My sister and I watched Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story and Enteng ng Ina Mo (which is I am not really proud of) back-to-back in TriNoma. I have not slept yet for 24 hours and yet I was there, sitting and watching two of the recognized movies of the MMFF.
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| Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2011 Best Picture Box Office Sixth Placer |
I must say that Manila Kingpin is not the typical Filipino movie you'd see in the currents. It kinda seems like it is a normal action movie where the lead actor gets to fight a hundred soldiers and one and be triumphant in the end; not to mention the number of women he'd sleep with the entire duration of the movie. Manila Kingpin is not that kind of movie. From cinematography to musical score, it is really a film made for pride and honor on the part of the movie makers. The actors also did great on portraying the characters of the story and the viewers were brought to a whole new settings from the modern life that we have today. The money used, the cars, the clothes, they were all relevant to the movie. Even the black and white cinematography of the movie really made sense because they are trying to make the ambiance the old one, like the 40's or 50's. Yet the lacking part of the movie is the authenticity of the blood gushing on every fight or action scene in the movie. It is not that realistic, though the murder scene of character of Baron Geisler is really brutal. It just can't get out of my head. It is like every possible way of murder is done to the said character. However, I think if the movie did not win the Best Picture award in the MMFF 2011, people won't get interested to it. The advertisements are not that enticing so I don't think it captures the interest of the public instantly. I am a guilty victim of that. I mean, if it weren't for the recognition (and my sister consistently urging me to watch it with her the very first day it was shown), I would not get my ass thrown in the cinemas and watch it. Power of suggestion maybe? Anyway, I thought it is overqualified for the MMFF.
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| MMFF 2011 Second Best Picture Box Office First Placer |
Then right after we watched Manila Kingpin, we went straight to Enteng ng Ina Mo. I said it before that I don't necessarily like the fact that this kind of movie actually goes on being the top grosser film of the season. I thought it is not deserving. But what the hell, Filipinos really love movies like these because it makes you think nothing and just laugh every second of the movie. However, Filipinos should also know how to appreciate certain kinds of movies which is out of their comfort zone. I don't like watching action movies, but I gave Manila Kingpin a shot, and surprisingly I love it. Anyway, about Enteng ng Ina Mo, I thought the story is predictable. But, the punchlines are really well-written and well-delivered. I laughed my ass out the entire duration of the film. And I guess my seatmates were not really laughing because of the movie scenes; they were laughing because of my laughter. Oh well. I won't argue - the movie is funny and I laugh funny. I already know that, thank you very much. But, Aiai delas Alas always moves me on the edge of my seat every time she pulled out a drama scene. She was very good in the movie, as always. I mean, for the fourth time of playing Ina Montecillo, she already perfected the character.
The third movie I actually watched in my MMFF trifecta is My Househusband. Actually, this was the first movie I watched for the season with my best friends. We went all the way from Bulacan to Makati just to watch a freakin' MMFF movie. We were actually hoping then that there's a single foreign movie shown there such as Mission Impossible - but unfortunately, there was none. So we watched My Househusband there being left with no choice, and being agreed upon by the three of us right there and then.
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| MMFF 2011 Best Picture Nominee Box Office Fifth Placer |
Unlike Enteng ng Ina Mo, My Househusband dwells more on the reality of basically the neighborhood our family has on daily basis. The relationship we have with them whether it's friendship, acquaintance, or strangers. It revolves around it. Eugene Domingo gave the best comedic acting in the movie, and she deserved the award for the movie. Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos were so natural in the movie making the realistic feel much more genuine. They are such a lovely couple, and like Aiai, they also perfected the characters of being husband and wife for the three movies they had so far.
I have been a fan of MMFF before. Mano Po, Ang Tanging Yaman, Bagong Buwan - these are some of previous MMFF entries which really gave us substance. From other race's culture to the story of a very basic unit of our community, these movies are treasure for the Filipino movie industry. However, as time goes by, MMFF is not producing any substantial movie (until Manila Kingpin). From the sequel to sequel movies every year of Enteng Kabisote, Panday, Ang Tanging Ina, and even Shake, Rattle, and Roll (going on a downward spiral), it is like an uncontrollable spread of disease. Aside from Cinemalaya for the indie filmmakers, MMFF has been a platform for different movie makers in the mainstream to show what they've got yearly, and produce a quality film. But MMFF is now drawn to permitting entries that would rather produce high monetary values than high quality. More often than not, certain movies star popular actors and actresses who the public love. It says a lot that the viewing public might be more interested in watching their favorite star in the movie rather than be more interested in the story of the film. In effect, movie makers' thoughts are set to make a movie that would hit top the notch of box office rather than to make a film of pure quality ascending to a great classic.
I have been a fan of MMFF before. Mano Po, Ang Tanging Yaman, Bagong Buwan - these are some of previous MMFF entries which really gave us substance. From other race's culture to the story of a very basic unit of our community, these movies are treasure for the Filipino movie industry. However, as time goes by, MMFF is not producing any substantial movie (until Manila Kingpin). From the sequel to sequel movies every year of Enteng Kabisote, Panday, Ang Tanging Ina, and even Shake, Rattle, and Roll (going on a downward spiral), it is like an uncontrollable spread of disease. Aside from Cinemalaya for the indie filmmakers, MMFF has been a platform for different movie makers in the mainstream to show what they've got yearly, and produce a quality film. But MMFF is now drawn to permitting entries that would rather produce high monetary values than high quality. More often than not, certain movies star popular actors and actresses who the public love. It says a lot that the viewing public might be more interested in watching their favorite star in the movie rather than be more interested in the story of the film. In effect, movie makers' thoughts are set to make a movie that would hit top the notch of box office rather than to make a film of pure quality ascending to a great classic.