Good, Better and Best Films

 Predicting who will reign at the box office supremely during the golden anniversary of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is made apparent even if its official run begins tomorrow, the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas.

 Jun Robles Lana’s And the Breadwinner Is... had the most number of cinemas under their motion picture’s belt. In simple arithmetic, with addition and multiplication involved, its ticket sales already earned substantial revenue that allow its investors and producers to literally laugh their way to the bank.

Why no one wants to share or pinpoint the identity of those who made the executive decision to favor the movie of Jose Marie Viceral with most number of cinemas for the audiences viewing pleasure is the bafflement of the moment.

Thus, I cannot help but wonder: there are 10 movies in the festival, but why were the cinemas not equitably divided and distributed among the films in competition?

Frankly speaking, it is imperative that all movies must be given a fair share of the available cinemas in the spirit of fairness and to give them a fighting chance in winning the audiences’ love and support. The division of cinemas must be maintained up to the handing out of awards.

Only after the said time frame can the   distribution of cinemas be changed.  After the four-day festival run, the ticket sales are already proof who among the contenders are consistently performing well at the box office. The factors critical acclaim, earned awards and positive and palpable word of mouth, must be considered with regard to the films that must get the lion’s share of cinemas now that all of them had their considerable set.

Giving the greatest number of cinemas to the Lana-Viceral movie is propaganda with the intention of making the viewers believe that it is the best in the roster of films.

Those who made this decision of unfair cinema distribution seem to forget the reality that in the last two festivals prior to the pandemic where Vice had a movie, it was not able to sustain its box office supremacy.  The Aga Muhlach starrer Miracle in Cell Number 7 and the Noel Trinidad and Liza Lorena-led Family Matters ended his “unkabogable star” stature.

Last year, the box office wonders and awards winners GomBurza and Firefly were already treated unfairly. This year, Pepe Diokno’s Isang Himala and Zig Dulay’s Green Bones also have limited cinemas assigned to their respective film projects.

If this farce of artistic excellence and commerciall films continue, with the powers that be blatantly favoring who has the most potential to bring the targeted gross box office forecast, then take off that mask of artistic excellence drama and come clean that you are in it for the money.

Therefore, can the moviegoing public who supports the annual festival get to know where the earnings go?  How much becomes net income to producers, cinema exhibitors, assistance to MMFF beneficiary agencies and the MMDA and the cities? Final question, who gains the most during this film festival season?

Good is the word

One good film in this year’s festival is My Future You, which stars Gen Z love team Seth Fedelin and Francine Garcia.

What works for this Crisanto Aquino movie is the narrative that presents two young people meeting in different time frames, and their need to alter the time  continuum to improve on their current states of being and happiness.

Young lovers from different timelines and their accidental hook-ups had been done before, but writer and director Pablo made the lives of Lex (Fedelin) and Karen (Diaz) believable, fresh, relatable, with just the right amount of bittersweet, mush and whimsy.

 The FranSeth teamup delivers and as Lex and Karen, they have truly earned their stars with their convincing portrayals.  Acting standouts, definitely Christian Vazquez as Karen’s stepdad and Peewee O’Hara as Lex’s adoptive mother.

 Magical and saccharine, My Future You’s future at the MMFF box office is starlight and bright and, yes, the FranSeth love team has become truly stellar.

Better Bossing and Papa P

With a screenplay written by Michelle Ngu Nario and directed by Michael Tuviera, The Kingdom is the better choice of film to pick this MMFF. With its ambition and fertile imagination realized on the grandest of scales, we are given a Philippines never conquered, encroached or invaded by foreign powers. Make way for the Kingdom of Kalayaan.

 It cannot be denied that team Tuviera was successful in its presentation of The Kingdom, most especially in its narrative of a courageous, culturally proud, economically progressive version of the Philippines. Also, the presentation of the chaos, decay, greed and power struggles are too familiar, thus it stings and burns.  The peeling of masks and revelations in the Kingdom of Kalayaan will surely bring about heated arguments and passionate discussions.

Performance wise, Vic Sotto as Lakan Makisig has the authority and gravitas as Kalayaan’s absolute monarch. Impressive is how he conveys the emotions of the Lakan, calm and collected, forceful and wields power with the reality of “ang utos ng hari, hindi mababali,” but also with the tender and loving side for the royal family and compassion and concern to his sovereign.

 Piolo Pascual, as Sulo Tagum, a tinatwa, brings his A game in the action sequences and dramatic moment. It is no longer a surprise but the limited screen time he shares with Iza Calzado is scorching and emotionally committed, and yes, they can make the paints melt.

Calzado’s take on her character gives a whole new meaning and perspective to the saying, “There are no small roles, only small actors.”

Kudos as well to Sid Lucero as Magat Bagwis who is brilliant in all his scenes.

The Kingdom is a better MMFF choice because it offers a fresh and genius “what if” narrative and its execution brings hope and fuels a dream that somewhere out there, a LaKan Makisig will spring, rule us all and make this nation great again in the truest sense.

The best

The best film that I have watched is Isang Himala, an artistic triumph, where the Muses of Literature, Drama, Music and Theater meet.

This film-to-stage-to-a-musical film incarnation is brave, daring, heart-pounding, gut-wrenching and soul-stirring.  It is like Elsa and Barrio Cupang on steroids masterfully directed by Pepe Diokno.

Career-defining performances are delivered by Aicelle Santos, Bituin Escalante, David Ezra, Floyd Tena and the scene stealing Kakki Teodoro. And the ensemble, of course, composed of the Philippines’ world class theater artists.  

Isang Himala is the cinematic miracle we all need to love, support and watch! The Pepe Diokno film, with screenplay by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee; with the voice-over of the original Elsa, also National Artist for Film and Broadcast Nora Aunor setting its tone and concluding it with a dramatic wallop; and Vincent de Jesus as its musical director, only has 31 cinemas so let’s slay all the Goliaths with this David of a motion picture!

It will not be the Metro Manila Film Festival without any controversy. This distribution of cinemas, is only starters.  What is next, the many twists and turns during the awards night and the credibility and integrity of the choices of the victors?

Happy Golden Anniversary to the MMFF!