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MMFF 2016: The Reelvolution

This Reelvolution is a mover and shaker in Philippine Cinema. Due to the rush of almost going straight to work upon arrival in Manila and until now still finishing the unpacking of a total of seven luggage, plus enjoying the time with the newborn (although currently minimizing physical touch due to my cold virus), I was only able to watch two MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival) entries this year. Unfortunately, I had to skip the third one which I already had

‘Inside Out’ Film Review: Happy + Sad

“Inside Out” is a powerfully moving animated piece exploring the importance of emotions in people's lives. Daring to explore the existential crises of the human mind and the feelings affecting one’s life, this formidably ingenious film works similar to a thesis or research project. With a material that strikes as a reflection on the power of emotions, it targets the family audience, particularly those with ages ranging from pre-teen to adult. Packaged as a motion picture set inside someone's head and how

‘The Descendants’ Film Review: Hawaiian family landscape

Based on the novel of the same title by Hawaiian author Kaui Hart Hemmings, "The Descendants" is a non-preachy family drama packaged as an island-hopping road movie. It examines the depth and complexity of life, love, relationships, and humanity through a fine mix of slapstick and pathos, while also exploring its lush Hawaiian locales with genuine emotionality. Just like the varying waves in its beach locations, this film allows the audience's emotions to naturally rise and fall with laughter and tears

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2’ Film Review: Capping a decade of epic magic

For this concluding chapter, there is that sense of nostalgia on how everything started and how things come to an end. Gracefully aging in terms of look, treatment, and emotional exploration for the last 10 years of its existence, the "success spell" for J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series has never been broken. Now, for the final film of the legendary franchise, the little boy in Harry officially becomes a man. With it comes a capper to a decade-long saga loved by

‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ Film Review: Dark, adolescent Potter film

This film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's fourth "Harry Potter" book is fantastically darker and more mature than its predecessors. Darker, a little more mature, and a little less magical, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” primarily deals with rejection and hormones as Harry and his friends struggle through transition from childhood to young adulthood. This motion picture focuses on the Hogwarts students in the seemingly awkward stage of their youth. The film’s look is less ostentatious than the previous installments. This time,

‘Sky High’ Film Review: Soaring HS heroes and sidekicks

This is a Disney hybrid superhero movie: "The Incredibles" meets "X-men" via "Harry Potter." If you think Hogwarts is the only secret school for extraordinary kids, well there's also the heroic children's world of "Sky High." This film is a hybrid superhero flick: "The Incredibles" meets the "X-Men" via "Harry Potter." It may be a Disney flick with a big celebration of superhero cliches; but it is entertaining enough for its target market. As a derivative, it never claims to be genuinely superior to its more successful blockbuster sources. Despite having a

‘Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros’ Film Review: A Maxi-mum feat

"Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros" by Auraeus Solito is about the coming-of-age of Maxi, an outright gay at 12 years old. This is not your typical gay film. If gays in films are usually given the background of having no father figure resulting to them becoming gay, this time, Maxi actually becomes the mother figure of an all-male home following the death of the only woman in the family. If gays are usually portrayed as the pathetic, often discriminated ones for

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