Vincent Sandoval's Aparisyon - Guilt, Tragedy and the Holy

Adoration Cloister is a religious sanctuary in the woodlands of Rizal where less than a dozen monghas (nuns) reside. These nuns are self sustaining. They farm their own vegetables and sell their medicinal plants to town for revenues. They live with vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to their superiors. They also shun communicating with the outside world, preferring a life of prayer. The year is 1971 and the nation is gripped by down spiraling political events – Marcos declaring Martial Law, the bombing of the Liberal Party in Plaza Miranda, subversives sprouting all over the nation. It’s a bleak era for our country. Sister Lourdes (Jodi Sta. Maria) comes into this scenario with wide-eyed optimism as she joins Adorasyon. She is welcomed by Sister Ruth (Fides Cuyugan Asencio), madre superior, and her right-hand “man” Sister Vera (Raquel Villavicencio) as they usher her into her religious vocation.

In the convent, she meets Sister Remy (Mylene Dizon) , the congregation’s extern who, as such, is tasked to face the “outside world” – buying supplies for their daily sustenance, selling plants at the market, etc. Among this population of nuns, Sister Lourdes finds alliance in the dexterous nun who soon ropes Lourdes into her outside activities. Sister Remy is distracted by the disappearance of her activist brother. She asks for a leave from her chores to help her family, but Sister Ruth didn’t allow her to. As a consequence, she takes covert detours, joining meetings of people with missing family. Sister Lourdes becomes party to their clandestine activities.

One day, the meeting stretches longer than necessary. The woodlands soon turn into a dimly lit, treacherous abyss. As the nuns make their way into the convent, they get assaulted. While Sister Remy gets to wriggle out of their predicament, Sister Lourdes isn't as lucky. She gets battered and raped until she’s but a limp and used entity of bruises and broken spirit. What happens to Sister Lourdes? The event stirs this reclusive crowd and throws them in a morally precarious stance. How will they save face from this tragedy? Would they cooperate with the local authority investigating the crime? In a time of strife, where conservative practices reign supreme, answers aren’t easy to come by.   

Director Vincent Sandoval and writer Jerry Gracio weave a tale rich in pathos and moral dilemma. They create an atmosphere of disconsolate isolation and helplessness, it almost feels like watching a horror story more than tragi-drama. The crisis is so palpable, it's almost difficult to detach oneself as a mere spectator. But what's more harrowing than  the random act of violence is the reality that eventually unfolds as the story moves into its conclusion. Moral hypocrisy exists even among those who's supposed to know better.

"Aparisyon" boasts of a powerful ensemble (a spectacular cast from Jodi Sta. Maria to Mylene Dizon, from the fantastic Fides Cuyugan Asencio to the empathetic Raquel Villavicencio), richly textured characters, and a stifling sense of paranoia, helplessness and disgruntling gloom. It allows us to look within ourselves and consider the hard questions presented in the movie. This is a must-see and, clearly, one of the best works to come out of this festival. Do not miss this!  

The nuns of Adorasyon wake up at 3:30 AM daily, work around the cloister, and pray all day.

Sister Lourdes (Jodi Sta. Maria) joins the congregation.

Time to get married to Jesus for Sister Remy. She resists lipstick, but gets told, "Masama bang maging maganda para sa Panginoon?"

Assaulted and abandoned

Guilt

Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang – Horror vs Lunacy

Daniel and Corazon (Derek Ramsay and Erich Gonzales) are an impassioned couple living their rustic lives in war ravaged Magdalena, a town where the preponderate fist of feudal landlord Matias (Mark Gil) rules. The latter’s occasional incursion is generating whispery hums of uprising from the barrio folk. While Daniel is a welcome presence, Corazon – a radiant beauty – is scorned by the gossipy women. Despite Corazon’s dainty demeanor, she bears the stigma of her departed mother believed to have had contentious sexual alliances with American and Japanese soldiers. But the people’s constant derision is not the least of Corazon’s concerns. After five year of marital bliss, Corazon remains childless; and the couple is getting desperate for a child.

One day, Corazon visits a hilot (Maria Isabel Lopez) notorious for performing unorthodox rituals and orasyons. She lends the statue of San Gerardo, the patron saint of expectant mothers, with very specific instructions: take the statue to a quiet place on a hill where, for a week, the expectant mother has to stay there and pray on the saint from dusk until dawn. Corazon did so and not long after, she starts infanticipating.

As land disputes heat up in Magdalena, Matias’ staunch critics start disappearing – and dying! But instead of turning to the despotic landlord, the barrio folk turn to a wandering lunatic named Melinda (Tetchie Agbayani) who has a reputation of being a witch. While defending Melinda from a violent crowd (Melinda was eventually killed, but not before she throws a “curse”), blood streams down Corazon’s legs. Did she lose the child?

The succeeding scenes show Corazon carrying her child to term. But when she gives birth, it was stillborn. The impact of their loss takes a toll on Corazon’s sanity as she refuses to bury her dead child. She carries the corpse around town to the consternation of the people who loathes her from the start. One day, Corazon raises the child and shouts to the heavens seeking retribution to her God: “Isasama ko ang aking anak sa aking paghihiganti sa Inyo!” Then she starts gobbling up until every morsel of flesh is consumed. Having crossed the dark line, Corazon is consumed by her craving for flesh. She soon hunts for live animals and eats them. When those didn’t suffice, she turns predator to the children of her barrio. Body count piles up and fear envelopes the land.

Daniel meanwhile is desperate to find his straying wife. His neighbors speak of tales alluding to Corazon and the disappearances of children in town. But Daniel is aware of a few things involving Matias and his gun-toting henchmen. Will he ever find Corazon before the people get to her?

Director Richard Somes is back with another Cimmerian tale that has become his trademark, and we were quite excited with “Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang”, a brave revisionist take on the genesis of the folkloric “aswang”, a Philippine mythical ghoul. "Aswang" has captured the imagination of international film makers like Wrye Martin and Barry Poltermann’s “Aswang” (1994, shot in Wisconsin, and had an entirely American cast) and the South African film “Surviving Evil” (directed by Terrence Daw, 2009) starring Billy Zane, Christina Cole and our own Joel Torre.

UGLY

But what promises to be an immersive cinematic experience turns out to be an ugly film! Yes, ugly! The narrative elements are anarchic and sometimes, even aimless. Let’s take the character of Melinda, played by a ridiculously wigged Tetchie Agbayani. She was supposed to embody the powerful witch who curses the capricious crowd; the same crowd who discriminates her. Yet her “spell” didn’t even seem related to the cataclysm affecting the town. Another character is the hilot played by Maria Isabel Lopez, initially introduced as someone who performs dark incantations which turn out nothing more than devotional prayers to St. Gerard. Nothing is sinister by praying to a saint, is there? In fact, after one scene, Lopez disappears forever.

SIN OF COMMISSION

The most blatant sin of commission is the promise of horror, of evil. But Somes and co-scriptwriter Jerry Gracio seem befuddled – and even disoriented - with the concept of “insanity”, confusing it with a notion of pernicious evil. Since when are “insane people” considered “aswang”? Because if we were to really accept such reckless ideation, then we should all troop down to the National Center for Mental Health (Mental Hospital) and burn all their patients at the stakes to get rid of “aswangs”, debah? Schizophreniform disorders should never be construed analogous to the folkloric “aswang”! These items are poles apart! Or are Gracio and Somes suggesting that “aswangs” – with their vampiric appetites, pointy nails, overly long tongues, and winged forbearances - are mere psychiatric predicament? Nahihilo kayo, ‘te?

POSITIVE POINTS

The film barely comes up with positive points: 1) a sumptuously dazzling cinematography (Hermann Claravall) – sun kissed summery scenes that reek with atmosphere; interiors and night shots with impeccable clarity; absolutely one of the most gorgeous camera work we’ve ever laid eyes on; 2) Mark Gil plays the nefarious haciendero with exact temperament; 3) the luminous Erich Gonzales who glistens in insightful splendor and subjugated emotional engagement. Her beauty and calm confidence cajoles the intermittently irritating narrative strain. Gonzales absolutely commits to her physical stipulation that her utter obedience is nothing less than eloquent. Unfortunately, even Gonzales’ brilliance is not enough to save a farcical, harebrained narrative.

UNEVEN PERFORMANCES

The film is further hobbled by an uneven performance of majority of its cast which is characterized by exasperating histrionics (Sue Prado), overtly unregulated methodic role playing (the irritating Bodgie Pascua displaying to his adoring Batibot audience how it is to cough while eating and speaking – which is real talent); undue comedic delivery (Mon Confiado plays Berto; when he sees the “aswang” at the foot of his bed, he shouts “Ay aswang! Kamukha yun ni Corazon ah!” – the audience roared with laughter); rough vocal switches (Tetchie Agbayani as Melinda would hiss and growl like an animal, then just as easily revert back to her school-teacher speaking voice); the blank facies of its amateur extras. Then there’s Derek Ramsay whose emotional undertaking is displayed by his “smoldering gaze”. He’s angry – he smolders! He’s sad – he smolders! He’s disappointed – he smolders! He’s heartbroken – he smolders! Heck, if he smoldered more than he did in “Corazon”, he might as well turn into an igneous rock! Couldn’t the fantastic actress in Angelica Panganiban infuse a degree of role playing emotionality to Mr. Ramsay? Some tutorial in acting perhaps?

ERRONEOUS BILLING

And why on earth is Derek Ramsay billed ahead of Erich Gonzales? Appearing in last year’s biggest blockbusters - “No Other Woman” and “Praybeyt Benjamin” – doesn’t necessarily make him more superior than Erich Gonzales in seniority or artistic capability. Neither was he the box office draw from the aforementioned films. People didn’t watch those films because it had Ramsay in them, heavens! Now he’s posturing with seductively understated threats as though he might as well move to TV-5 which didn’t exactly do wonders for Nora Aunor, Sharon Cuneta, Maricel Soriano, Dolphy and Aga Muhlach. What big movie did TV-5 produce – “Rosario”? That was 2 years ago! “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow” was a tail ender and an artistic turkey at the recent MMFF box office race. More importantly, this movie is titled “Corazon Ang Unang Aswang”, not “Daniel: Ang Asawa ng Unang Aswang na Lukaret Lang Pala”! I’d say, let him move alongside talents like Arci Munoz, Alex Gonzaga, Eula Caballero, Danita Paner and Carla Humphries. He wouldn’t look too lost with them.

MAGIC MAKE-UP, MAGIC HAIR

And then there’s the “here today, gone tomorrow” eye make-up of Corazon. When she’s feeding in wild abandon, the black and round eye shadows are thick and dark. When she speaks, these orbital discolorations almost disappear! Like magic! Is that the power of an “aswang”? LOL. In one scene, Derek and Epy find strands of hair beside the tree where Corazon ate her baby. “Kay Corazon ‘to,” they said. I stood and proudly declared, “It’s mine!” I was pulling hair in sheer disgust!

Bodgie Pascua distractingly coughs and eats and speaks for his Famas moment!

Lem Lorca's "Bola" - Lessons in Basketball

In the poverty stricken seaside fringes of the city, Lester (Kenneth Paul Salva) and his friend Brat (Jacob Miller) weave their ambition of playing professional basketball. But such are mere pipedreams. Lester cannot afford to enroll in college, while Brat turns tricks by accommodating liaisons with lascivious homosexuals. Meanwhile, they content themselves with their barangay basketball league which is in need of a manager who will provide their jerseys.

When Lester gets the idea from girlfriend Angel (Sofia Valdez) with whom he’s nurtured a strong 6 year relationship, Lester and Brat turn to couturier Pandy (Arnell Ignacio) who’s only too willing to manage the league. What’s more, the besotted philantrophist even offers to pay for Lester’s college education. Pandy even enveigles the help of the university’s coach Rito (Dustin Jose) to get the boys playing for the varsity team. With these earlier encumbrances remedied, their dreams start taking shape.

But Lester is slowly unsettled by Pandy’s suffocating presence: he makes a hundred calls; extends numerous invitations; he’s everywhere, even during team practices. Even the coach, who was once Pandy’s protégé and lover, starts to resent Pandy’s distracting ubiquity. He starts prohibiting outsiders, Pandy especially, from watching his team practice.

But a collegiate life isn’t as easy for our beleaguered protagonist – Lester is failing his subjects. His mother (Suzette Ranillo) suggests the option offered by his cousin to migrate to Canada – to become a nanny! “Ayokong maging yayo,” Lester adamantly refuses. It would seem understandable for a young, 6-footer to emasculate himself by even considering the option, di ba? His way to redemption is staying in the varsity – but what about his failing grades? Coach Rito offers a winking solution: “Ako’ng bahala. Kakausapin ko ang professors mo.” How convenient, right? But this generous offer doesn’t come without a price – like a coach and his player sharing a shower together. With his luck briskly running out, Lester acquiesces.

When Pandy learns of the coach’s ministrations, he is grief stricken. Sheldon (Simon Ibarra), Pandy’s confidant, offers a solution: “Gusto mong makaganti?” So Sheldon offers Brat the chance to pay for the latter’s debt. Would Brat betray Lester? Will Lester extricate himself from his piling misfortune? Will Pandy get his retribution?

Another pink trash?

The first hint of this production's motive comes from its theatrical poster which has a dramatically placed basketball floating on mid-air as it casts a heart-shaped shadow on the ground below. Had this been commercially bent on attracting the hormone-crazy pink crowd, it would have been more convenient to use the fetching images of its well sculpted stars - have them stand half naked with enticing gazes directed at the camera, instead of using a sexless inanimate object.

Much like Miko Jacinto's "Salo", I was mildly surprised to find this to be a compelling watch. Sure, there are a few conscious artistic contrivance meant to satisfy a subset of its intended audience (in separate scenes, the camera pans over Lester and Brat's half naked body while their hand gently reach down their crotches and enticingly insert a finger under their briefs - while asleep!). But most of the sexually-charged scenes were never gratuitous. In fact, these cinematic teasing felt sexier than the brainless fodder that the Pink Industry has been churning out!

Arnell Ignacio delivers a nuanced performance, richly contextual and adequately tempered although his concluding scenes needed restraint. His obsession with Lester becomes a believable entity. Some attractions, after all, need resolution. Kenneth Paul Salva, a former Viva Hotmen, occasionally feels tentative and unsure, but watchable. Though not particularly drop-dead gorgeous, he oozes with sex appeal and his shirtless scenes scorches the screen like a well-done baby back ribs!:) Yum! Am I really writing this? LOL

My point here is, titillating an audience doesn't rest solely on indiscreet flashing of genitalia. The art of seduction goes way beyond full frontals. This isn't even saying that "Bola" is the quintessential erotica - it isn't! This is a film that doesn't desperately exploit its actors - like most of the 30 Pink Films that was shown in 2011.

"Bola's" most unexpected achiever is the amerasian Jacob Miller, playing the willful Brat. Miller, despite his beguiling looks, acts naturally on screen. He is comfortable with his declarative lines as it it when the thespic degree of difficulty is raised. After a scene where Sheldon, the scorned gay man, confronts him in front of Brat's basketball team mates then expropriates the gifts given to him by his benefactor: shoes, cell phone, wrist watch - the scene cuts to a heart broken and absolutely embarrassed Brat drinking his heart away. He bawls like a child and there was never a hint of hesitation how he depicted his character. This guy can act! Seriously!

There are, of course, reckless narrative strains and hints of social commentary: the egregious misappropriation of SK funds; government officials who can't be bothered, etc. But these were harmlessly grazed upon. Even sociological statements like "Gay men should fall in love with fellow gay men, not straights" spring out of nowhere. The vengeful plot is also imprudent. They will first have you thinking that an assassination plot is in the offing. Then it turns out to be a mere video scandal in front of a basketball audience! Video scandals almost never "kills" anyone, does it? Katrina Halili is alive. Hayden Kho is selling Parisian perfumes. Toffee Calma and Mark Herras still have their lives. So much for nefarious schemes.

There is a lesson to be learned from "Bola". An artist cannot be adept in all aspects of film making. Heard about the adage, "jack of all trades, master of none"? It is a valid statement even in the cinematic process. Director Lem Lorca benefits from Jerry Gracio's writing. Script constitutes half of the artistic success of a film. Technical proficiency completes that. This really makes multi-hyphenated artists somehow failing somewhere, although there are a few exceptions. This should not stop directors from tweaking with a script on hand. After all, his is the vision behind the movie. He can collaborate, but someone should step up to concentrate on the basics of a narrative, its contents and more importantly, the designed structure.

After watching "Bola", I went out of the cinema feeling light. It was far from being a masterpiece, but it didn't dumb me down. In fact, I went out of the cinema not feeling badgered or embarrassed. There is hope - even for the Pink Film industry! I hope Crisaldo Pablo and his cohorts take note.

Dustin Jose is Coach Rito: troublesome English delivery. Time and again, I've been saying don't compromise and expose your actor's limitations by having them deliver in the Queen's language. Tagalugin po! It doesn't make a character less authoritative by speaking the vernacular! Otherwise, I slide deeper and deeper into my seat while he painfully wrestles with his lines!





Jacob Miller: Surprisingly good!


Lester and mother (Kenneth Paul Salva and Suzette Ranillo)


Simon Ibarra as the scorned and vengeful gay man Sheldon.


The coach jumps shower stalls for an intimate errrr... stroke? P.S. Pink Cinema's "it" boy, Jeff Luna has a blink-and-he's gone cameo.

Miller and Salva: Both models hail from Davao! What's with Mindanao waters?


Kenneth Paul Salva: Decent cinematic starrer!

Kenneth Paul Salva


Sofia Valdez in "Talong". Her other films include "Ang Kapitbahay", "Anakan Mo Ako" and "Kangkong". Don't you just miss the exquisite taste of Seiko Films' title-making machinery? How about "Sitaw ni Sofia"? Or "Bola at Mani"?


Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to google and find any other photos of Sofia. She's more beautiful now in "Bola" than when she was a nubile nymphet in Robbie Tan's masterpieces. Yes, there's a couple of mammary peekaboos here. :)

Note:

Please read our featured post on Cinema Bravo and why Web Criticism isn't always about good and reliable writing.

- http://makemeblush2.blogspot.com/2016/10/cinema-bravo-film-criticisms-execrable.html