CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi

Catherine Keener

"Out here Survival is Everything"

Muse (Somali pirate): Last year I took a Greek ship. 6 million dollars.

Capt. Richard Phillips: 6 million dollars? So what are you doing here?

Muse: Shut up, Irish. Too much talking.

Capt. Phillips: The problem is not me talking. The problem is you not listening. 

The quote above truly defines in essence why there is a surge in piracy going on in the Horn of Africa waters.  

Paul Greengrass's masterful direction exposes this rampant situation through his film adaptation of a book written by the real Captain Richard Phillips.    Tom Hanks did an excellent job portraying the ordeal that the Maersk Alabama captain went through when he was captured and used as pawn by 4 Somali pirates.

The first part of the film presents the tension filled action sequences. From the high speed chase as the pirates relentlessly pursue the large cargo ship to the time when they actually board and hold the crew and its captain hostage.  

But the actual 'acting' comes into play once the pirates have captured Capt. Phillips and take off with him on board a steel enclosed lifeboat towards Somalia.  They plan to use him as a bait to hike up their ransom demands. The exchange between Capt. Phillips and his captors reveal a lot of insights into the real motives behind their horrific acts.  

The head of the Somali pirates, Muse nonchalantly declares that after everything has settled, he plans to go to America and buy a car.  He says it like it is some matter of fact information that he merely throws out there, totally oblivious to the bigger picture. That what he does for a 'living' is a crime which is punishable by any court in every country. Although his statement was genuinely said, it was also quite tragic to hear and made me shake my head with disbelief.

It also presents the personality of the veteran Captain who tries his best to fathom the ideals of the 'fishermen'.  Despite being brutally captured, he still exudes a lot of humane qualities towards his aggressors. He even helps to clean the wound on the foot of the youngest one from the group.  He also tries to tell them in not so many ways that their efforts are totally futile especially since the US Navy would do everything in their power to rescue him.  He tried to appeal to their moral sense by saying that the cargo he was carrying was going towards a feeding program for African kids.  But it fell on deaf ears!

It also has to be said that naturally the film is biased against the captors.  It is a given that 4 hapless yet fully armed Somali pirates cannot win against the mighty US Navy.  Muse even says "I came too far, I can't give up" - basically resigned to the fact that he is in a no win situation yet persists till the end. 

On the other hand, Captain Phillips himself also realizes that they are not merely fishermen as they claim but hardcore terrorists. They are manipulated and controlled by perhaps some syndicate who may or may not work for the Somali government.  Of course, it is difficult to make accusations without any concrete pieces of evidence yet that is the sense I got from this film.  

A well crafted movie that served as a good vehicle for Tom Hanks to once again amuse us with his brilliant acting. It also exposed a real global crisis that is sadly getting way out of hand.

GRAVITY

Sandra Bullock, George Clooney

"Don't Let Go"

The rookie and the veteran.  

That's how I describe Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski. It was supposed to be a routine mission where medical engineer Stone (Sandra Bullock) was going to attach a prototype device she spent months developing in her lab.  Unfortunately, disaster struck.  Space debris from a satellite obliterates the space shuttle Explorer aka their ride.   An ultimate nightmare situation ensues as the two 'astronauts' end up drifting aimlessly in the deep dark abyss of outer space.

But let's face it. The view from up there is absolutely fantastic. The picture perfect shot one tends to post on one's Facebook page as their cover photo.   It also helps that you are stuck in space with a charming and quite engaging astronaut named Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) who keeps regaling you with stories of his space missions as well as his adventures in planet Earth. 

Kidding aside, I was quite drawn to the movie although at first I was pondering how a film with only two characters could sustain my interest.   The cinematography is breathtakingly vivid and top notch.  The details were quite authentic from the ISS, the uniforms of the astronauts (American, Russian and Chinese) to the language found on the buttons inside the space shuttles. I even noticed a table tennis (ping pong) racket floating about in the Chinese space shuttle.

But "Gravity" goes way beyond than just being an outer space movie, it extensively explores the human psyche and how it deals with any type of disaster. Then eventually evolves into a tale of survival, self awareness and the triumph of the human spirit.

Capt. Kowalski is the calming presence. A space veteran on his final mission, he is able to put Engineer Stone at ease even though the audience can clearly see for themselves the impending doom.  He is able to draw out the essence of her personality even though she is now and rightfully so in total panic mode. "Why is she named Ryan?"  "Is there a Mr Stone waiting for her?"   Simple questions which reveal a lot about her character.

Ultimately it is Sandra Bullock's film. Her Ryan Stone character more than makes up for all the dumb goofy characters she tends to saddle us with, mercilessly. And I am truly thankful for that and really praise her brilliant performance in this movie.

Finally, I know it would have been awesome to see "Gravity" on the big screen where everything is clearly magnified in all its splendid glory.  Unfortunately, I had to settle by viewing it on my laptop but it is certainly worth every nanosecond.

LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER

Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey,

Cuba Gooding, Jr, Lenny Kravitz, David Oyelowo

"One quiet voice can ignite a revolution"

First of all, let me just say, I don't know why the director Lee Daniels needed to put his name on the title of this film. In case, we forget who directed it?  I don't know, I just don't see the logic, really.

But having said that, I believe he did an excellent job in presenting the life story of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), the African American butler who worked for 8 US Presidents in the White House.

Beginning in the early 1920s as a young boy whose family is employed in a white household up to his elder years upon his retirement as a butler in the White House, "The Butler" is a clever depiction of the valuable service of one man to his nation.

The role is played brilliantly by Forest Whitaker, one of the most underrated actors of his generation.  His personification of a man who bore so much hatred (just because of the color of his skin) in his childhood then grows up to be a passive man who resists any form of confrontation is subdued yet expressive.

A witness of history as the American Civil Rights Movement gains momentum to the onslaught of the Vietnam War, he remains in the background (literally) as he serves the man in the highest office of the land.

I like how the film showed how some of the most powerful leaders of the free world would occasionally ask Cecil his input on events which unfolded in America during those tumultuous times.  And even though he is quite reluctant to share his opinions, somehow his 'comments' would bear some weight on the decisions made by these US Presidents.

But the different cameos roles of talented actors portraying these US Presidents was a bit distracting. You tend to focus on the physical similarities of the actors to the actual Presidents than the events which occurred during their tenure in office.  But I also understand the main essence of Lee Daniels in presenting these scenes, if only to show the audience how Cecil Gaines' opinions on current events were in some very small manner quite influential in the decision making processes of the Presidents.  

On the other hand, in his private spectrum Cecil faced a lot of resistance from his oldest son Louis (David Oyelowo) who defiantly joined the Civil Rights Movement.  The huge generation gap between the passive father who prefers to avoid conflict, and his son who cannot fathom the fact that his father is still so subservient is eloquently played out. Their scenes together make up some of the most poignant encounters in the film.

In conclusion, "The Butler" is a well acted, cleverly executed story of one man's struggle to uplift himself through harsh times. A story that transcends through various historical events and their significant impact in the life of Cecil Gaines. An ordinary man who endured and survived extraordinary times.

DARK SHADOWS

Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green,

Helena Bonham Carter, Bella Heathcote,

Chloe Grace Moretz, Jonny Lee Miller

HBO

"Every family has its demons"

When I'm asked who my favorite actor is, I always say it's Johnny Depp. Yet lately for the past decade or so, I've hardly seen any of his movies. He is still my fave though mainly because of his versatility in portraying uniquely quirky characters.  

In "Dark Shadows", he is Barnabas Collins a landed merchant who was turned into a vampire when he rebuffed the romantic notions of a 'witch'.  He is unearthed by mistake after two centuries of being buried alive. It is the year 1972 when bell bottoms and hippie mania was the main trend. He finds himself the head of a dysfunctional family, his descendants still living in Collinwood Manor (the family estate) which has fallen into ruin located in the town named after them, Collinsport. 

This latest collaboration between Depp and Tim Burton is as wacky as can be.  Not really a surprise since it is Tim Burton, after all. It was interesting and funny to see Barnabas Collins readjusting to modern day life as well as to his strange family.  Each of them with their own inner demons to deal with.

Towards the ending though, it got really so messy with a crazy witch exacting her revenge by wreaking havoc.  A chaotic few minutes that results in the total destruction of Collinwood Manor as well as the film itself.   Things just kept on getting weirder by the minute that the only recourse was to switch off the telly and head to bed.

Now I know why and when I stopped watching his films. It was during the period in his career when his collaboration with Tim Burton yielded freaky characters who only appeal to people with a dark sense of humor.  Unfortunately not my cup of tea.  Perhaps it is time I find another fave!

NOW YOU SEE ME

Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson

Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Melanie Laurent
Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman

"4 Amazing Magicians. 3 Impossible Heists.
1 Billion Dollars. This is no Illusion."

The impressive cast can somewhat fool you into thinking this would be a good if not great film. But as illusion is the main theme, we tend to be gullible and therefore most likely be deceived by the spectacular magic tricks.

"The Four Horsemen" as the team is collectively known are a group of highly skilled illusionists. Their show is not merely limited to the simple pulling the rabbit out of the hat sort of tricks. Their daring performances consists of pulling off heists to rob from corrupt merchants and giving the money back to the victims of the scams.  Yes there is a Robin Hood angle right there, come to think about it.

The film relies heavily on computer generated images to dramatize the illusions and magic tricks.  The plot held a lot of promise in the beginning with a sense of suspended disbelief as to who the real mastermind is behind the 4 Horsemen.   Yet midway everything turns pretty blurry and ends with a conclusion that leaves you hankering for more than what unfolded.  I felt cheated by the flat ending considering that the whole movie was about giving back to the duped society their hard earned money.
 

The ensemble cast do their best to sustain the momentum of the film. Yet there is only so much one can do to grab the attention of the audience if the plot itself implodes and self destructs.  It tends to drag on far too long than it is humanly possible to endure.  Yet you keep your eyes glued to the screen the way little kids do when they watch cartoons or animation movies as they are now called because you are drawn into the special effects and the magic tricks.  You really want to know who and what is their motive behind the illusions.

"Now You See Me" is fun to watch especially the high octane performances of the Four Horsemen but as most illusions go don't expect too much or else you would be disappointed once you learn the truth behind these magic tricks.

WORLD WAR Z

Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos

A few days before Halloween I thought it would be fitting to watch a scary film.  As I checked my arsenal folder of films, I noticed I didn't have any horror films (mainly because I am not a fan of this genre). 

Then I saw World War Z - zombie invasion would surely qualify as scary in my opinion.  So I settled down to watch.  At first, surely the very thought of a group of people getting infected with some sort of virus which turns them into zombies is quite frightening for me.  

But as the movie progressed and I saw the extreme lengths Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) went through to find a 'cure', the idea became less scary and more of a joke. The kind of joke that is passed around several times, it becomes stale relatively faster than you can reach the punchline.

I mean really the fact that the scientist who will extract the vaccine dies (rather carelessly as hitting his head when he slips) within several minutes of the film should tell you it can't be taken seriously.  It seems like Brad Pitt took on this project so he could (a) be the sole hero to the rescue and (b) make a film that will certainly earn him huge brownie points with his young kids.  But then it is Brad Pitt after all and I may be wrong but I don't think that award winning performance would be an apt description as far as his acting skills go.  

Probably that he is too good looking to be taken seriously but judging from his array of films so far, none really scream Oscar worthy acting, right?  So after I got over my initial fear of zombies wreaking mayhem over the universe, I simply settled back and enjoyed this popcorn popping type of mindless entertainment (sans the popcorn, of course).

The film itself is well edited with violent and disturbing images of zombies on the attack in almost every frame.  Even though he goes all over the world (Israel, Scotland) to find the 'solution', the flow of the film is still intact and balanced.  The computer generated images naturally helped in bringing the dramatic intensity factor into play.  

Then just as you expected more 'action', the film ends on an open ended sequence.  This uncertainty cues in a sequel is in the works in the distant or near future.  It would be interesting to see the different premises that will be played before a final closure is brought about.  But until then, life goes on ... preferably without any zombie attacks!

ARTHUR NEWMAN

Colin Firth, Emily Blunt

Anne Heche

"If you Don't have a Life, Get someone Else's"

SM Cinemas

I found myself at the mall to do some errands. I wanted to catch Clooney and Bullock as the unfortunate astronauts on a mission that goes wrong but unfortunately I missed the appropriate showing time, so I settled for Firth and Blunt.  

That's Colin Firth who stars as a down on his luck sales agent who decides to fake his death so he could start a new life as Arthur Newman. His dream is to resume his golf career so he intends to pursue a job as an  instructor at a golf club in another state.  Along the way, he meets Mike (Emily Blunt) herself a lost soul and they connect on more levels than one.  

This is their story.

I reckon it is quite easy for someone to just vanish into thin air without anyone missing them and assume a new identity in a huge country like the US.  In Wallace Avery's case, I found it quite sad that he didn't have a solid support system like a loving family to provide him with whatever he felt was missing in his life.  But as we see in the film, he doesn't have a warm personality. He is divorced and estranged from his family while his current girlfriend played by Anne Heche seems to be neglected and largely ignored.

The loneliness is all the more highlighted when one lonely soul meets another lonely soul. In this case, Arthur meets Mike who is I'd say more troubled than lonely.  Somehow, together they click and make the most of the time together (read: have sex a lot) even though they clearly know zilch about each other lives. 

As the film moves on and the notion of second chances peeks in, surely redemption and finding one's self cannot be far behind and right on cue they appear towards the ending. I know it's predictable but somehow watching good actors like Colin Firth and Emily Blunt bring to life such sad characters somehow made the film easier to bear.

STOKER

Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode,

Nicole Kidman, Dermot Mulroney

"Do not Disturb the Family"

The word that comes to my mind to describe this movie is 'peculiar'.  This is the story of India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) a young woman who must learn to cope with the sudden death of her beloved father.  Helping her through the 'process' is her unstable mother Evie played brilliantly by Nicole Kidman and her uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode).  Her father's younger brother who suddenly shows up after the funeral. A close relative which neither Evie nor India knew even existed.  Charlie has a magnetic draw to his personality which India cannot quite explain yet it continues to fascinate the young woman. 

"Stoker" is the first English languaged film of Chan Wook Park, a Korean director and its script is co-written by Wentworth Miller of "Prison Break" fame and who was recently in the news for revealing his sexual orientation.

The main draw for me is the brilliant way "Stoker" was filmed. The cinematography was bursting with vibrant colors. Each detail in every scene was well showcased from extreme close up scenes to wide angle shots of landscapes. Most of them accompanied with hauntingly sinister music.  It felt like a fairy tale where you'd half expect animals and plants to start talking but fortunately they didn't because it isn't an animation film.  Even though the lead actress Mia Wasikowska first debuted as Alice in "Alice in Wonderland".

The peculiar aspect rose mostly from the mysterious aura of its unique characters. Strange roles but well acted by the ensemble cast. Notably Matthew Goode as Uncle Charlie was as creepy as creepy gets even though he looks like he walked out of a GC magazine cover. But beware looks can truly be deceiving!

No doubt, "Stoker" is a dark film with rather disturbing sequences which all unfold towards the end yet the mesmerizing manner it was presented is enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.

12th Spanish Film Festival

Yet another foreign language film festival is set to amuse us.  This time it is the 12th edition of Pelicula - the Spanish Film Festival.  It will run from the 3rd of October until the 13th at the Greenbelt 3 Cinemas.

Here is the schedule of films.

For more details, kindly check out its official website at http://pelicula.ph

BEYOND(SWEDEN)

Cine Europa 16

Cinema 2, Shang Cineplex

"Beyond" is a hauntingly powerful movie as it deals with alcoholism and domestic abuse.  It is based on a novel by Susanna Alakoski and is the directorial debut of Swedish actress Pernilla August. 

A single phone call from the hospice where her mother is confined rattles Leena (Noomi Rapace) to the core. Her mother whom she has not seen in ages has only a few hours to live and wants to see her. Suddenly Leena is confronted with the demons from her past, a childhood that was wracked with neglectful parents who were mostly drunk and whose fights would turn violent.

Her past comes to the screen through flawless flashbacks where we witness how a young Leena holds the household together as her parents spiral out of control. How she practically raised her young brother trying her best to shield him from experiencing first hand the murky effects that alcoholism had imposed on their parents.  How she turns into an expert swimmer in school as her means of escape from the troubles at home.

Leena's present life though seems like a complete contrast as she is happily married to a supportive husband and they dote on their two daughters. Yet confronted with the resurgence of the memories of her past, she turns into a bitter person. Quite understandably so.  All the years of neglect and abuse she witnessed as a child come rushing to the surface and suddenly she doesn't know how to process the experience.

Case in point, when her mother talks to her on her deathbed, she tells Leena "there were some good times, though. All those parties."  Leena retorts "those were not nice parties they were disgusting drunken messes".  Two people who experience the same experience yet remember them quite differently.  Sad but a hauntingly true depiction of life.

The film itself is difficult to process despite the simplicity in the manner it was presented on screen.  It is disturbing to watch a young child go through so much misery at the hands of her own parents.  But what is more troubling is how parents can be so neglectful of their own children.  

But I am mature enough to know that not all families are blessed with parents who provide a loving home for their children.  And sometimes it takes a film like "Beyond" to show us we need to be more appreciative of our own family.