the rest might be film students too.

Camera movement may not be so flawless, the camera quality may not be at par with high budgeted music videos but that's okay, it really takes time to train steady hands and we cannot really purchase expensive broadcasting quality cameras since a good unit might cost a hundred thousand plus Philippine Pesos. I really really love the sleek and almost perfect editing to bits and it makes up for everything else.

Can I just say I love Lady Gagita and Bezonce for their incredible talent? ^.^

I must say, I've watched various music video from various countries and I will stand by my comment that the camera truly loves Filipino talents. At first I wasn't so sure if they're Filipino because the location seem a bit different from the ones here in Manila and they're talking in another dialect, sometimes I often interchange local dialects to Thai, Malaysia and Indonesia's languages but but later on I checked the other videos, I saw a car's plate number and it's definitely the Philippines' plate number. When I try to think about moving to another country I know I will miss the Philippines for the great entertainment and talent; they're irreplaceable. They're the best, Filipinos can sing, dance, act etc. Moreover, most Filipinos have quirky characters and they're very expressive; it shows on their face and they are a natural when it comes to projecting their expression on camera. It doesn't matter if you don't look like the standard good looking celebrity, as long as you have the character and you can project it well, the camera will love you <3

I Love "Working Girls"!

Okay, so I haven't watched the full movie yet but the trailer is so enticing!

I love Eugene Domingo as an actor, she's the one who delivered the line "I will stand up for it". Reading some of her past interviews before, I learned that Eugene Domingo has a degree in Theater Arts from University of the Philippines. I've watched "Kimmy Dora" before and her acting is oozing with energy whichever character she plays. As Kimmy, I really felt the tension and stress while Dora releases that stress from me. Haha! This year is a good year for Eugene Domingo actually, she has a lot of shows in GMA, one of the leading TV network in the Philippnes, plus great movies churning out.

Another thing that caught my eye is Bianca King. I can really really feel for Bianca King's character as a segment producer. Believe me, being told you're a crap, your concepts are a bloody bore, you yourself is a bloody bore etc. did made me a better Communication Arts student. but I'm still a human and I do get hurt and tired of hearing the same insults over and over again for the past 3 years, I'm just glad I was spared getting my work thrown at my face! Haha! However, that doesn't stop me from doing online publishing! <3

"Working Girls" is directed by Direk Jose Javier Reyes, I believe he had a Communication Arts teaching stint in De La Salle University before along with the Sir Doy del Mundo Jr. I love Sir Doy, at first I thought wow he must be a superstar, he wrote the screenplay for great Filipino films like "Maynila... Sa Kuko ng Liwanag", "Markova: Comfort Gay" etc. etc. but it turned out he was very approachable and down to earth. Sometimes me and my friends call him Papa Doy because he is like the father figure in Communications Department. Sir Doy is loving but I didn't say he's not a terror. He could be loving but he is strict (still a relatively mild term) but believe me, he's gonna make you a better person, hone your skills and improve your work ethics. Direk Joey or Jose Javier Reyes is also a great filmmaker, he does mainstream films like "Working Girls" and yet he also creates indie films.

"Working Girls" is actually the third remake from the 1984 film with the same title and it was directed by another great Filipino filmmaker Ishmael Bernal. Later on "Working Girls 2" was done in 1987 also directed by Ishmael Bernal. I haven't viewed the first and second film but clips are included in the trailer above.

I think I'm gonna enjoy "Working Girls"! ^.^ 

Clash of the Titans Movie Review

Okay! I think this is the high time to flex my Communication Arts muscles.

I watched this with my girl friends and one of my girl friends' significant other <3

I think it was last Saturday April 10, 2010, one of my good and close friend informed us she's gonna work in Hong Kong, probably by May already. That shocked me though =( but I wish her well <3 I'll probably visit her some time soon in Hong Kong when I've saved up enough money.

This is the synopsis based on imdb.com

"The Clash of the Titans" is set in the Greek city of Argos where a war is about to explode between man and the gods. Perseus (Sam Worthington) raised as a fisherman, but is actually a demi-god. Perseus is the son of Zeus (Liam Neeson) who is about to take on the gods after the death of his family. Zeus' brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes) was the one who killed his family, and Perseus wants to kill him. However, it is Perseus's destiny to rescue the city of Argos from the ruthless rage of Hades and his Kraken monster. With nothing to lose, Perseus leads a band of soldiers on a quest to defeat the Kraken. In doing this, Perseus will prevent Hades from overthrowing Zeus and in turn destroying mankind. 

On my review:

 I thought the narrative or storyline was bland. It doesn't have much twists and if there was it was just a slight teeny tiny bit of hint that film students can sense. It seems like the beginning and end's story was well planned but it's in the middle part that's not so well thought of.

Technically, "Clash of the Titans" is a quest story or journey narrative. This type of narrative tells us that the hero leaves home and the story has a strong central character- in this case, Perseus. In a story, the hero has a desire or goal he has to achieve which was to take revenge because the gods, particularly Hades, killed his family. Later on he'd go on to save the Greek city of Argos from the wrath of the gods. Perseus goes on an adventure but in the end he returns back to Argos.

I can't seem to find the right story structure for this one, the storyline itself is so simple it's more simple than the basic three act story structure. I don't know, perhaps I'm not looking harder but if that's the case- when the audience have to look harder, then it's not a good story told. 

Perseus' character is round that's true but I can't seem to understand why almost all of the other supporting characters are flat. All doesn't seem to have human characteristics and abilities to love, hate, change their minds etc. Almost all seemed like robots with only one characteristic/quality while Perseus seems like the only with more humanly characters and is the only character well thought out by the writers. Perhaps it would be better to flesh out the other supporting characters as well and it would compliment Perseus' character that would lead to a better story telling because Perseus is our vehicle to the storytelling process.

Editing is okay, it's the basic Hollywood rules and style of editing. Continuity problems peeked a little but that's not noticeable for most of the audience but you have keen eyes you'd know. Camera shots are also great, I love how it was used to make the audience feel the greatness of Argos, Zeus, Olympus etc. 

On the good points, the visuals and film treatment were great courtesy of the green screen galore. The actors are also great considering the shooting environment which is mostly made up of green screen is not a conductive environment for acting. I like the screenplay, the acting cues and lines help distract the audience from the simple storyline. 

On a lighter note, I'm having a gladiator sandals phase right now because of this movie <3

But don't be like me trying to analyze the movie when it's supposed to be light entertainment; just enjoy the show. That's the role of a filmmaker- to take in the insanity and give people entertainment, relaxation and a break from the real world and even aiding people to see what's happening around the globe. Media is considered the fourth pillar of the society. So if you see a Communication Arts or film maker, learn to respect them. 

Watching Alice in Wonderland

At long last! All hell broke loose during the first week so I opted not to watch Alice in Wonderland and instead focused on delivering goodies and Alice in Wonderland eye shadow palettes.

My boyfriend and I viewed Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland at Rockwell. We love going to Rockwell because of it's relaxing to stroll around a mall not densely populated. The theater is very nice- one of the nicest. 

Another reason is that we want to try Rockwell's new XpanD 3D theater and it's a lot better than Greenbelt's version of 3D in my experience. 

We took the earliest viewing schedule which was 12:20 noon so there's not much people watching since it's lunchtime. Good choice! When we got out of the theater we were greeted by a crowd of parents and kids waiting in the line to buy tickets- I bet it's for Alice in Wonderland.

We were treated to green screen galore! I wonder how Tim Burton directed his talented cast because it's very hard to act in an unimaginative set up. Plus, it's hard working with green screen, I should know because it's one of the trickiest part of Communication Arts. It's not just simply green paint or just any green background; there should be a precise color and intensity to the greenness to create vivid graphics. Sometimes we frustratingly mix the fixed green screen hue with green light just to get the right colors for the graphics and special effects or else the green hue would show up on screen and it's not acceptable.

The audience went into Tim Burton's dark and yet highly imaginative vision of Wonderland; I must admit the film maker is brilliant. It's his auteur style- the film texture is dark and grim and yet it's contrastingly colorful. I couldn't cook up that much imagination because I'm more on realism but Tim's just brilliant when it comes to imagination. He's certainly gone mad, he's gone bonkers, but let me tell you a secret, most great people are...

I should agree with Josh of YesNoMeh.com when he coined 'Johnny Depp in Burtonland' instead of 'Alice in Wonderland' because the audience usually see the star power cast instead of the talent. 

Usually, great film makers have their own favorite set of talents to work with. It's like having your favorite group mates to work on a big project; you work with a person because you know the person's work ethics and you can easily communicate with each other. In the case of director-talent team work, it's really a big feat to try directing talents- I've tried it before and I usually ended up getting frustrated if a talent doesn't get what I want him or her to portray on cam. Think Lino Brocka- I have seen numerous Lino Brocka films starring one of the  greatest Filipino actor Eddie Garcia. 

I've met Eddie Garcia in Hong Kong, I think he's around 80+ years old already but boy he was still out on the night market around midnight smoking while waiting for his companions who are still shopping. But he's nice; he felt we knew him even if we just glanced at him and yet he extended greetings with my family. 

 I have seen some loopholes and mistakes in continuity, shot sizes, angles and it was partly because of the editing. I have seen loopholes in the screenplay and storyline but I won't be explaining them anymore. I'm quite tired of judging films; I used to judge films every minute of the day because we need keen eyes during editing in order to avoid mistakes like the ones in Alice in Wonderland. I know how it feels to have my bubbles burst; I didn't enjoy watching films after becoming a film student myself because I just keep on looking for the mistakes instead of enjoying the film for what it is. 

I know a lot of you enjoyed Alice in Wonderland and it should be magical for the audience. 

Leave the dirty work to us and just enjoy the show.