Tuhog (2013)

Tuhog (2013)

Retirement hasn't been fun for Tonio (Leo Martinez), but it suddenly is when he realizes that he has all the time in the world to achieve his dream of being a baker. Fiesta (Eugene Domingo) is the feared bus conductor, but learns to loved and be loved when he meets Nato (Jake Cuenca). A long distance relationship has been a challenge for Caloy (Enchong Dee), but for the love of his girlfriend he patiently waits for her. In a freak bus accident, the three are accidentally pierced together by a single pole. Though doctors are intending to save all, the last one freed from the pole has the least chance of survival. Who deserves to live?

The premise of Tuhog is pretty simple and the format quite straight-forward. It's good that we're presented with the dilemma first. The audience immediately realizes the gravity of the situation, thus, being free to make their guesses on who will live and who will die. But you really won't know till the reveal. They managed to be entertaining from beginning to end. There's also a very good mix of comedy and drama that brings heart to a humanistic movie like this one.

There's a cohesiveness in the movie that's hard to achieve, because often it's either forced or not there at all! Pulling an anthology like Tuhog requires some detailed planning and effective story-telling. The segue from one story to another is done really well, making the hospital scenes the bond that holds the segments together.

On stories like this, it's easy to say that the youngest one has to live, not having experienced life to the fullest yet. On stories like this, the oldest person sometimes sacrifice themselves, saying they have lived long enough. In Tuhog, they have managed to balance the stories of all three, giving us enough reason to know that each one has a lot more to do in their lives.

Of the three, I enjoyed Tonio's story the most. Here's an old man who had a hard time finding meaning in life after retirement. Here's an old man who desperately tries to find motivation and purpose when everybody just wants him to stay still and let the young ones do everything. Here's someone who suddenly has all the time in the world to achieve his dreams of having his own bakeshop. He's on his way to realizing them when the accident happens. Without a doubt, Leo Martinez is the star of this movie.

What's amazing about Tuhog is that you'll be sympathetic with each of the character. You may not be able to relate well but you can see that each one of them still has a story to tell. 

There are things I don't like of course. I think it borrowed way too many ideas from other movies. There are scenes that are so reminiscent of the movies My Sassy Girl and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, just to name a few. I'm not even sure if it's a sort of tribute or if it's intentional or they hope no one notices. But I was greatly bothered. Or maybe I'm just extremely protective of My Sassy Girl? Heh.

I also didn't like how some of the doctors have this "formula" in which they predict the patient's chances of survival. They seem to take life so lightly, and it's so off-putting. (SPOILER ALERT) It's also weird how one of the doctors suddenly claimed the responsibility for Fiesta's baby. Like, WHY? It's not like they formed any bond while they were in the emergency room. It happened out of nowhere and completely threw me off balanced.

But aside from my very minor complaints, it's a movie I really appreciate. It's part of Star Cinema's anniversary celebration, and it's nice to see them try not to be too mainstream when it comes to the story and even the approach. Heck, I even love their choice of actors!

I'm not sure till when Tuhog is showing, but if you can, try to catch it in the cinemas. It's really worth the watch!

Four Sisters and A Wedding (2013)

Four Sisters and a Wedding

Title: Four Sisters and A Wedding (2013)

Producer: Star Cinema

Director: Cathy Garcia-Molina

Cast: Connie Reyes, Toni Gonzaga, Bea Alonzo, Angel Locsin, Shaina Magdayao, Enchong Dee, Janus del Prado, Sam Milby, Bernard Palanca, Angeline Quinto

Four Sisters and A Wedding is a movie which can be summarized by its title. Four sisters have to deal with their younger (and only) brother who seems to be rushing his own wedding. Fueled by their belief that he's making a terrible mistake, they try everything to stop it.

As Star Cinema's first movie offering for their 20th anniversary, they cast some of the most prominent leading actresses and actors of this time and create a family movie. Such strong personalities may clash and make a disaster, but Director Cathy Garcia-Molina manages to pull it off.

Toni Gonzaga plays Teddie, the eldest daughter who pretends to be a teacher in Spain but actually works as a maid. Bobbie, the second eldest and a successful professional in New York, is played by Bea Alonzo. Angel Locsin plays the rebellious third daughter, Alex. The last and most filial daughter Gabby, is played by Shaina, who seems to be given the most subdued role. Enchong Dee is the engaged youngest sibling and their only brother, CJ. Take these five actors and you have quite an ensemble.

Frankly, I enjoyed this movie. I'm not a hard person to please, since I rarely watch movies with any expectation. I like to be surprised. And I am surprised at how much I actually like it. I knew that it will focus on comedy but I was taken off-guard by the emotional arc of the movie. The wedding plot is consistent from start to finish, but I like how they manage to weave the story of each sister into the main plot. The wedding simply brings out their individual baggage, and I think that's what gives this movie more depth. Of course, it's the funny moments that I love the most!

But despite all the running conflicts and the theatrics of the "villains" of this movie, the theme of family loyalty remains present in every turn. No matter how much you fight and no matter how many hurtful words you throw at each other, a family is still a family. I may hate you now, but once someone outside the family hurts you, rest assured that I'll have your back. And that's basically what these siblings and their ever strong mother prove in the movie. They may always be at each other's throat, but they stand together in the face of a common enemy.

Bea Alonzo pretty much does the emotional heavy-lifting. She has the most sub-plots and I couldn't help whisper in the middle of her little dialogue, "Ah, s'ya pala ang bida." She's great in her role, though, and quite believable on how she handles the situation. However, it was Toni Gonzaga who had me captivated from start to finish. She already has her own brand of acting, and even though she manages to make each of her character different, there's a distinct aura to them. And somehow, I don't mind. She's amazing as Teddie, and her little team up with Janus del Prado who plays his pseudo-boyfriend is so entertaining! I'm so happy for Janus to have such a role! He more than deserves to be the main part of the OTP and not just the friend of the lead.

There are some things I do not like, of course. For one, I feel like Angeline Quinto dragged down the movie. I know they're trying to sell her as a RomCom leading actress but she's just not good at comedy. AT ALL. But other than that, there's no stand out annoyance in the movie.

It's a pretty engaging movie because Star Cinema can really execute heart-warming family films. With Connie Reyes as the mother, we pretty much have the intensity covered. She's the character that pulls the siblings together. Despite all their arguments and animosity towards each other, they have to keep it to themselves and show decency when the mother is present. Also, Connie Reyes simply has a way of commanding such strong screen presence.

It's a feel good movie, and if it's still available in a cinema near you, then go check it out. It's definitely worth the watch. It's just one of the many promising releases of Star Cinema for their anniversary, and I definitely can't wait for Tuhog.

The Reunion (2012)

If you've seen the trailer of The Reunion on ABS-CBN, you're probably as confused as I am. There seems to be no storyline, just a lot of random antics and possible love lines. So here's one that actually has a plot:

Someone definitely heard my wishes when I said I wanted a barkada movie. But I didn't expect that it would be this. I should have included specific details on what I want and who they should cast.

Directed by Frasco Mortiz, The Reunion is about a group of friends who reunites a few years after high school, thus, the title.  It stars the most in-demand actors from the network: Enchong Dee, Xian Lim, Enrique Gil, and Kean Cipriano. And their leading ladies in the movie are Jesse Mendiola, Bangs Garcia, Julia Montes, and Megan Young. What they failed to mention is that Cristine Reyes is in this movie, too. They should have given her more emphasis if Star Cinema was trying to make this a blockbuster. Haha!

Seriously though, with these four guys and four leading ladies, I'm pretty sure fans will flock to the theaters. But I'm not sure if if I'd be one of them. In fact, I have a strong dislike for Xian Lim, Enrique and Jesse Mendiola that it's enough to convince me not to watch it. But it's something that Star Cinema hasn't tried in years. I'll try to conquer my annoyance at the lead actors and try to see them beyond their showbiz personalities and view them as their movie characters.

The major reason why I'm willing to give this a shot is because I believe Star Cinema has the potential to make a good barkada movie. Over the past few years, they made the barkada of the lead roles powerful supporting characters on the life of lead roles. Take One More Chance and My Amnesia Girl as examples. More so on One More Chance, the barkada gives insight and perspective on the plot. Some of them even has their own sub-stories and provide more than just comic relief.

I have one last thing to say, why did they make Janus Del Prado as an extra? Come on, he's one of the best actors of his generation and it's past-time that he should be given a leading role in a movie. I'm fine seeing him on good Maalaala Mo Kaya roles but I want to see a movie with him as the lead. Who's with me?

The Reunion opens nationwide on August 15, 2012.