angelo fetalvero,
It was in the swinging 70s & 80s that the Philippines reached its zenith in cinematography. Beautifully decorated movie houses at Avenida Rizal were filled to the brim. Girls, with their Farrah Fawcett hairdo, waited for the latest installment in the Guy and Pip series. Nearby, the guys, with their high and tight pants and large collared shirts, stood in line for the next Fernando Poe Jr. movie. In the other side of town, critical praise was being showered for the brilliant films of greats such as Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal. Under the geniuses’ guidance, former nobodies such as Nora Aunor, Christopher de Leon and Tirso Cruz III grew to become legends of the silver screen. It was the Golden Age of Philippine Cinema and all were excited to see the heights that the film industry could reach.
Fast forward thirty years, and the once glorious movie houses of Manila sit empty and are deserted, with their once bright paint giving way to sad and pale hues. Commercialized malls now cater to the young generation’s entertainment needs. In the preview areas, foreign films dominate, with a local poster in sight. The Philippine movie industry is now viewed as a laughing stock, and rightfully so. It churns out films targeted for the masses, with dramas filled with overly dramatic plots done a hundred times before and comedies studded with cheap jokes and outdated slapstick.
Yet recently, an ambitious film was released which aimed to break from the cycle of cinematic mediocrity. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank was a breath of fresh air for most movie goers. It had a highly creative plot and brilliant cinematography. With its use of clever concepts and witty dialogue, one can be reminded of the heydays of local cinema.
The movie centers around two movie makers, played by JM de Guzman and Kean Cipriano, who aimed to create a movie worthy of competing in Cannes and making it big time. Their movie, titled Walang Wala, revolves around the story of Mila, a mother living in the slums who sold her son to a pedophile in order to survive. As they visualized their concepts and started choosing the main actress, the movie started to show its strong points.
The scene where the directors were mulling over whom to pick for the lead actress role was also interesting. As the directors chose between Eugene Domingo, Mercedes Cabral, and Cherry Pie Picache, the scenario varied as they changed their preferences. It showcased the film’s fine technical ability as the whole scene was shot with only subtle traces of post production noticeable.
Another brilliant aspect of the film was its boldness to satirize different aspects of modern life. The common man’s overreliance on unnecessary technology, mockery of other’s simple grammatical mistakes and pompousness upon visiting another country were nicely mocked when the film makers met with a big shot director so full of himself after visiting Italy and the like. The film also satirizes the “masa entertainment” commonly broadcasted in the country. Eugene Domingo’s rendition of the script, an exaggerated melodrama, mocks the typical teleserye that usually occupies the local primetime slots. The PA’s dream of an over-the-top musical brings into light the oft criticized noon time shows with its constant staple of mindless singing and dancing portions.
Yet, with all its high points, the film still suffers from a lot of shortcomings. Some scenes were allowed to go on for too long, way after it had made its point. Acting was a bit of a suspect too, as JM de Guzman and Kean Cipriano were a bit crude at times but that can be forgiven, bearing in mind the fact that this was still, after all, an indie film. Yet, the most disappointing factor in the movie was its failure to shed off some of the hallmarks of the typical Filipino film. Eugene Domingo’s “accidental” fall into the septic tank and the directors’ care being gutted were so predictable and over the top which proved to be a dark speck in an otherwise solid movie. One expects that a film as ambitious and progressive as this one would leave out the common jokes and the outdated slapstick.
Overall, the film is a positive improvement for local cinema and is a far cry from the common melodramas and empty musical it so brilliantly satirized and hopefully, the mistakes from which it suffers from will not be repeated in future films. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank duly deserves the awards it racked up at the recently concluded Cinemalaya Film Festival and the mass acclaim it has garnered from the public.
Hopefully, the movie can help kick start the movie industry after it showed that Juan dela Cruz is thinking again as the viewers are finally sobering up after decades of tastelessness and shallowness. This development could hopefully rouse the enthusiasm of local directors to create more quality films such as this. If all goes well, then the local silver screen may well be set for a revival, twenty years after the likes of Brocka and Bernal rolled out their final credits. After years of waiting, the dawn of the Third Golden Age of Cinema may finally be approaching.
Film Review: Ang Babae sa Septic Tank
Angelo FetalveroIt was in the swinging 70s & 80s that the Philippines reached its zenith in cinematography. Beautifully decorated movie houses at Avenida Rizal were filled to the brim. Girls, with their Farrah Fawcett hairdo, waited for the latest installment in the Guy and Pip series. Nearby, the guys, with their high and tight pants and large collared shirts, stood in line for the next Fernando Poe Jr. movie. In the other side of town, critical praise was being showered for the brilliant films of greats such as Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal. Under the geniuses’ guidance, former nobodies such as Nora Aunor, Christopher de Leon and Tirso Cruz III grew to become legends of the silver screen. It was the Golden Age of Philippine Cinema and all were excited to see the heights that the film industry could reach.
Fast forward thirty years, and the once glorious movie houses of Manila sit empty and are deserted, with their once bright paint giving way to sad and pale hues. Commercialized malls now cater to the young generation’s entertainment needs. In the preview areas, foreign films dominate, with a local poster in sight. The Philippine movie industry is now viewed as a laughing stock, and rightfully so. It churns out films targeted for the masses, with dramas filled with overly dramatic plots done a hundred times before and comedies studded with cheap jokes and outdated slapstick.
Yet recently, an ambitious film was released which aimed to break from the cycle of cinematic mediocrity. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank was a breath of fresh air for most movie goers. It had a highly creative plot and brilliant cinematography. With its use of clever concepts and witty dialogue, one can be reminded of the heydays of local cinema.
The movie centers around two movie makers, played by JM de Guzman and Kean Cipriano, who aimed to create a movie worthy of competing in Cannes and making it big time. Their movie, titled Walang Wala, revolves around the story of Mila, a mother living in the slums who sold her son to a pedophile in order to survive. As they visualized their concepts and started choosing the main actress, the movie started to show its strong points.
The scene where the directors were mulling over whom to pick for the lead actress role was also interesting. As the directors chose between Eugene Domingo, Mercedes Cabral, and Cherry Pie Picache, the scenario varied as they changed their preferences. It showcased the film’s fine technical ability as the whole scene was shot with only subtle traces of post production noticeable.
Another brilliant aspect of the film was its boldness to satirize different aspects of modern life. The common man’s overreliance on unnecessary technology, mockery of other’s simple grammatical mistakes and pompousness upon visiting another country were nicely mocked when the film makers met with a big shot director so full of himself after visiting Italy and the like. The film also satirizes the “masa entertainment” commonly broadcasted in the country. Eugene Domingo’s rendition of the script, an exaggerated melodrama, mocks the typical teleserye that usually occupies the local primetime slots. The PA’s dream of an over-the-top musical brings into light the oft criticized noon time shows with its constant staple of mindless singing and dancing portions.
Yet, with all its high points, the film still suffers from a lot of shortcomings. Some scenes were allowed to go on for too long, way after it had made its point. Acting was a bit of a suspect too, as JM de Guzman and Kean Cipriano were a bit crude at times but that can be forgiven, bearing in mind the fact that this was still, after all, an indie film. Yet, the most disappointing factor in the movie was its failure to shed off some of the hallmarks of the typical Filipino film. Eugene Domingo’s “accidental” fall into the septic tank and the directors’ care being gutted were so predictable and over the top which proved to be a dark speck in an otherwise solid movie. One expects that a film as ambitious and progressive as this one would leave out the common jokes and the outdated slapstick.
Overall, the film is a positive improvement for local cinema and is a far cry from the common melodramas and empty musical it so brilliantly satirized and hopefully, the mistakes from which it suffers from will not be repeated in future films. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank duly deserves the awards it racked up at the recently concluded Cinemalaya Film Festival and the mass acclaim it has garnered from the public.
Hopefully, the movie can help kick start the movie industry after it showed that Juan dela Cruz is thinking again as the viewers are finally sobering up after decades of tastelessness and shallowness. This development could hopefully rouse the enthusiasm of local directors to create more quality films such as this. If all goes well, then the local silver screen may well be set for a revival, twenty years after the likes of Brocka and Bernal rolled out their final credits. After years of waiting, the dawn of the Third Golden Age of Cinema may finally be approaching.
sana manalo sa oscar
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