FILM REVIEW: spectacular in so many ways

The movie ‘Thy Womb’ is spectacular not just because of its expensive special effects, the hundred million-peso production budget, the star-studded main cast with hundreds of players, but for its beautiful story, the kind you just have to watch.

The location is as spectacular—the water villages in Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi, a rich seaweed community.

What makes ‘Thy Womb’ even grander? It stars Ms. Nora Aunor and Bembol Roco, two Filipino actors whose excellence and consummate passion for their craft remain unparalleled in the local movie industry. More, ‘Thy Womb’ is by Cannes Film Festival Best Director Brillante Mendoza.

Of course, Lovi Poe turned out a splendid performance too as with the Badjao actors who played themselves as members of the water village.

The cinematography in ‘Thy Womb’ offers sceneries so quiet and lovely even as they evoke wonderment on how life is for people who live on those native houses built on stilts, with seawater flowing freely underneath.

Now the story: Nora is Shaleha Sarail, a woman who had already undergone three miscarriages and can no longer give her husband, Bang-An (Bembol) a child. Shaleha will sacrifice and do everything to make her husband happy so she convinces a village girl named Mersila (Lovi) to become the second wife of Bang-An. During a traditional conference among the village elders, Mersila accepts the proposal, but in a secret talk with Bang-An, she makes him promise that after giving birth, he will separate from Shaleha.

Bang-An and Shaleha make love. A prophetic love-making. The eyes of Shaleha are wide open and wondering even as Bang-An does the ritual of a fruitless passion.

The close-up scene where Mersila gives birth that shows the head of the baby coming out is so endearing – with Shaleha as the midwife, herself, deftly assisting in the delivery. It’s a scene so tender, bordering on the miracle of life and death, that will linger in the minds of moviegoers for a long time. (CRISPENAMARTINEZ-BELEN, Bulletin Today) 

FILM REVIEW: a lyrical ode to Tawi-Tawi

‘Thy Womb’ seemed to have Mother Nature included in its production payroll as the sun, the rain, a rainbow, a butanding (whale shark) all appear or disappear as if on cue from the film’s director, Brillante Ma. Mendoza. 




Call it divine intervention, if you will, because these incidents allowed Direk Brillante to make full use of Tawi-Tawi’s picture-perfect nature shots to convey the film’s unsentimental approach to the ordinariness of extraordinary situations. 



Panoramic vistas of the turquoise blue sea in the opening sequences will leave a lasting impression upon viewers. There are aerial shots of the houses built on stilts and breathtaking underwater shots of a huge butanding. Scenes of a floating market may give the impression that these were shot in Thailand but the setting is actually in Sitangkai. This remote fishing village in Tawi-Tawi is known as the "Venice of the Philippines" due to the predominance of boats as transportation.
 Vibrant hues are used to the hilt in a Muslim wedding scene, which also features a multitude of colorful vintas. These stunning visuals make ‘Thy Womb’ a lyrical ode to Tawi-Tawi.

‘Thy Womb’ is included in the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival and is the only movie among the eight official entries to be released internationally prior to its local screening. ‘Thy Womb’ was in competition for the 69th Venice International Film Festival.

Nora Aunor plays Shaleha, a Badjao midwife who is unable to bear a child for her husband Bangas-An, played by Bembol Roco. Shaleha is unwavering in her quest to find a suitable “second wife” for her husband, specifically one who would bear him a child. Lovi Poe as Mersila is the young woman who agrees to the set-up—a practice that is accepted in Badjao culture. Written by Henry Burgos, ‘Thy Womb’ is the only non-mainstream film included in this year’s MMFF. 

It would be best for audiences to keep an open mind when watching 'Thy Womb'. There are no dramatic confrontation scenes between the wife and the would-be “other woman”. There are sporadic acts of violence in this otherwise tranquil place. The process of acquiring a new wife is business-like as negotiations between the bride and groom’s parties are simple and straightforward.

‘Thy Womb’ challenges viewers to drop—for at least 90 minutes—their long-held beliefs, both personal and cultural.

It is an eye-opener about life in the southernmost part of Mindanao as it presents little-known customs, rituals and day-to-day realities of Tawi-Tawi’s seaside community.

The film’s unflinching authenticity is impressive. The genuine real-time birth scene, the actual beheading of a cow, the six languages spoken by various characters throughout the movie—all speak of the effort and attention to detail put in by the entire cast and crew.

According to a linguist invited to the film’s screening in Davao City, languages spoken in ‘Thy Womb’ include Tagalog, mostly uttered by the main stars Nora Aunor, Bembol Roco, Lovi Poe and Mercedes Cabral;  English, Arabic (for the Muslim prayers and greetings), Tausug (spoken by Mersila’s family), Central Sinama and Southern Sinama  spoken by the children, vendors and extras in the background.

As Nora Aunor’s comeback movie, ‘Thy Womb’ is a fitting vehicle to display the Superstar’s acting prowess on the big screen. Her piercing melancholic eyes convey more emotion than words ever could.

Trapped between his need to have a child of his own and the rules of the betrothal arrangement, Bembol Roco’s performance effectively arouses both sympathy and resentment.

Lovi Poe’s beguiling innocence beneath her cold practicality is convincing.

In one fell swoop, Mendoza weaves the personal (one’s notion of selfless love, joy, sadness,) with the cultural (how one’s actions, choices, thoughts are dictated by the society one is in) and the national (Tawi-Tawi’s socio-political setting).  His sweeping execution is subtle yet emotions are felt intensely and particular beliefs are known without being preached.

If you are open to having your view of Mindanao challenged, if you are up to the idea of watching a movie that puts you out of your comfort zone, if you are willing to question your own judgments and preconceived notions—this film is a must-see. If you want to witness Nora Aunor’s long-anticipated comeback on the big screen, this movie is worth the wait.

‘Thy Womb’ will move you with its heartbreaking ending and the sensation, not just the memory, lingers long after you’ve left the theater.

‘Thy Womb’ is one of the entries competing in the 38th MMFF that will run from December 25, 2012 until January 8, 2013.
 (JENNIFER DUGENA and JOCELYN DIMACULANGAN, Philippine Entertainment Portal)

FILM REVIEW: Brillante Mendoza's finest

I was not a big fan of Brillante Mendoza's earlier works. But the last two films —'Captive' with French actress Isabelle Huppert and 'Thy Womb' with Nora Aunor (both competed in film festivals abroad and won) — piqued an admiration for his talent.

I attended the screening of 'Thy Womb' that Mendoza conducted for the press at his Centerstage Productions Inc office recently, and found a truly moving movie, to say the least.

'Thy Womb' is about a childless couple living in the heart of Tawi-Tawi, Mindanao. Though the setting was not Mendoza's original choice, when he visited the place during an ocular inspection, he immediately fell in love with it and the community of Badjaos living in it.

Nora Aunor as Shaleha perfectly plays the role of a barren wife to Bembol Roco’s Bang-Asan.

Only an actress of Aunor's caliber can pull off the struggles of an infertile wife who also has to be the midwife to Mersila (Lovi Poe), Bang-Asan's second wife.

The scene where she carries the newborn baby is moving. If only for this scene alone, there is no doubt that Nora Aunor is the top contender for the MMFF Best Actress trophy.

As a storyteller, Brillante is always clever with using metaphors. 'Thy Womb' has several heart-wrenching scenes featuring the finest talents in Philippine cinema, including the beautiful Mercedes Cabral in a cameo role.

While the plot’s development is a bit dragging, as soon as it hits the high notes with its dramatic parts, it successfully sustains the momentum, keeping the moviegoers glued until the heart-breaking end. (JUDE CARTALABA, Rappler)

hear them hail her

Adjectives about Ms. Nora Aunor's genius as an actress have rendered it convenient for the country's cinephiles to consider her the greatest performer Philippine cinema has ever produced.  

In stark contrast to her diminutive frame is her elevated place in world cinema, entrenched further by her globally acclaimed portrayal as a passionate but barren Bajau midwife in 'Thy Womb.'  In competition at the 69th Venice International Film Festival, her latest film made her the first actress of any nationality to win the Bisato d'Oro (Golden Eel) prize given by an independent group of European critics  covering the festival. She made another record when she became the first Filipino to win best actress at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) in Brisbane, Australia where Brillante Mendoza also carved a historic distinction for winning best director.

Considered the Oscars of the Asia Pacific region (covering at least 70 countries), the APSA ceremony solidified her stature in the eyes of international critics. “She’s too gifted as an actress,” exclaimed Hong-Joon Kim, a professor of the Korean National University of Arts who chaired the Nomination Council of the 6th APSA. It was hard "to figure out if Nora was a real actor or just an ordinary Bajau woman because of her intensity and naturalness in the film," explained the professor. (Click the link here to read the full article.) 

Fresh from her recent twin triumphs in Venice and Brisbane, hopes are high for her to emerge as the strongest contender at the awarding ceremonies of the 55th Asia Pacific Film Festival in Macau and the 9th Dubai International Film Festival that are both slated this weekend. The hype, after all, has been substantiated with superlatives from no less than Philip Cheah, the programmer of the AsiaAfrica edition of the 9th Dubai International Film Festival, who picked 'Thy Womb' among the choice cuts of the competition. “In a stunning comeback role, Philippine superstar Nora Aunor breathes soul into her character of a lowly wife who is as summarily sacrificed like an animal," Chea lauded. (Click the link here to read the full article.)

Aside from two of Asia's prominent film scholars, an Italian senator and cineaste also waxed profuse over Aunor's magnificence on screen.  He compared her to a "great Italian artist...who was able to convey emotions with minimum movements, small gestures." He added, "In acting, the more you scream and shout, the less powerful the scene becomes. Aunor’s strength comes from within. Magnifique!" (Click the link here to read the full article.) 

"Nora is an ultimate actress and a real artist. She personifies whatever character is given to her," affirmed Brillante Mendoza, the first Filipino to win the Best Director award at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival, when asked what it was that he discovered about Ms. Nora Aunor while shooting the film. (Click the link here to read the full article.)

Indeed, the consensus about Aunor is all of a piece with the fact that she is the first Filipino leading actress whose films have been showcased in the top three international festivals in Venice, Berlin, and Cannes. Aside from topping the Top 10 Best Asian Actresses at the Green Planet Awards in Hollywood on 2009, she's also the first Filipino hailed as best actress at the Cairo International Film Festival for her performance in the 'Flor Contemplacion Story.'

Check the video below for the latest festival foray of 'Thy Womb.'

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)