To a jaded moviegoer who thinks he has seen it all, “Metro Manila” offers a compelling reason for viewers to revisit Philippine cinema. I was recently invited for the press screening of “Metro Manila” last Tuesday August 13, at “The Block” in SM North Edsa. “Metro Manila” was directed by the UK’s Academy Award nominee Sean Ellis whose recent renown came from other critically films such as “Cashback” and “The Broken”. The film stars Jake Macapagal, Althea Vega and John Arcilla to name a few. Prior to the press viewing the film has managed to bag the “Audience Award” in the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. With such credible accolades, expectations run high; especially for one who had to drive unexpectedly for 50 kilometers and back just to see the film.
The title and tagline: “Metro Manila” – Desperate Men Take Desperate Measures, trite and cliché as it may seem reveals very little about the film’s content. It may even be setting itself up for possible disappointment. The movie poster depicts the silhouette of a man wearing a Kevlar helmet, shotgun in one hand and metal case in the other. There is a backdrop of a woman (the obvious love interest). I thought I was about to see a Filipino action movie. While cliché seem to be the order of the day, here is another one: “Do not judge a book by its cover!”
| SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY! Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Opt into a paid subscription and you'll get premium insider briefs and insights from us. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Learn more |
The film begins with a situational for the characters’ beginnings under a tranquil and majestic visual landscape of the Rice Terraces. It starts in the highland rice farms of Banaue where the couple with their two children struggles to survive, only to be caught up in a vicious cycle of rural poverty. They make a move to the city with everything they have in hopes of better fortunes in Metro Manila. The decision is shortly followed by a series of unfortunate events. Starting with a stalled jeepney that foreshadows the rest of the film in poetic portrayal. While in the jeep over to Manila his daughter finds a shiny coin and hands it to his father; a symbol of luck and hope despite the difficult circumstances. The first few moments in the film almost seemed draggy and perhaps it was meant to be so. I asked myself: “Where is the writer / director going with this?” Upon the family’s arrival in Manila, the film changes its tempo to a choppy and frantic pace. The family desperately walks through the mad crowds of Quaipo’s Feast of Nazareno. The viewer is bombarded by a flurried chaotic congestion. It is visually overwhelming yet carefully premeditated. It is a visually eloquent film, stark and crisp to its brutal details. You could swear that the director is a photographer who also has mastery in the medium of “moving pictures”.
Beyond the visuals, we have a story well told. An innocent and unassuming provincial couple that is pushed into a hostile environment by circumstance makes for characters we can all sympathize with. To make a long story short without spoiling it (as there is great danger), the couple falls into a vicious cycle where the man as a last resort finds a job as an armed personnel for an armored vehicle and the woman out of desperation to feed her child is pushed into prostitution. While this may all seem quite typical, the other characters in the story do so well in making a simple scenario deep and complex (Credit to John Arcilla and Miles Canapi). With such naïve and unassuming characters played by Jake Macapagal and Althea Vega, it makes the viewer ask about people and their intentions. Are people generally good or evil? Is there any hope within the thick slurry of social degradation? Is there any redemption from the typical scenarios that ensnare the common man and woman in poverty? The story is rendered in indelicate rhetoric and delivery that punctuates the desperation with further insult and debasement. The viewer in his sympathy says prayers in breaths hoping for some breakthrough and relief from the bitter and naked realities of city life. While this is no action movie, the film spares no details in moments of brutal violence.
The story does however have its undulations of hope and happiness: enough for the viewers to press on with the characters. This however is interrupted by a thickening plot. There is an escalation of complex twists. The story was never predictable. It is progressively involving. While watching, I lost any sense of when and how it was going to end. I was clinging only to hope in honest desperation yet resolved in accepting the tragedies of reality. A tragedy it might have been at dismissal, but who am I to spoil it? Having seen the film, I could only urge the reader to unravel the clever plot by himself. The story is really that good.
To be devoid of the glare that comes with mainstream stardom is a good thing. It makes for more authentic and believable characters. Combined with skillful writing and directing, this makes for a very engaging and effective story that is progressively and towards the end absolutely engaging. With such dramatic performance these actors are worthy of even deeper respect. It is a film that does not sugarcoat poverty, as we would usually have it, but exposes its brutal and naked realities in visual and dramatic poetry. It is a story that is saturated with social relevance yet does not fail to engage its audience in crisp artistic drama. A copy of this film is making it to my shelf for posterity.
John is a Senior Management Consultant for Strategy and Planning and has consulted with some of the most famous local and international companies. He has a combined experience of 15 years in the area of Enterprise Development and Corporate Strategic Planning. He has been a Professional Manager, a Management Consultant a Development Economist and an NGO Executive Director.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10191463/Metro-Manila-exclusive-new-trailer.html
Metro Manila
Video: watch a new trailer, exclusive to The Telegraph, of Metro Manila, the new film from Oscar-nominated British director Sean Ellis.
By Rupert Hawksley
7:00AM BST 22 Jul 2013
The new trailer for Metro Manila, a gritty Philippines-set thriller from director Sean Ellis, has been released exclusive to The Telegraph.
Starring Jake Macapagal and Althea Vega, the film, which won the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of Oscar Ramirez (Macapagal) and his family’s ill-fated search for a better life amid the hustle-and-bustle of Manila’s seedy underbelly. After securing a job as a security driver, however, Ramirez becomes caught up in the violent drug culture that dominates large areas of the city.
Ellis joins a host of British film-makers who have taken their work abroad recently, including Gareth Edwards, who filmed Monsters in Central America and Gareth Evans who worked on martial arts thriller, The Raid, in Jakarta.
Ellis, whose other work includes the Oscar-nominated short film Cashback and dark thriller The Broken, was inspired to make his latest film after seeing a real life heist while on holiday in Manila.
Metro Manila is in UK cinemas this September 2013.
Nice to see your view of it, John. And I like your poetic touch to it. I’m more of a grump. hehe
I am sure once the movie is released on DVD and/or Blu Ray it will be available to be downloaded as torrent.
Here are just a few links about the movie:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1845838/combined
https://www.facebook.com/metromanilafilm
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jan/25/metro-manila-review
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/metro-manila-sundance-review-415508
Grumps live longer! Look it up… I actually did like it. Believe me I’ve given more brutal reviews. This one however shouldn’t be seen through Filipino eyes (Glazed with familiarity and fantasy). There were also some off moments (especially in the beginning) with dialogues which typically did not sound natural as you might have said. Some of my mental notes were saying that they should’ve actually been speaking Ilocano in the beginning. For a peasant, Jake spoke English really well! In the end the visual editing and the twisting plot compensated my earlier criticisms.
“For a peasant, Jake spoke English really well!” – That I noticed but forgot to mention. And yes, they’re not supposed to speak Tagalog. haha
It was good execution through and through. But Filipinos are least likely to be the target audience, right? I think I should have had that in mind when I wrote my review.
Good point ChinoF! Thank you for your grumpy review. I welcome most critques.
When we were in the Mountain province, I was surprised english is used widely. They have a University in that part of the world. And most locals have japanese blood. Japanese prisoners of war who built the roads after the WWII found their homes in the Cordilleras. In trade, most inhabitants from the lowlands spoke Ilocano to them.
I still beat myself how I could have used an accent in the film- sometimes, but its done. And after watching a Victor Hugo masterpiece spoken and sung in posh and cockney english- I felt better. In the end, Sean just said “use neutral accents whether in english or tagalog”.
I can’t believe I’m writing this. It’s actually engaging. Metro Manila film is not faultless but I’m happy we delivered your expectations. Thanks again for your remarkable reviews.
John B and Chino F. Well in case you saw Oro, Plata, Mata. They shot the film in Negros and it felt like Negros and the Tagalog seemed out of place instead of Ilonggo. But yes for practical reasons it had to be that way. Oh isn’t that a polarizing blog waiting to happen?
Can you go 2 seconds without force feeding us your exemplary view of some politician? No wonder it’s called Show Biz Govt. It is all show on your part and no biz.
I don’t think you’d know what a good film is even if it came and bit you in the ass.
It is you who keeps trying to drill into us that Noynoy is the Messiah. That is repeating yourself.
and yet here you are, insisting that he is one even though you are falsely denying it.
Troll harder, you moron
Cool! Bida the Malacanang Troll’s replies were all deleted (and not by me) and it looks like I am fighting with Johnny Derp and Amir.
That’s right. Note that it makes it easier for me to delete them (and other trolls’ comments) if you guys simply stop responding to trolls like BK…
Noted. at least we can get rid of him easier. I think at this point we should just give him the cold shoulder since all he does is post his stupid propaganda here.
Thanks for the three different reviews and perspectives towards the film. Great writing.
I am hoping it makes it’s way down to Negros for a showing sooner or later.
Thanks Chris! It’s good to see something a bit different now and then. Cheers!
Chris, did the movie/ documentary Give Up Tomorrow make it out there?