FILM REVIEWS: blessings from the bloggers

Concurring with the critical acclaim among international reviewers, the local blogosphere is starting to get the upbeat drift in time for the commercial release of 'Thy Womb' at the Metro Manila Film Festival on December 25th. Read the raves:

Originality Beyond the Ordinary. "Ito ay isang obrang orihinal at napapanahon. Pilipinong-pilipino ang tema. Samo’t saring pasabog ang matutunghayan sa bawat eksena na ngayon mo pa lang makikita sa pinilakang-tabing.

Walang halong pag-iimbot, talaga namang magaling ang pagkakahabi ng pelikula, ibang atake ang mga shots at framing ni direk Brillante dito, at higit sa lahat sa bumubuo nito nanag-isip ng husto kung papano maikukwento ang isang ordinaryong buhay na uukit sa puso at isipan ng manonood. Walang dudang magaling si Nora Aunor--litaw na litaw ang pagiging natural nito at ang ibang mga bidang kasama dito ay may kanya-kanyang eksenang dapat abangan..." -- Pinoy Movie Blog (Click the link to read the full article.)

Full of artistry, lyricism, and passion. "Mendoza gifts you with a visual feast and an exotic cultural experience... The entire cast delivers impressive performances, but it's Nora Aunor's performance, which won her the Bisato d'Oro Award in the 69th Venice Film Fest, that was the most potent and captivating; her presence strong, her eyes and subtle expressions speak volumes, holding your rapt attention, all complemented by Bembol Roco's equally natural and believable performance. Mendoza is a passionate filmmaker. A real artist. He paints stories with hyperreal and surreal strokes. And he's a poet, depicting realities with his visual metaphors  And he's an advocate. He wants to expose you to places and events that you can only speculate about, delivering facts but also incorporating symbols to give you your own personal interpretation.  An important movie to watch.  A poetic and romantic work of art. It will give the Filipino audience a foreign experience in our own land, and will provide marital drama that will intrigue even the most mainstream-loving audience." -- Films and Events Check (Click the link to read the full article.)

 Ascendancy of Ingenuity. "Brillante is a genius in telling a story to his audience by using metaphors. It is one film that will always make Mendoza climb up a notch-higher in his filmmaking stature. If Lino Brocka gave Nora Aunor ‘Bona,' Ishmael Bernal gave ‘Himala,’ Mendoza gave ‘Thy Womb’ to the Superstar. For me, this is Nora Aunor’s another ‘Himala.’" -- The Modern Scribe (Click the link to read the full article.)

Fusion of Intellect and Emotion. "No one creates an impact like the Superstar Nora Aunor: every movement she does is so crisp and her eyes are so rich in emotion (must-watched scene: Shaleha and Bangas-An lovemaking) that as a viewer, you'll be left magnetized by her raw and engaging performance. Bembol Roco's performance was also remarkable. Overall, Mendoza has once again provided us with an intellectually well-thought-out work of art that stresses selfless love amidst a selfish world. And 'Thy Womb' is an important Filipino film accompanied by breathtaking acting that leaves a big-time emotional punch." -- Chikkaness Avenue (Click the link to read the full article.)

Bounty of Irony and Beauty. "A very poignant film of which frame by frame provides an exciting surprise for the audience. And though the film is focused on her character, it is not but a wonderful work of art about a wife and her unconditional love, about a minority’s space in a beautiful town in the conflict-associated Mindanao, about life’s ironic truths, and about everything beautiful regarding the seldom-tackled Badjao-Muslim culture despite difficult situations." -- Ely's Planet (Click the link to read the full article.)

FILM REVIEW: Lino Brocka lives on in Brillante Mendoza

Sa pambungad na eksena pa lamang ng 'Thy Womb' ni Brillante Mendoza, nakita agad ang ta­li­was na misteryo ng mag-asawang Badjao na sina Sha­leha (Nora Aunor) at Bangas-An (Bembol Roco).

Nagpapaanak ng isang malusog na sanggol si Shalena na isang komadrona (midwife), habang ka­tu­long ang kanyang mister. Subalit baog ang maybahay dahil tatlong beses nakunan. Ang kanyang asa­wa, gusto pa ring magkaanak kaya pumayag si misis na maghanap sila ng pangalawang asawa ni Bangas-An na maaaring magbigay sa kanya ng anak.

Naging tatak na ng multi-awarded, world-class director na si Mendoza to perfectly, yet naturally, frame panoramic views in his film. Ang malawak na dagat at iba pang yaman ng Inang Kalikasan ay umalalay sa mga pintig ng puso at takbo ng pag-iisip ng mga pangunahing tauhan sa magandang kuwento ng 'Thy Womb.' Subalit ang laging inaabangan sa mga obra ni Mendoza ay kung paano niya epektibong napapagalaw ang kanyang mga artista. Sa kabuuan ng 'Thy Womb,' ang impresyong dulot ni La Aunor ay doon talaga siya ipinanganak sa Tawi-Tawi, doon na rin nagka-asawa at naging masipag at matiising maybahay na Badjao.

Kahit walang masyadong dialogue sa 'Thy Womb,' ang mga kilos nina Aunor at Roco ay lubhang natural. Ang mga nanonood, tila nakialam lang sa buhay nila.

Pati ang mga paghimas ng kamay at galaw ng mga daliri ng aktres, nadarama ang marubdob na dam­damin. Kulang na lang pati mga kuko niya mag-emote! Kahit maraming madulang tagpo, kahit katiting na hysterical moment, wala. Talagang parang mga usisero lang kaming lahat sa isang pribado pero madulang buhay.

Marami rin malalaking eksena sa 'Thy Womb,' kaya’t malaki rin ang budget nito. Kahanga-hanga ang wedding scene, ang araw ng palengke na ang pa­­ninda ay nasa bangka, at ang parada sa dagat ng ma­kukulay na vinta.

Kung minsan, naipakita rin ang karahasan sa da­gat ng Tawi-Tawi, sa pagitan ng mga bahay na naka­tayo sa tubig. Naghahabulan ang mga armadong sun­­dalo at marahil ang mga rebelde. Meron ding pang­kat ng mga pirata na naging biktima sina Shale­na at Bangas-An.

Medyo nagulat kami sa eksena ng pagtatalik nina Aunor at Roco. Farewell performance nila ito sa kama, sa gabing bago magpakasal kay Mersila (Lovi Poe) si Bangas-An. Bigay na bigay si Bembol pero ang La Aunor passive ang expression sa mukha dahil mapupunta sa ibang babae ang kanyang mister.

Marami pang sorpresang napanood sa 'Thy Womb' na dapat kayo na ang tumuklas sa darating na 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival, simula sa Pasko.

Noon hindi kumpleto ang career ng mga artista kapag hindi nakagawa ng pelikula kina Lino Brocka at Ishmael Bernal. Ngayon hindi pa ganap ang pagka-artista kapag hindi pa naidirek sa pelikula ni Brillante Mendoza. (ERNIE PECHO, Philippine Star)

FILM REVIEW: Nora's finest hour

‘T hy Womb,’ by all accounts, is a powerful force of cinema, destined to go down as one of the greatest films the Philippines has ever produced.

Recent box-office fares portray married people as unhappy prisoners in a contract they regret will be for life. A couple is tormented by distractions-- a mistress, a vice, a longing to be free-- all the while trying to save their marriage which somehow has turned into a jail term. But as all commercial movies must end in a sunshine note, the couple endure the temptations, they saved the marriage, the family is together again.

‘Thy Womb’ bravely debunks this current stereotype of shaky marriages by telling the story of a simple Bajau couple Shaleha (Nora Aunor) and Bangas-an (Bembol Roco), who fishes for a living. They are partners in crime in everything they do-- from fishing to weaving mats and even during birth delivery sessions where Shaleha is the midwife, Bangas-an the assistant midwife. They are aging, poor and Shaleha cannot give her husband a child because she is barren. Director Brillante Mendoza--instead of exploiting this line-up of travails enough to fill an entire season of a hit teleserye – insists that this couple is indeed contented and yes, happy. (For a change, critics can now take a break from labelling Brillante as a purveyor of the dark and the gloomy. The famed director of the violent 'Kinatay' and the grimy 'Serbis' is presenting a very simple love story.)

Even when they set out to find a fertile wife for Bangas-an, the film successfully managed to present it as just one of the things the united couple must accomplish together. In an exciting action scene at the middle of the sea, Bangas-an was confronted with the realities of life and death, and the desires of a having his own child– even through a second wife became more urgent. In between showing the Bajau culture and the breathtaking beauty of the waterworld of Tawi-tawi, the film is populated by the images of Shaleha and Bangas-an persevering to accomplish their search for a second wife while tediously working overtime.

Nora and Bembol were delightful in lighthearted scenes where husband and wife go along their daily routines. If I have neighbors like this couple, simply watching them would bring me a lot of joy. “Bakit nga ba ang mga mag-asawa ngayon parang laging harassed at malungkot sa isa’t-isa? Hindi nila gayahin itong dalawang ito,” I told myself. (You will be touched by the rain scene--full of tenderness and devotion).

Nora Aunor, in particular, had won several international awards for her role as the barren midwife and deservingly so. During moments of deep contemplations, you will find the joy and sadness, the celebrations and the longings in Shaleha’s heart through Nora’s eyes. Intense. Triumphant. Make no mistake, 'Thy Womb' is Nora’s finest hour.

Brillante Mendoza has long been accused of being ambivalent in his films. His endings unsure, message not clear. Not with 'Thy Womb.' Without resorting to tearjerking techniques, Brillante was able to hold the viewer’s full attention to the heroine's plight. In a fantastic finale reminiscent of great endings from films like 'Driving Miss Daisy' and 'Shawshank Redemption', he brings the audience to a standstill. The emotions longing to explode in pain. But soon enough, lamentations are muted by the realization that this woman's journey is a cause for celebration. (JONATHAN CATUNAO)

the conquest continues: the best of Asia-Pacific

Congratulations to Ms. Nora Aunor and Brillante Mendoza for their joint victory as best actress and best director, respectively, at the 6th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) in Brisbane, Australia.

Ms. Nora Aunor receives her APSA best actress trophy from best director winner
Brillante Mendoza at the national premiere of "Thy Womb" in Davao City.

The maiden cinematic collaboration of Aunor and Mendoza has been widely celebrated since its world premiere at the 69th Venice International Film Festival where they both received prizes from the critics. 

From Venice to Brisbane (and other international venues in Europe and Asia), Aunor and Mendoza have  reaffirmed their status as world-class artists with their historic triumph in APSA-- the first Filipinos to win at the so-called Oscars of the Asia Pacific comprising more than 70 countries-- the most prestigious accolade in cinema at the world's most diverse region. 

Thy Womb is primed for more international awards, hopefully, as it competes at the ongoing 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the 9th Dubai International Film Festival in December. The film is also expected to grace other festivals elsewhere next year. 

See the the video clip from the ceremony during the announcement of winners: 

For more details about the recent APSA victory, click here for the news and also here for a related story. Two thumbs up, "Thy Womb"! 

Click here to access and watch the entire webcast of the APSA ceremony.

a local variation on a theme of international commendation

In the wake of the glowing reviews from the foreign media and critics, their Filipino counterparts are starting to see why Thy Womb has been sailing high since the standing ovation it received from its world premiere at the 69th Venice International Film Festival where it was officially selected for competition. Here's a recent review from one of the Philippines's respected critic Pablo Tariman:

"The film captures the colorful life and tradition of the Badjaos as seen in courtship and wedding rituals and in the process showcase a rare unselfish kind of love between a Badjao comadrona and his husband. The irony of her life is that while she helps give birth to countless babies every week and keep count of them by keeping a part of their umbilical cord in her abode, she herself is childless. For love of her husband, she even helps find a suitable bride who can procreate.

It is in the role of Shaleha, the Badjao midwife, that Nora Aunor gives an incandescent performance. She has very little dialogue in this film but every time the camera focuses on her with her marital predicaments quietly etched on her face, she delivers a kind of acting that is natural and thus even more astounding.

Scriptwriter Henry Burgos has woven a tale of unselfish love that is unusually quiet and very cerebral. The breath-taking cinematography of Odyssey Flores captures the scenic way of life of the Badjaos. On his part,  Brillante's direction unwittingly stayed away from unnecessary details that will detract from the simple life of this gentle Badjao couple. When the couple makes love for the last time before the takeover of the new bride played with sensitivity by Lovi Poe, you can see that the heroine in this film is made of sterner stuff.

For its portrayal of the way of life of the Badjaos, the Brillante Mendoza film is a refreshing entry in the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival. It could educate a bulk of our young moviegoers who equate love with the usual "kilig" formula. It can further educate them on how our Muslim brothers live and how they cope with unstable peace and order in their territory..."

Click to read the rest of the article, and click here for another Filipino reviewer's insight.

Below is the video of the director's interview at the Brisbane International Film Festival.

fingers crossed for fair chances

Let there be more laurels. As far as fair prospects are concerned for Thy Womb since it hauled three awards on top of the rave reviews from its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, the month of November promises yet another chance for Ms. Nora Aunor and director Brillante Mendoza to take center stage again.

Where Aunor and Mendoza have made history as the first Filipinos to be nominated as best actress and best director at the 6th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), hopes are afloat for another round of applause at the APSA ceremony in Brisbane, Australia on the 23rd of November. Seven days later on the 30th, trophies will be handed out to the winners of the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa where Thy Womb is among the 15 films selected for IFFI's International Competition section. 

The film's competitive edge at APSA and IFFI come in the heels of its sold-out exhibition at the ongoing Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) where the audience's reaction has been reported as rapturous as the critics' commendation. “Lyrical and beautifully acted,” exclaims one mini-review echoed by another upbeat dispatch that quoted one film critic/curator: "What a brilliant film! It is very specific, authentic yet very universal."

Such positive vibes for Thy Womb from its audience in Brisbane also radiated from Taiwanese audience who came at the recent Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival where Thy Womb was showcased. “A quiet, fascinating look at Tawi-Tawi..." So went one of the tweets of Ruben Nepales, the incumbent chairperson of the Hollywood Foreign Press, who saw the film in Taipei and left the theater with all thumbs up: “Nora Aunor’s expressive eyes are reasons enough to watch the film. Bravo, Nora Aunor!" (Click here to read Nepales's Twitter comment.)

No less touched and moved by what she saw was Paula Ďurinová, a documentary filmmaker, who watched Thy Womb at the Bratislava International Film Festival in Slovakia. In her personal message to the film's Facebook page, Ďurinová wrote:“I just want to thank you for this amazing film... I am still deeply touched by the story and the characters... so once more I simply thank you for this beautiful, sad, human, strong experience." She added that Aunor's performance "was so natural and honest."

to see is to rave

Take a peek at the official trailer and poster  of Brillante Mendoza's latest masterpiece--an  enthralling mix of ethnography and love story--about an aging Bajau midwife coping with the irony of her own infertility amid the crosscurrents of nature's grace and the grim banality of terrorism in her indigent community of sea gypsies. Set in the islands of Tawi-Tawi, here's a tale that swirls between the devil of passion and the deep blue sea of tradition. 

 
In retrospect, the cinematic collaboration of Ms. Nora Aunor and Mendoza (best director at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival)  has been brimming over with the bounty of their artistic chemistry as shown in the following teaser suggesting the camaraderie of the cast and crew behind the scenes. 
 

chiaroscuro of cinemagic

Still casting a spell with her subdued performance in Brillante Mendoza's latest film, Ms. Nora Aunor remains a haunting presence in the light and shadow of her artistry. So attests an academician who was in Rome where "Sinapupunan" (Thy Womb) was screened recently after its world premiere in competition at the 69th Venice International Film Festival. 

The Superstar as Shaleha Sarail, a barren Bajau midwife who goes the distance of 
personal sacrifice for the love of her child-yearning husband. (Photo by Bor Ocampo)

According to college professor Rene Orobia Durian, an Italian senator told him it was "unforgivable" that the jury failed to declare Aunor as the best actress despite the  various reviewers' unanimous ode to her performance, especially after her historic achievement as the first actress of any nationality to win the Bisato d'Oro (Golden Eel) prize given by an independent group of European critics who covered the Venice festival. Still enthralled by the  collaboration of the Philippine's greatest actress and the most internationally renowned Filipino filmmaker, the professor exclaims: “Ang kagandahan ng 'Thy Womb', unti-unting kinukuha ang loob ng nanonood. Sa umpisa hindi mo mapapansin dahil marami kang matatanaw sa paligid, ang ganda ng mga tanawin sa Tawi-Tawi. Hindi mo mamamalayan na hinihigop na pala ni Shaleha ang iyong loob. Hanggang sa huli, natagpuan mo na lang ang sarili na naipako na ni Nora Aunor!”

That sense of rapture has been in sync with the chorus of superlatives from Venice to the recent 50th Vienna International Film Festival where a critic blogger counts it among the best of world cinema that he ranks with the highest five-star rating.   

No less starry-eyed is another Australia-based Filipino blogger who waxes effusive about 
Mendoza's handling of the film and Aunor's portrayal: "While Brillante Mendoza has wielded his unconventional directing style to make this film another masterpiece, Nora Aunor immortalizes on (sic) this film her brand of underacting. In fact, she redefines it here...Consider a few instances in the film where Nora shows complex feelings of sorrow and gratitude, longing and frustration, love and loss without having to utter a single word, but with those eyes, oh, those eyes piercing right through your heart. Her glance at the crescent moon, at the flight of birds, and towards Allah in heartfelt prayer, and those downcast eyes in the face of embarrassment, you know she is telling you more than you can hear in dialogue, and right at that moment you understand. This is what makes ‘Thy Womb’ a moving story..." (Click the link of the full review.) 

along with the world's best

Reaffirming itself as the year's most internationally acclaimed Filipino film, "Sinapupunan" (Thy Womb) will soon be shown in Poland for the 8th Cinema Festival World Edition  as one of the selected movies from Latin America, Asia, and Africa that have had their world premieres at major international film festivals. It will be held in five major Polish cities--Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Poznan, & Wroclaw--from November 22 to December 3, 2012. 

Unofficial Fan Poster: BERNIE PLACIDO

The announcement from Poland came in the heels of an official news from the 9th Dubai International Film Festival where Brillante Mendoza's film is set to compete for major awards.  (Click for the link to the news.) 

Also scoring historic nominations for best actress (Nora Aunor) and best director (Mendoza) at the 6th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), the film about the Bajau sea gypsies in southern Philippines has been officially selected either in competition or exhibition at various international film festivals in Venice, Toronto, Busan, Bologna, Vienna as well as in Brisbane and in the Indian city of Goa (official news to be announced soon). 

Meanwhile, the European tour of the Aunor-Mendoza collaboration continues in Slovakia for the 14th International Film Festival of Bratislava.  More invitations to other international filmfests to be announced soon. 

living up to the legend

Cruising through a high tide of critical acclaim, "Sinapupunan"(Thy Womb) continues to make waves with the force of nature embodied by its legendary lead actress. "Nora Aunor's performance is spectacular in 'Thy Womb'. It is a very very beautiful film," raves Maxine Williamson, the artistic director of the 6th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) where Aunor and Brillante Mendoza have made history as the first Filipinos to be nominated for best actress and best director, respectively. Awards night for the most prestigious cinematic accolade in the region (comprising 70 countries) will be on Nov. 23 in Brisbane, Australia. (Click the link to access the Williamson's interview.) 

“Nora Aunor is a Filipino screen legend. She’s also a hugely popular singer with unprecedented record sales, and a television host and actress. She has to date appeared in over 170 films, including the multi-award winning films Bona (1980), Himala (1982), The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995) and Naglalayag (2009). In 1999, Aunor received the Centennial Honour for the Arts awarded by the Cultural Centre of the Philippines.” So goes the testimony for Aunor at the APSA website. (Click the link to access the nominee's tribute page)  

“I don’t think there could be anyone who would be able to portray her role in 'Thy Womb.' I only had her in mind when I thought of the film. The role is very intense and character-driven. There is not much dialogue. Nora’s eyes are very expressive that words become useless when she projects the emotions needed…” affirms Brillante Mendoza. (Click the link for the full article.)

Humility and artistic ferocity become her, adds the director who says that Aunor refused preferential or VIP treatment for her at the set. Moreover, her much-heralded acting prowess is matched only by her creative courage in pushing herself to the limit despite the dangerous conditions during the shoot--leaping off a boat onto a shark-infested water, ushering in a real birth of a baby, etc.-- to fulfill the requirements of her role as a self-sacrificing Bajau midwife. Mendoza has been quoted profuse with praise for the Superstar: "I know she’s good but I never thought she’s this good. My God, grabe!” (Click the link for the full article.)

Citing her down-to-earth attitude as well as her exemplary contribution to Philippine culture and arts, Mendoza affirms Aunor as deserving to be conferred the long overdue National Artist award. "Para sa akin si Nora Aunor ang epitome ng pagiging artist," explains Mendoza, who is the first Filipino to win the best director prize at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2009. Regarding his first time to work with Aunor, he swears: "Other actors of her time, of her generation parang...I can't see them doing or delivering what she has done in this film..." (Click the link for the full article.) 

The winning streak of the Mendoza-Aunor collaboration started when it was officially selected for a world premiere (in competition) at the world's oldest international film festival in Venice where the critics honored Aunor as best actress. The film also won two other special awards for "giving voice to the Bajau community in a respectful and involved manner...Ethnographic, the film goes beyond naturalism and turns into poetry..." and succeeds in expressing "authentic human values." (Click the link for the full article.)