The 2017 MMFF is officially over although one or two films continue to be screened in some theatres. We went to Glorietta today and noted that Siargao was still showing, although it only had two screenings, sharing a theatre with a cartoon movie.
I refused to write about the 2017 MMFF; didn't even make a reference to it in my FB account because I honestly believed - and I still do now - that the whole exercise has lost relevance. I don't really know if the festival made money this year; I had this nagging feeling that it didn't because there was the noticeable absence of the usual drumbeating that the major studious used to make to entice more people to patronize their trashy (and usually more popular) entries.
As usual, and as expected, the better films (Larawan, Siargao, etc) didn't make a killing at the tills. In fact, there was this hullabaloo about the pullout of Ang Larawan in some theatres because it wasn't making as much money as expected. Of course there was the usual uproar from some quarters - and as usual, I wanted to scream "go watch the darn film if you really care don't just make a post about it." In this country, many people do think that writing an indignant scree in Facebook already translates into meaningful support.
I watched only one entry: Ang Larawan. I knew it was going to be a landmark film because of the pedigree that accompanied it. I need not make a roll call of the first-rate artists that comprised its cast and crew. But a number of Filipino artists did come together to bring Nick Joaquin's opus to the silver screen and an effort like that needs to be supported. I remain ambivalent about the wisdom of deliberately putting an artistic gem into a mud pool, but I guess there's the commercial consideration to consider. But then again, Heneral Luna, Kita Kita, and others did make gazillions even if they were not shown during the MMFF, so I wonder if all that caterwauling was really worth it.
I am aware that this may represent a minority opinion but there's a large part of me that thinks that the best way to effect changes in the MMFF is to allow itself to gasp and die from its own filth and stink and then take over when it's officially dead. Of course it may take a lot of time before that happens, or worse, the damage could be almost beyond repair. But I have always believed in the inherent ability of Filipinos to force changes when things have become truly untenable. It will come, just as it did many times in the past.
***
But I do think that we need more efforts like Ang Larawan. The wealth of material remains unbelievably rich. When we really come to think about it, it is incredibly stupid that our movie studios trundle out endless retelling of the same old trite storylines of mistresses and love triangles when there's a trove of materials that can be mined in Philippine literature just waiting to be tapped. I am not just talking about musicals, although it is a given that that should be given a lot more consideration because we happen to have the best musical artists in the world. I am talking about plays and short stories and novels.
Smaller and smaller circles (novel), Ligo Ka Na Lapit Na Me (novel), Imbisibol (play), Kisapmata (play), are just some of the movies that were actually adapted for the silver screen. There's a lot more with immense potentials to be turned into a great movie, if only our producers truly cared about developing minds and tastes. But then again, who am I kidding here. Our producers only care about making money.
Of course just because the material is taken from literature is not enough guarantee that it will become a great movie. Film is a director's medium, although a good story would definitely help a lot. But at the very least, we won't have to sit through a tedious plot; or worst, don't have to suffer through the metaphorical equivalent of being slapped in the face or hit in the head or further dumbed down by a senseless story.
***
But to go back to Ang Larawan. So much has already been said and written about the luminous performance of Joana Ampil as Candida. Let me add my own rave: Ampil was unbelievably, incredibly, amazingly brilliant in the movie. We saw Candida the character, and not just because we have not seen Ampil in a movie before; Ampil simply gave life to the character - no methods, no affectations, no frills. She didn't seem to worry about how she would register on cam because not even Nora Aunor or Vilma Santos could pull off that kind of honesty and sincerity in acting.
***
The audiences who raved about the profundity of the material of Ang Larawan should read the original play and marvel at the original text, particularly the opening monologue where Bitoy Camacho delivers a lengthy but moving eulogy about Intramuros and the Marasigans.
I refused to write about the 2017 MMFF; didn't even make a reference to it in my FB account because I honestly believed - and I still do now - that the whole exercise has lost relevance. I don't really know if the festival made money this year; I had this nagging feeling that it didn't because there was the noticeable absence of the usual drumbeating that the major studious used to make to entice more people to patronize their trashy (and usually more popular) entries.
As usual, and as expected, the better films (Larawan, Siargao, etc) didn't make a killing at the tills. In fact, there was this hullabaloo about the pullout of Ang Larawan in some theatres because it wasn't making as much money as expected. Of course there was the usual uproar from some quarters - and as usual, I wanted to scream "go watch the darn film if you really care don't just make a post about it." In this country, many people do think that writing an indignant scree in Facebook already translates into meaningful support.
I watched only one entry: Ang Larawan. I knew it was going to be a landmark film because of the pedigree that accompanied it. I need not make a roll call of the first-rate artists that comprised its cast and crew. But a number of Filipino artists did come together to bring Nick Joaquin's opus to the silver screen and an effort like that needs to be supported. I remain ambivalent about the wisdom of deliberately putting an artistic gem into a mud pool, but I guess there's the commercial consideration to consider. But then again, Heneral Luna, Kita Kita, and others did make gazillions even if they were not shown during the MMFF, so I wonder if all that caterwauling was really worth it.
I am aware that this may represent a minority opinion but there's a large part of me that thinks that the best way to effect changes in the MMFF is to allow itself to gasp and die from its own filth and stink and then take over when it's officially dead. Of course it may take a lot of time before that happens, or worse, the damage could be almost beyond repair. But I have always believed in the inherent ability of Filipinos to force changes when things have become truly untenable. It will come, just as it did many times in the past.
***
But I do think that we need more efforts like Ang Larawan. The wealth of material remains unbelievably rich. When we really come to think about it, it is incredibly stupid that our movie studios trundle out endless retelling of the same old trite storylines of mistresses and love triangles when there's a trove of materials that can be mined in Philippine literature just waiting to be tapped. I am not just talking about musicals, although it is a given that that should be given a lot more consideration because we happen to have the best musical artists in the world. I am talking about plays and short stories and novels.
Smaller and smaller circles (novel), Ligo Ka Na Lapit Na Me (novel), Imbisibol (play), Kisapmata (play), are just some of the movies that were actually adapted for the silver screen. There's a lot more with immense potentials to be turned into a great movie, if only our producers truly cared about developing minds and tastes. But then again, who am I kidding here. Our producers only care about making money.
Of course just because the material is taken from literature is not enough guarantee that it will become a great movie. Film is a director's medium, although a good story would definitely help a lot. But at the very least, we won't have to sit through a tedious plot; or worst, don't have to suffer through the metaphorical equivalent of being slapped in the face or hit in the head or further dumbed down by a senseless story.
***
But to go back to Ang Larawan. So much has already been said and written about the luminous performance of Joana Ampil as Candida. Let me add my own rave: Ampil was unbelievably, incredibly, amazingly brilliant in the movie. We saw Candida the character, and not just because we have not seen Ampil in a movie before; Ampil simply gave life to the character - no methods, no affectations, no frills. She didn't seem to worry about how she would register on cam because not even Nora Aunor or Vilma Santos could pull off that kind of honesty and sincerity in acting.
***
The audiences who raved about the profundity of the material of Ang Larawan should read the original play and marvel at the original text, particularly the opening monologue where Bitoy Camacho delivers a lengthy but moving eulogy about Intramuros and the Marasigans.
