Pagpag, Siyam na Buhay (2013)

Pagpag, Siyam na Buhay

[DISCLAIMER: I am a scaredy-cat, and I rarely watch horror movies. With this said, let it be known that most of what I'll say is based on very thin experience of watching horror flicks. Heehee.]

Pagpag, Siyam na Buhay is one the entries for this year's Metro Manila Film Festival. It's the only horror entry, and I'm quite glad that they offered us something that can terrify the lights out of our lives.

Leni (Kathryn Bernardo) runs a mortuary with her uncle (Janus del Prado). One day, they're tasked to organize the funeral for Roman (Paulo Avelino), who has a shady past involving satanism and death. During the funeral, Leni comes across Cedric (Daniel Padilla) and his friends who had an accident near the house of Roman and his wife. One by one, Leni and the rest fail to follow superstitions and take a step closer to their own graves.

The movie revolves a well-known superstition or pamahiin. Pagpag is the term used to mean going someplace else before heading home after visiting a funeral. It's said that the soul of the departed can follow you home if you won't do the said pamahiin. But it's not the only pamahiin tackled in the movie. With so many superstitions there is, there's enough for each character to break one and to be cursed.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm so easily scared, but I spent more than half of the movie hiding behind my hands. The scare tactics used in the movie are top-notch. It definitely doesn't look cheap anyway. They employ old school methods to derive tension and suspense throughout the movie. There certainly isn't anything new here. But I guess the thought of working and living above a funeral parlor can always give the much needed goosebumps.

Clarence Delgado as Mac-Mac the cutest

It's curious how the entire movie is incredibly well-lit, with some amazing cinematography in between scenes. The tone of the entire movie is actually a bit upbeat, but it still delivers the necessary scare. There's comic relief delivered expertly by Janus Del Prado in between jumpy scenes, but it maintains the tension throughout the movie. It's never anti-climatic.

Speaking of Janus, he's a hidden gem in the Philippine cinematic landscape. He's one of my favorite actors despite always playing small roles, but making them standout even in dreary scenes. I often wonder if he writes his own lines, because it seems to natural to him. Or maybe he's just a great actor that he can own any material given to him. Another gem in this movie is Clarence Delgado who plays Mac-mac, Leni's younger brother. I usually see him in comedic roles but in this one, he makes me believe that he's the quiet, ominous little brother. All his scenes are precious, okay.

But I think the selling point of this movie is how it combines horror with the hottest love team in the country right now. Horror flicks are always a blockbuster during MMFF, and it smartly uses the Kathniel tandem to gather more viewers. They may be lacking in acting prowess, but they definitely attracted more attention to the film than lesser known stars could. It's marketing, and we can do nothing about it. (Though I must say I'm a closet Kathniel fan, so.)

What makes Pagpag a terrifying watch is how it takes ordinary situations and make it horrifying. It also focuses on Filipino superstitions (there are tons!) so it's something that the audience can relate to. We're not given monsters nor does it really have to take place in a far-flung area. Funerals can take place anywhere, and any viewer has attended one. It's nowhere perfect, but it leaves a lasting fear to someone who failed to follow a superstition and also doomed to be haunted by Roman.

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.