SARI-SARING SINENG PINOY

Schoolgirls

Schoolgirls (Regal Films, Inc.) could have been a really entertaining movie. Hints of this occur in the sequences involving Ella (Maricel Soriano) and Matthew (Joel Alano). In tongue-in-cheek style, the two play out a most unconventional courtship. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie fails to match the energy of Soriano and Alano. Something happens to actors when Maryo de los Reyes directs. They rise above themselves. Edu Manzano's performance in the film is a perfect example. Here, he completely portrays Nestor Alcala, the baduy college professor falling for someone much younger, but more sophisticated than him. This is one of Manzano's best performances. Similarly, Anita Linda has always excelled in dramatic roles but in this film, she shows herself to be excellent in a tragicomic role. As the alcoholic nightclub owner, she conveys the sense of futility that faces aging women in society. Soriano displays here the kind of tomboyish femininity that is her hallmark but Joel Alano clearly outshines everybody with a performance much better than those in his earlier films. Completely matching Soriano line for line and action for action, Alano ably portrays the young man with mixed feelings towards a girl who does not behave like one.

The acting achievements of the actors, however, are ruined by so many other elements in the film. One can't believe, for instance, that a folk house as prestigious as My Father's Moustache will hire someone who sings badly as Egoy (Edgar Mande). The art direction is a big letdown from De los Reyes' previous outings where it is usually a strong element. Here, one cannot understand how Margot (Dina Bonnevie) can have such an intellectual looking room when her mother is a nightclub owner and she herself spends more time with boys than with books, how Nestor can afford such an expensive pad, even the most exclusive schools don't pay their teachers that much or how Ella can live in such a rich house when her behavior, as well as her family smacks of lower middle class and how in the first place all three well-to-do girls are enrolled in an obviously lower income university. Schoolgirls leave much to be desired. The screenplay for instance features the wrong level of language, it uses gay lingo when it should be using colegiala English. The story is patently ridiculous, with Margot, Ella and Zora (Snooky) getting into the most incredible situations. Who would believe for instance, that a college girl, after being raped by a college professor is simply going to forget the incident? And the ending is unsatisfactory with a completely unmotivated and unconvincing attempt by Tet (Maya Valdes) to patch up everyone's life.

Directed By; Maryo J. de los Reyes
Screenplay: Jake Tordesillas
Cinematography: Joe Batac Jr.
Music: Lutgardo Labad
Film Editor: Nonoy Santillan
Art Directors: Orly Tolentino And Gabby Francisco
Produced By: Regal Films, Inc.
Release Date: June 18, 1982

Once Upon A Time

Ang Once Upon A Time (Regal Films, Inc.) ay kuwento ni Puga (Dolphy), isang tikbalang na nakikipaglaban sa puwersa ng kasamaan sa pag-asang mabawi ang mahiwagang kristal na ninakaw sa kanyang mundo. Subalit may natatanging  pakay ang mga Anatala, ito ay ang dalhin si Gwen (Janice de Belen) upang tumayo bilang kanilang Prinsesa. Samantala, napasakamay nina Rommel (Richard Gomez), Lally (Chuckie Dreyfuss), at Benny (Anjo Yllana) ang kristal. Itinawid sila ni Puga sa kanyang mundo para iligtas si Gwen sa mga Anatala dahil sa pamamagitan lamang ng pakikipag-isang dibdib ng Prinsesa kay Prinsipe Bakal (Joel Torre) makakamtan ang lubos na katahimikan sa kanilang mundo. Lingid kina Rommel ang natatangi nilang kapangyarihang dulot ng Batas Ng Dapo na ginamit nila bilang sandata laban sa mga Anatala. Nais ni Reyna Kamkam (Gloria Romero) na mapasakamay niya ang mahiwagang kristal upang mahawakan ang kontrol ang kanilang mundo. Sa pagsasanib-puwersa ng taong dapo at mga Rebelde ay napagtagumpayan nila ang pakikipaglaban sa mga Anatala at nagwagi naman si Puga sa pakikipagtunggali niya sa makapangyarihang Panginoong Bangurngor (E.A. Rocha). Hindi nahikayat ni Rommel si Gwen na sumama sa kanya, bangkus ay pinili niyang manatili sa mundo ng mga lamang lupa.

Nitong mga nagdaang taon ay hindi maipagkakailang malaki na ang iniunlad ng sineng fanatasi kung ang pag-uusapan ay ang special effects na ginagamit sa pelikula. Ipinakilala sa Once Upon Ang Time si Puga, ang mahiwagang tauhang nabubuhay sa lugar na walang empirikal na batayan at walang pagkakakilanlang panahon. Namumukod-tangi ang pagbibigay-tuon nito sa imahinatibong pagkakatha ng mga mahiwagang tauhan, lugar at pangyayari. Kiling man sa komedi, reyalistikong ipinakita sa pelikula ang pakikipaglaban sa tiyak na lugar at di-tiyak na lugar na maaring nagaganap sa bagong likhang mahiwagang lugar ng imahinasyon. Nakakatawag ng pansin ang pagsasanib ng hiwaga at reyalismo sa Once Upon A Time at kung paanong pinaglaruan ang konsepto ng reyalismo at hiwaga. Mas may kabuluhang makukuha sa pelikula hindi dahil sa pagkakakulong nito sa pormalistikong katangian ng anyo kundi sa diskurso ng paglikha ng hiwaga at pagsasanib ng reyalismo at hiwaga o paglikha ng mito sa lambong ng reyalidad at paglikha ng reyalidad sa lambong ng mito. Sa katunayan, hindi lamang sa pelikula mailalapat ang ganitong pananaw. Ang buong sine, Pilipino man o dayuhan, sa kahit na anong anyo, sa katunayan ay paglikha ng representasyon ng reyalidad at hiwaga. Dito pumapasok ang isyu ng representasyon bilang diskursibong paglikha ng mundo at mga kahulugan ng mundo. Kabilang ang akto ng representasyon sa buong heograpiya at politika ng pagsasamundo ng mundo.

Direksiyon: Peque Gallaga At Lorenzo A. Reyes
Dulang Pampelikula: T.E. Pagaspas At Rosauro de la Cruz
Sinematograpiya: Eduardo F. Jacinto
Musika: Jaime Fabregas
Editing: Jesus M. Navarro
Disenyo: Don Escudero
Produksiyon: Regal Films, Inc.
Release Date: January 3, 1987


Para kay Dolphy Hulyo 25, 1928 - Hulyo 10, 2012

Mga Uod At Rosas

A painter is frustrated with life and has been entertaining the thought of giving up his art. Painter strikes an unlikely relationship with his landlady's daughter and is also attracted to a beautiful model. The story, written by Edgardo Reyes  is hardly original, yet Romy Suzara's film is laudable with a bounty of beautiful imagery, crisp editing and impressive performances from Nora Aunor as Socorro, Johnny Delgado as Ding Daleno and Lorna Tolentino in a brief yet effective role as Nina. The art of painting plays a central and integrative role in Mga Uod At Rosas (IAN Film Productions). The title draws a connection between the film and its three lead characters. Ding Daleno is a painter and the film dwells on the psyche of an artist, how he thinks about art, his art making process and the role of art in his life, much like a portrait of a man as an artist. Cityscapes also abound in Suzara's film with beautifully shot scenes in and around Manila. The film is replete with images of life and love. Ding's paintings are about life, albeit of the unconventional type, not filled with flowers or fruits. Suzara also paints his own images in scenes such as a sink full of dirty dishes, an empty canvass and flowers in the patio. He also literally transforms some scenes into paintings as seen from Ding's eyes.

Sadly, the film reinforces some conventional and questionable notions about art. An artist as a solitary figure, an artist as a wretched-angst filled soul, an artist's space as a room-of-one's one and an artist as a middle class male. Socorro's role is also conventional as a woman. Taking care of the house, preparing the food, doing the laundry and washing the dishes. Mga Uod At Rosas also suffers from excess. Ingenious at first was the musical score but eventually becomes unbearable. The dialogue is uneven, sometimes witty turning cheesy at some point and the symbolisms were contrived. In spite of these excesses, the film's sweeping panorama of cityscapes captures its transitory nature with almost painterly quality, the attention to detail in indoor spaces transforming the frames into hand-painted paintings and the evocative use of chiaroscuro, the play of shadows and light to create mood. Danny Dalena's paintings are also vital components to the film's overall theme. Socorro is brought to life through Nora Aunor, the sterling performer. She emanates an inner beauty on screen and is unpretentious in her role. But it is Johnny Delgado's portrayal of Ding who stands out in the film as he turns in an understated, yet nuanced performance that shifts from haughty to endearing and from  desperate to hopeful. Lorna Tolentino's exuberance as an actor is a contrapunto to Aunor's restraint. The critical scene and the episode that renders the film thoroughly cinematic is when Ding leaves Socorro. At this point, melodrama flirts with melancholy, an uncanny liaison that takes us to the most fraught of ties, the most alienating of emotions and an emergent tone and terrain of affection. Ultimately, as Mga Uod At Rosas shows, there's still life for Ding and Socorro even after art.

Directed By: Romy V. Suzara
Screenplay: Edgardo M. Reyes
Director Of Photography: Romeo Vitug
Musical Director: George Canseco
Film Editor: Ike Jarlego, Jr.
Production Design: Manny Morfe And Danny Dalena
Produced By: IAN Film Productions
Release Date: May 21, 1982

In Memory of Edgardo M. Reyes September 20, 1936 - May 15, 2012