Graceland (2012)

The overpowering effect of the Sean Ellis film "Metro Manila" (2013) had barely faded, when this reviewer had the pleasure of coming across another grim tale set in the heartland of the Philippines. "Graceland" (2012), written and directed by Ron Morales also takes the viewer on a gut-wrenching tour of the debased, sleazy and squalid side of Metro Manila. While Ellis's film showcased the plight of a gullible country farmer ravaged by a greedy and corrupt urban environment, "Graceland" is a complex kidnap drama which revolves around two fathers in a similar predicament, albeit separated in their socioeconomic status and stand in society.

Moving at an unrelenting pace, Ron Morales cooks up a heady broth rich with ingredients such as corruption, scandal, kidnapping and murder. Changho (Menggie Cobarrubias) is a top politician in Manila, a congressman with a sordid secret life. Almost regularly, he picks up girls from the illicit red light district that is involved in the sex trade of underage girls, drugs them and has sexual relations with them. Changho is a powerful man who knows how to buy his way out of a backlash on his career, because inherently, everyone is willing to sell out and submit to his power.

His faithful driver Marlon (Arnold Reyes) has been in his service for 8 years. Apart from being a regular chauffeur for him, he is also the clean-up guy. He clears the mess left by his boss, and drops the girls to their respective homes. Ironically both men have daughters the age of the girls who are exploited by Changho. Marlon clearly doesn't like this, but he is under an emotional and financial pressure.

He has an ailing wife in the hospital with a prolonged illness that can be cured only by an organ transplant. Despite his reservations about his boss' filthy acts, it is the salary and the extra buck as the assistant that he can't seem to pass up. Marlon's daughter Elvie (Ella Guevara) and Changho's daughter Sophia (Patricia Gayod) are great friends, much to the chagrin of Mrs. Marcy Changho (Marife Necesito). But the girls are barely at an age where they can understand the inherent class divide between them.

A twist of fate disturbs the status quo, and Changho's little sex secret makes headlines in the form of yet unproved allegations. This is followed by Marlon's dismissal from his job. Things couldn't get any worse, when in their final trip home, the kidnapping of the girls occurs, part of which goes horribly wrong. And yet the kidnapper assigns Marlon the task of delivering the ransom message to his boss. A panic-stricken Marlon finds himself in a big soup as he becomes a potential suspect, being the only witness and having just been fired from his job. The scene gets murkier and twistier as it begins to appear that ransom isn't the only motive for the kidnapping.

Morales' story may seem to be a routine kidnap and hostage drama on the surface, but there's a lot more going on in this elaborate scheme of things. He first sets the stage by introducing his audiences to the system which is the universe in which the film is set. All the squalor, the protagonists' dingy abode and humble living conditions, the sicknesses, the corrupt officials and the shady state of affairs, the seedy red light areas, little children begging for food outside posh clubs, all give a pretty clear image of how such surroundings may influence the people living in it and how almost everything that transpires could be a systemic effect.

The gap between the rich and the poor, and the weak and the powerful is huge. The powerful have it way too easy, while the weak have no option but to be submissive. There is also a disturbingly close and realistically uncompromising look at child prostitution that could make you lose faith in humanity. Morales sometimes uses the handheld camera technique, especially in moments brimming with urgency that are filmed in a style that makes it look like a docudrama. The colouration gives off a dreary air, almost highlighting the hopelessness of some of the characters.

As the plot thickens and more characters make their way into the story, including Detective Ramos (Dido De La Paz), it is realized that there is hardly any grace in this land! There is nary a soul around who is completely pure. And given the architecture of this system, it doesn't come as a shock to see morals being compromised and rules being bent by almost everyone as they exhibit their respective shades of grey.

No one seems to play it totally straight and everyone has an ulterior motive. But as strange as it may seem, we tend to find empathy with some of these characters and it isn't entirely difficult to understand their motivations. The plot itself centers around a kidnapping gone wrong, and while we are more or less certain that it is headed for a definite doom, there are some very intriguing, aptly timed, game-changing twists that catch you unawares. It is the narrative trajectory that keeps us on the edge as a turn of events sees all three men involved, Ramos, Changho and Marlon make the case their personal agenda.

As the distinction between victim and perpetrator gradually becomes invisible, we find ourselves rooting for Marlon as he gets suffocatingly cornered into a quagmire from which there seems to be no escape. It is Reyes' towering performance that makes Marlon's pain and anguish palpable. This is one spectacular turn of a lead act that is applause-worthy. He is very well supported by Menggie Cobarrubias as the seedy politician, Dido De La Paz as the not-so-straight cop and Leon Miguel as the kidnapper. Little Ella Guevara excels as Elvie with her heartbreakingly sincere performance.

The film does fumble a bit with one fatal flaw and some heavy-handed approach to storytelling, especially in the final frames that spoonfeed the audience with flashbacks. For an otherwise mature approach, such a device wasn't necessary. But these problems need to be overlooked, for "Graceland" is an edgy, morally complex tale with a sharp script that certainly accomplishes what it sets out to achieve, and leaves us stunned, as we are left gathering our thoughts and regaining composure.

Score: 8/10

 

Metro Manila (2013)

Despite a premise not too unfamiliar, British filmmaker Sean Ellis, with his "Metro Manila" (2013), packs a mighty solid punch in a genre-bending work of cinema that combines elements of neorealist cinema, noir crime thrillers, social dramas and family melodramas.

So when Oscar (Jake Macapagal), a poor farmer from the rural Philippines, struggles to feed his family of four with meager returns from the year's crops, he decides to move to the capital city of Manila in order to try and make ends meet. Not surprisingly, it isn't all meant to be hunky dory, as the naive, gullible village-folk begin to experience the big bad urban world in all its ugly glory. The film chronicles the hardships of the family as they become victims of swindling and exploitation in the ruthless new environment they get pushed into.

Ellis shoots the film in a territory foreign to him, with actors foreign to him and in a language foreign to him. Yet he appears to be quite comfortable at the helm and it doesn't seem like he is working with foreign material or that we are watching a motion picture that isn't a native Filipino production. The film unfolds in a gritty style with camerawork that gives off a very realistic feel to the proceedings. 

It is noteworthy how Ellis presents a striking contrast as he moves the action from the country to the city. While the first few minutes in the village are soothingly serene to look at and to feel, the family's migration to the city is followed by a jarring din of vehicular traffic and the bustling life of the city exploding with people. This distinction in the quality of life in both settings is also juxtaposed against a tremendous gap between the rich and the poor in the city, caused due to rapid urbanization, economic globalization and uncontrolled immigration. This huge divide and the resulting insensitivity, cut-throat competition, selfishness and an overall dog-eat-dog atmosphere is very accurately portrayed in some minor but memorable sequences.

So while the urbanized viewer may know that Oscar might be falling for a trap when something comes alarmingly easy to him, it is very much believable why Oscar himself may not be aware that he is being taken for a ride. He is from the country, after all. In his experience, the very few people that they come across out there, stand up for each other, and are friends. But then little does he know that the guys who he helps get jobs, would refuse to even recognize him when their time comes to help him, for everyone is out there to fend for themselves.

It is interesting how, in a couple of scenes depicting Oscar taking a step that could be a gamble that may or may not pay off, there are messages on walls or hoardings that speak of submission of one's fate to higher powers. So in a way the script itself is praying for Oscar as he makes that phone call and a big sign that reads "God Bless" is seen right above him. In another scene, a glow sign screams "In God we Trust"!

Setbacks follow and even a hand-to-mouth existence becomes increasingly difficult. Driven to the edge, Oscar's beautiful wife Mai (Althea Vega) ends up working in a seedy nightclub as an exotic dancer, while Oscar secures himself a job as a security personnel in an armored vehicle company for transporting valuables. He becomes a protege of, and befriends Ong (John Arcilla), a man who showers a great deal of kindness on Oscar, but not without a hint of dubious intentions. 

By this time, Ellis' strong narration and characterization has ensured full emotional involvement from the audiences. The viewer watches with bated breath and awaits any moment of respite or a ray of hope for the Ramirez family, as every setback that befalls them doesn't fail to make one feel an emotional surge. Part of the gripping nature of the screenplay stems from how much we find ourselves rooting for these characters. Moreover, Ellis keeps everything under control and doesn't veer into extreme melodramatic territory.

This social drama blends seamlessly into the crime thriller domain while retaining the inherent moral conflicts, in an almost invisible transition, and culminates into its crushing but clever finale. The narrative is taut and tense with its fair share of twists, some predictable ones while others shockingly unpredictable, holding the audiences on tenterhooks.

One wishes that the occasionally stagey and stilted dialog and acting was restrained a little. Some repetitive interchange, which is almost hammered into the audience, also does disservice to the film by making at least one event quite predictable in the film. A couple of more intense moments, especially, important flashback sequences come off as heavy-handed and over-the-top, thereby taking away from the otherwise naturalistic look of the film.

However, Ellis does a commendable job of capturing the murky, sleazy underbelly of the city and the moral corruption of ordinary individuals that comes with it as they attempt to shape their existence. He infuses the right kind of emotional quotient that resonates well with the viewers, enough to demand their complete attention. This is accentuated, of course, thanks to a strong performance from Jake Macapagal, who delivers an incredibly balanced act that makes one instantly connect to his situation.

Do take a trip to this "Metro Manila". It is well worth your time, not only as an engrossing and powerful film experience but also as a thought-provoking social commentary, a cautionary tale and a heartbreaking account of struggle and sacrifice.

Score: 8/10

Cavite (2005)

A couple of Filipino guys put together a brilliant idea and decided to make a film on it. Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon, two ambitious young men had the concept very much in place.

The idea revolves around an American Filipino named Adam, returning to his homeland in the Philippines only to become the target of a mysterious caller on a cell phone who has kidnapped his sister and mother and threatens to kill them if Adam doesn’t comply with certain demands of his. He is not allowed to hang up either. The caller has a task for Adam and Adam is supposed to see it through to its conclusion, failing which the consequences would be dire! Adam finds himself constantly stalked as he is made to travel all around Cavite city and explore its dark underbelly, in order to run the caller’s “errand”. Everywhere he goes he feels he is being watched and a lot of people seem to be “in on it”, as at every step, Adam finds something which enables him to move forward in his task. What’s more…the caller seems to know his every move! The plot thickens as Adam finds there is more to it than meets the eye. Why has he been chosen by the caller? Could it be some extremists who have involved him in something much more dangerous than he can handle?

So there you have it. Sounds great on paper, right? But does every great idea transform into a well-executed motion picture? Sadly not, and “Cavite” is testimony to this fact.

“Cavite” partially works solely due to its interesting premise. It is this premise that somewhat manages to engage the viewer, not the execution; because the execution simply doesn’t have much to talk about. Shot entirely on handheld camera that gets irritating after a while with its constantly wobbly and brownish yellow cinematography, the film captures mostly the squalid parts of the city where there are squatter camps and garbage dumps and hungry, naked children! Now such visuals should normally move the viewer but blame it on the handling, it fails to resonate with the viewer or evoke any kind of emotion, barring a few scenes which speak volumes of the inherent hypocrisy of terrorists who scream “Jihad” at the drop of a hat! Certain props used to scare or disturb us clearly appear fake and that is another big failure on the filmmakers’ part. The film feels slightly long even for its considerably short 80 minutes length, thanks to a lazy screenplay which just doesn’t reflect the sense of urgency or anxiety that is very much essential for the subject at hand. There are hardly any tense moments and the apart from the filmmaker, the person largely to be blamed for this is the lead actor, Ian Gamazon!

This is the kind of story that has to depend on the protagonist’s able shoulders, because ultimately, it is his predicament that is supposed to evoke sympathy in his favour and thus engage the viewer. Sadly our hero proves to be the weakest link as he fails to bring out the helplessness or the vexation that any guy in his shoes would feel. If someone is holding your mother and sister hostage and wants you to carry out a task that could get you in trouble, you should be one big bundle of nerves! But Gamazon almost casually goes through everything, trying to force some emotions on his face once a while and swearing out loud when he is unable to. Alas, it amounts to hardly anything and this is the film’s biggest failure. The actor just fails to connect with the audiences! Then how are we supposed to care about his outcome anyway. The background score is also very uninspired and incomplete; perhaps some attention to a good score could’ve provided some leverage to the film.

Some suspense built in the final half hour of the film raises our expectations and one wishes the makers hadn’t been slothful with the conclusion at least, but the film pretty much ends with a whimper. Add to that some done to death clichéd ramblings about how Muslims are targeted everywhere, thus forcing them to build terrorist outfits for “Jihad” all around the world and one particularly cringe-worthy scene about Adam’s American girlfriend “not wanting to have a Muslim baby” further mar any bright prospects for the film in the audiences’ favour.

“Cavite” is a solid idea that just barely makes it in getting successfully transferred to a gripping motion picture. It has its moments but as an overall product, it just about manages to stay afloat. Watch only if you must….

(Trivia :-)…But here’s an interesting fact. In 2008, Indian director Raj Kumar Gupta made “Aamir”, a Bollywood film which rips off the premise and most of the screenplay of “Cavite”.  Only the action is shifted to streets of Mumbai city instead of Cavite! “Aamir” is a better made film, is considerably gripping and has a much better actor (Rajeev Khandelwal) playing the central actor. However, nothing can change the fact that it is shameless and unethical rip-off of “Cavite”. One only wishes Gupta had officially purchased the rights instead of blatantly copying, thinking that no one would notice. Sad..

Score: 6/10.