Shame on You, Sarah Geronimo! - The Blatant Peddling of Products in an Already Very Commercial Film!

You sometimes forget that there's actually a story behind Wenn Deramas' "Hating Kapatid" because of all the blatant peddling of products within the movie! Trust Viva Films and its bosses to shamelessly thrust these commercial products down our throats just to earn the extra million for their teetering film production outfit! Kaya, kinapalan na nila ang mukha by using the medium of film as an avenue to sell products!

We, on the other hand, shell out our hard earned money (and allowance) to escape the reality of product placements happening in commercial television (go watch ABS-CBN's "Showtime" and you would almost forget that you're watching the show after a hefty 15-minute long commercial gap). But Viva Films and the likes of Sharon Cuneta, KC Concepcion and even their corresponding directors really all come from the same shameless root of brazen, impudent population. They have this mentality that such is an acceptable practice! Not to me!

Remember how hard sell Sharon Cuneta was, shoving down her McDonald's Chicken in "Crying Ladies"? One generation later, KC Concepcion does the same with Garnier and Palmolive for her "When I Met You". Like mother, like daughter, right? So when Viva Films finds a gold mine in Sarah Geronimo (they even toyed with the idea of remaking "Dear Heart" with Sarah Geronimo on screen until the Megastar vehemently spoke of her displeasure), who better to carry the torch of their peddling practices than the coyly angelic Ms. Geronimo, right?

PRODUCTS GALORE

Here are the products that this sad excuse of a movie shoved down the paying audience's throats, complete with endorsement one-liners: Cebuana Lhuillier, Globe Tattoo, Belo Essentials, Charmee (line: "araw araw ko 'tong ginagamit"), Video City and Xtreme Magic Sing (highlighted by a song-and-dance number - a hilariously choreographed piece where Sarah was tossed on air like a beached whale from one shelf to the next); Jollibee Chicken Barbecue (line: "ang sarap talaga nito"), Selecta Fortified Milk (line: "Ako ba'y bine-baby mo pa rin"), Magnolia Tuti Fruity, Unica clothing line, and a lot more. She must have forgotten her shampoo and that constipation pill she's endorsing in the next few days?

It is a tad insulting that the less talented Geronimo is given this avenue to peddle this much products in lieu of her (in)capacity to transform into Judy Anne Santos' younger sister Cecil. The obviously pregnant Santos comes up with a curiously winning performance as the enduring older sister Rica who took care of Cecil for more than 20 years when their parents (Tonton Gutierrez and Cherry Pie Picache) decided to work in Libya!

The film making skills in this work is another point of discussion. Much of the editing and dubbing are sloppy, you would hear the lines come out 3 seconds later than the movement of the mouth! Moreover, a scene would suddenly shift to a different color grading with over saturated colors and unfocused camera work. This plods through out the film! Would they excuse these gaffes from their use of a digital medium? Probably. And it is obvious how careless they are with its technical aspects. Yup, "pirated copy" quality from a mainstream movie!

And if you haven't noticed, how many times do you "introduce" an actor. Vice Ganda is once again introduced here so it would seem that Mr. Ganda is eternally introduced in every single movie that he appears in. Wasn't he in the political drama, "Noy"? Wasn't he in Vilma Santos' "In My Life" eons ago? Or do the people behind this movie live in Neptune or in the fringes of the constellation? Such carelessness reflects the mind frame of these nincompoops!

On the plus side, Judy Anne Santos shows how the years of experience have taught her! Despite an excessively prissy older sister act, she comes up with a sympathetic characterization that's absolutely endearing! As for JC de Vera, ohmygosh! I forget myself when he is on screen. He smolders with charm and machismo. De Vera is the improved and updated, kayumanggi version of dour and banal Richard Gutierrez! Luis Manzano on the other hand is a pleasant surprise. Though I am not fond of Mr. Manzano, he coasted through his scenes with comic charm and easy chemistry with the tweetums queen of commerce Ms. Geronimo!

Looking back, I didn't care much when Sarah supported Manny Villar during the last presidential campaign. After all, it's easy to forgo personal principles when money is involved. Then they label it "freedom of choice". But, for pete's sake, one commercial endorsement after the next in a film - not a television show - that we paid to watch?

Avarice is such an inordinate pursuit of wealth. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that greed is "a sin against God, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things." I'm just reminding the prayerful soul in Ms. Geronimo, lest she chokes on her Jollibee Chicken Barbecue. In Dante's purgatory, such greedy people were bound and laid face down on the ground til eternity. And here's a movie they shamelessly peppered with commercials!

Kapal naman ng mukha. Shame on you, Sarah Geronimo!

The peddler and the young superstar.

Gorgeous JC and affable Judy Anne.

More movies please.

UPDATE:

"Breaking Box Office Records? How Can That Be? It's Gathering Flies in Davao City!"

My friend Iyaya called me from Davao City. She and her office mates were sent by her company to close a deal (she works in a multinational company based in Makati). I have been telling her the graphic peddling of commercial products in "Hating Kapatid" and I have in fact been egging her on to watch. She rang to tell me that she went to see the 4:40 PM screening of "Hating Kapatid" July 30, 2010 Friday (SM Davao Cinema 2)! She reports: "It's mura here, a ticket costs P90! It was so relaxing because I hated crowds and there were just the 2 of us there, and another guy at the back.Three people for one whole theater! Mike refused to watch it coz he's heard how bad it is so went to watch "Salt" instead which started an hour earlier!"

Straight from the horse's mouth! Breaking box office records? Baka breaking EGGS! Bwahaha! This news is really easy to verify as the details are very specific - and SM, through Mr. Ric Camaligan (SM Cinema's C.O.O.), usually issues statistics of movies shown in their cinemas nationwide!

3 people on a Friday? Breaking box office record? Let's call it KARMA!

What Gives, Mr. Shyamalan? - May It Really Be The Last of the Benders

It felt like I've never been inundated with preposterous stories since, errr... Christopher Nolan's "Inception". I am not even gonna pretend that I liked "Inception". But it has been sort of a heartbreaker to watch 2 successive films from two favorite directors I was crazy with - Christopher Nolan and M. Night Shyamalan.

Just a few days ago, I had to forgo purchasing a pair of stilettos I've set my eyes on for a couple of weeks now. This turn of event is major, and my mom was smug for a couple of days thinking I'm finally over "shoes" to have to prioritize watching "The Last Airbender" over a P1,800 commodity! You see, I had to cut P250 off my budget as that's how much a 3D cinema ticket costs!

But I froze on my seat! I had to pinch myself several times before realizing it was indeed Shyamalan's work. They had to stereoscope THIS B-looking movie? My stiletto shoes had to wait for a dark, grainy, dour film that bordered on being outright silly?

You see, this film takes place in a fantasy world where people live in 4 kingdoms: Fire, Air, Water and Earth. These "tribes" have powers to "bend" - sort of manipulate these elements. It is such a wonder then that most of these populace seem like invalids, at best! And their powers are sketchy and exceedingly underused! Take for example, the earth kingdom. Why didn't I see girls wearing those divine shoes made from earth-bending machinations? I would have made 1,800 pairs on my first fortnight of acquiring such powers alone. LOL

Reality is, these decrepit tribes, despite all their powers, are too lazy to even think they could overpower those naughty, naughty fire people! Did I say "invalid" already?

As to M. Night Shyamalan, whose work has slid down hill since 2006's "Lady in the Water", he seem to have lost grip with his storytelling prowess. "The Last Airbender" is shoddy, thoughtless, unexciting filmmaking at best - with horrible photography to boot, and some of the most ridiculous posturings in cinema land! Every time Aang (the charmless Noah Ringer, who pretends to be Asian) starts waving his karate moves, stooping down like he has juvenile osteoarthritis, I just wanted to douche him with cold water! Para tumigil agad!

Is this really where new age cinema is taking us? P250 3D garbage with bad cinematography a la Pinoy indie films? Yan na nga ba ang sinasabi ko! This local indie fever is infectious, even Hollywood is catching up with Pinoy mediocrity! Damn!

In a recent New York screening of Christopher Nolan's "Inception", a trailer of Shyamalan's next film, "Devil" was screened. Suddenly, several people started booing when the trailer flashed "From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan" on screen. This was followed by a theater full of laughters and howls! This series of mediocrity is catching up fast, Mr. Shyamalan. Conceit is ok if you deserve an enviable reputation.

Jackson Rathbone as the other invalid (but dashing) warrior Sokka. Check out the movie if Sokka has actually done anything that helped child hero, Aang!

Gorgeous Jackson Rathbone. As Sokka, he reminds me of Orlando Blooms' Legolas ("Lord of the Rings"). He was that sumptuously evilish Jasper (who once wanted to eat Bella) in the vampire romance, "Twilight" (New Moon).

Jackson Rathbone - Yummy 5'9" cutie!

Jackson Rathbone - They never make them this gorgeous here in Manila. 26 year old Jackson's take on love and lust: "Lust tastes like tequila and love tastes like whiskey...Love burns for longer and warms you up on the inside and sometimes it makes you do stupid things. Tequila just makes you wasted."

Though Dev Patel looks gorgeous in "The Last Airbender", his constant scowl does nothing to a poorly written role: Prince Zuko, who was cast away by his royal father for being, you bet, "an invalid". He is "too soft", declares Fire Lord Ozai (Cliff Curtis). Dev is currently in a relationship with his "Slumdog Millionaire" co-star Freida Pinto. Now, every idiotic movie is being shown in 3D, even the forgettable "Streetdance"!

An Education - Carey Mulligan Romances Greatness

Director Lone Scherfig beautifully captures the spirit of sixties London in the coming-of-age tale, "An Education". An ambitious and intelligent 16 year old high school Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is courted and seduced by a charming, albeit predatory scoundrel (Peter Sarsgaard) who takes her to operas, art auctions and French films; dines at the best restaurants; toasts on the best wines and dances at the coolest clubs. Suddenly, her sight earlier set for Oxford is muddled. She gets a proposal, but learns of a secret that leaves her empty-handed.

Does a hard earned education mean anything when you've got a more luxurious option thrown your way? Scherfig's low-key British drama captivates us.

Jenny and David visit Paris!

Carey Mulligan takes on the wrong period, gets an Oscar nomination, and a plum role in Oliver Stone's "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" (a horrid title, if you ask me) with Shia LaBeouf and Michael Douglas.

Peter seduces with a smile!

TV Series - Transplant Doctors and Amateur Investigators in "Three Rivers" & "The Forgotten"

Two TV series caught my attention last weekend. While I was caught compelled to keep watching one of them, the other left me disappointed.

"Three Rivers" follows the lives of organ donors, their corresponding recipients, and the medical staff in a leading transplant hospital in Pitsburgh called Three Rivers. Heading this amazing set of characters is Dr. Andy Yablonski played wonderfully by Alex O'Loughlin. I've so far finished 6 episodes that had nail-biting and tear-inducing episodes, a great combination of pathos. I was constantly amazed with how, even their daily morning conferences happen with state of the art audio-visual technology. For a while there, I thought I was watching "Startrek - The Medical Episode". Too bad CBS eventually cancelled this show. There are minor gaffes - a woman sues her doctor who saved her life because the latter "saved" her uterus during an emergency operation. How was the doctor to know the patient wanted hysterectomy - knowing fully well that there was no one to consent for the life-saving operation? And the patient is 34 years old - a child-bearing age!

At the other end of the spectrum is the Jerry Bruckheimer produced "The Forgotten". This series concerns about a group of amateur volunteers who go out of their way to identify the John and Jane Does that the police eventually consider as "cold cases", burying their unidentified bodies in unmarked graves and forgotten forever! This group of individuals has little stories of their own - gradually revealed as the stories unravel in each episode. Though the cast is made up of attractive stars, there is something about the script that puts me off. They feel too "self-important" and though they seem to say otherwise ("It's not just us; many people helped!"), the posturings are palpably superficial!

Christian Slater is Alex Donovan - he heads the Forgotten Network, a former cop whose daughter was kidnapped 2 years prior, and was never found. With a few more brainstorming to iron out the kinks, this could have been a lot more compelling.

Between Alex O'Loughlin - who moves on with a high-profile TV remake of "Hawaii Five O" - and Christian Slater, Alex delivers a more earnest characterization, something that its audience can empathize with! I can identify with a not-too-dark character with not so many demons hiding in his closet. He is smart, he is conscientious, and he is cute and sexy! The episodes are intelligent (though not as brilliant as "House"), and obviously better researched than other medical dramas like "Private Practice".

Alex O'Loughlin

I kinda prefer a short-haired Alex better!

"The Forgotten"

Anthony Carrigan is the facial sculptor Tyler Davies in "The Forgotten".

The Men Who Stare at Goats - Ending War Through Goats?

Grant Heslov's "The Men Who Stare at Goats" has got to be one of the weirdest films I've ever seen. It seems to be borne out of psychedelia - from the mind of Jon Ronson, author of the novel from which this film was based. Must have been a great novel because the film attracted a stellar cast.

In the film, a reporter (Ewan McGregor) gets more than he bargained for when he unravels a secret psychic military unit whose goal is to end war as we know it. His adventure takes him to Kuwait, with the intention of crossing the border to Iraq to get a Pulitzer caliber story. He meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) who reveals the nature of this secret military unit - with psychic soldiers! Weird? I told you!

George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey star in this comedy adventure that will give you an inkling of what "spaced out" might really mean. Though every one seems to do their best, all the best effort is an exercise in futility when the major story is a big wad of absurdity. Ewan MGregor is such a handsome sight though. Right, Iyaya?

Freedom from all wars! Freedom for the goats?

Marooned in a desert!

Let's make love, not war!

Ewan McGregor

Movie Review: Emir - The Grand Filipino Epic as a Musical

Royal ceremony for a prince.

There is much to celebrate in the musical “Emir” but it isn't quite the exhilirating cinema that we expected from director Chito Rono. The narrative sweeps like an epic and the production is grand, enough to impress . Yes, I am impressed! For once, there is a local film project that doesn’t scrape bottom like 80% of the Filipino film output. But is it a benchmark for an excellent film? Does it offer seamless story telling? Are the performances sincere and affecting? Hmm, close. But not quite!

The film chronicles the story of Amelia, played like second skin by newbie Frenchescka Farr. Amelia is a wide eyed dreamer who agonizes over the stark poverty of life in Ilocos. This is shown in a vignette of over-the-top musical scenes that involve a dreaded rat infestation at a night field of corn, as well as the desperate albeit hopeful goodbyes of migrating people. When wind blows off a bill of money, Amelia scampers off to fetch it – then the movie magically uproots her to the arid, exotic landscape of an emirate country. I was literally gasping as the Arabic architecture comes to the fore. Suddenly, you are rudely slapped with the realization of unease. We are transported to a foreign land. This isn’t an abode where you comfortably lie down your bed dreaming of dreams. This is the tortuous road to the better life. Or is it?

Amelia finds herself working at a royal household. What makes life doubly hard is her company of catty co-workers. There is enough internal politicizing among the bevy of domestic helps to encourage flying off to Venus! But her sincerity, good heart and strength of character soon land her the prized position to be the newborn prince’s nanny. And we all know how this carries enough influence and power. The king's coddler is a king in waiting. However, our saintly heroine remains unassuming, soft spoken, and unfazed by her position in the hierarchy of things. But there is an impending trouble ahead – the threat of war! Will she find her rightful place in the sun?

Amiable Liesl Batucan (center) and overeager Melanie Dujunco (right).

Frenchescka Farr astounds us! Her plain countenance is unintimidating. She is a believable representative to the faceless thousands who wind up as subservient “maids” all over the world. More importantly, she comes off with a stirring performance reminiscent of some of Philippine cinema’s greatest heroines. Her vocal work is emotive; her masterful singing highlighting every scene. Ms. Farr single handedly carries the weight of this film on her shoulder. Otherwise, the story tends to waver to a decidedly mainstream sensibility. Parang “komiks”. A lot of the characters are caricaturish, mostly brought about by how the supporting characters envisioned their roles.

For example, let’s take Dulce, who plays Ester - the mayordoma. In the movie’s first half, her depiction of authority is one of plain bad attitude! When she reprimands, she cowers with dagger eyes. Nanlilisik ang mata! Authority should be respectable. It should command a degree of grace, not horror! Her characterization grates so much so that when she falls off sick, then turns over her mayordoma uniform to Amelia, we were puzzled by her 180 degree turn as she duets “Di Ko Pinangarap” with Amelia. Dulce does well in this latter part where she was packing to leave. In fact, I have read several comments online saying that Dulce’s performance merits an award. I beg to disagree. You don’t give an award to a singular moment inconsistent with the rest of a characterization, more so a caricature.

Now let me take the spotlight to the characters that annoyed me no end. Two names – Melanie Dujunco (who plays Mylene) and Beverly Salviejo (who plays Diday), both decending into their versions of Grizabella and the Witches of Emir! As part of the household, these two depicted distracting characterization, playing their parts like this was going to be their Famas or Star Awards trophy! Trouble is, they seem to have forgotten that good acting isn’t meant to upstage other actors. They stick out like sore thumbs! It was like being part of a chorale where a member works exceedingly hard to stick out instead of blend in!

Isn’t Dujunco an old hand in the theater and chorale scene? Hasn’t she learned from her long experience that less is more? That harmony bears a more pleasant existence? Or maybe she actually believed that she was going to take over Frenchescka’s place if she kept upstaging her co-stars? LOL. It does beg these questions! Then there’s Beverly Salviejo who needed reminding that despite being a “movie musical”, Emir's pervading theme is serious! This is not “Yaya at Angelina”, “Kimi Dora” nor “Zsa zsa Zaturnah” where comic characters are requisite. What an annoying bunch. With all their experience in the business, they have resorted to excessively calling attention to themselves. There are no small roles for good actors, but there's no role big enough for bad! Goes to show why they have remained forgettable players in the biz.

Kalila Aguilos plays Tersing, the long suffering moneybag to a philandering husband, and she shines in several of her scenes. Aguilos displays a sense of reverence to an adequately fleshed out character, allowing her to sparkle proudly beside the ever-endearing Frenchescka. Their duet “O Maliwanag na Buwan” (which boasts of Tagalog-Ilocano lyrics) makes for a magical cinematic moment! Something that can’t be said of Francheska’s duet with Sid Lucero, the Arab-Pinoy mestizo who steals Amelia’s affection. Their “Buti Na Lang” duet – a richly melodic song - could have been another special moment, but Sid’s voice – though serviceable and can definitely carry a tune – is too tentative for us to enjoy. He seemed vocally shy, almost whispery, while Frenchescka’s was conspicuously self assured.

The lineup of songs is a mixed bag. Some are affecting, others mere noise. Consider “Di Uubra Dito” when the whole household launches into a Bollywood-style song and dance. There was judicious use of crane to showcase this ambitious number. Unfortunately, the exchanges (a duel of sorts between the Pinay maids and the Sri Lankan staff) were mere clutter. A chaotic mess! To compare this to a standard Bollywood fare is a big injustice to India's quotient for musical entertainment. Those who say that this compares of equal gravity to a Bollywood staple needs to watch more Indian flicks! They obviously do not know what they are talking about.

“Gusto Mo Bang Mangibang Bayan” is more successful in terms of pomp and the extravagance of choreography, although it felt too stagey. “Pesteng Salot” is brilliantly pieced together – the fore as well as the immediate background of corn field luminously lit in the night. Unfortunately, the songs comes off like a tepid warning – loudly orchestrated, melodically offkilter. “Sandosenang Taon, Sandosenang Pasko” is festive and bittersweet, while ”Alilang Jetsetter” is playful enough to compel us to sit through a bad montage.

“Di Masabi” could have been a sweet number, but Jhong Hilario’s pipes are a little wanting, leaving us unsatisfied. I have to say that "Di Masabi" is a Gary Granada song published and released years ago. In fact, this is even sung at some parties or karaoke events. It wasn't written for "Emir". This bucks the claim that songs from the movie were all originally written for this project. “Ba’t Ako Naririto” is an anthemic song that beautifully weaves the whole narrative string together, and once again, Frenchescka completely owns it up, and breathes life into what would be an OFW’s theme song. The fragmented quality of these songs owe it to the different composers who contributed for the movie.

When the narrative zeroes in on Amelia’s relationship with her royal ward, I sit up and watch intently. There was excellent choice for the 12 year old Ahmed – perfectly played by Mahdi Yadzian Varjani. He is princely - and he commands a captivating presence, especially when he speaks his smattering of Tagalog: “Ayoko, di ako nauuhaw”; "Sana, hanapin na tayo ni Daddy” or “Pwede po ako maglaro?” It tugs heart strings hearing them from a foreign tongue. Unfortunately, their yaya-alaga relationship is underdeveloped, even when we find them scampering for safety during the siege of the palace - or when they eventually got lost in the Moroccan desert.

Mahdi Yadzian Varjani: perfect choice, charismatic neophyte.

The film offers scintillating photography of north Africa (Marrakesh) as well as the Ilocos region, and this excellent camera work helps us bridge gaps in a loopy story. When Amelia and Ahmed were on the run at the treacherous deserts, the Sheik ordered his people to seize and rescue the boy. Weren’t the rescuers told that the boy was under the tutelage of a faithful servant? How dare they leave Amelia alone in the desert when they could have rescued both since the bad guys were not in sight. Twelve years of loyal service – and she is left to desiccate in the harsh desert, rudely left to wonder whatever happened to her “alaga”. Napaka inutil naman yata ng employers na ito not to consider a loyal servant's security. We couldn't help but question the pretense of affection when the Prince decides to visit his yaya one day in the future. No letters, no official news. Just fast resolutions.

Otherwise, there would be a less dramatic arc to conclude it, right? We do love happy endings, but happy endings don't make real stories. We also admit to shedding a tear when Ahmed is found alighting from his limo in far Ilocos to call the attention of an older “Yaya!” It’s the melodramatic soul in us. But when I got back to my car, it felt like a Star Cinema production. Mainstream storylines with fast resolutions and happy endings.

I respect the itinerant Pinoy. It isn’t easy to leave your country and live the life of a 3rd class citizen for the sake of a hungry family back home. But I feel that it is unfair to think less of the Pinoys who opt to stay in this country. Are we really less of a hero for staying on with the “sinking ship”? Are we less noble for not enduring the lonely life overseas? Our concept of what's a modern-day hero is an obvious departure from the world’s concept of courage, fortitude, nobility. Heroes stay on to persevere. Heroes think of the common good, not a limited subset of people.

Choreographic clutter.

Sheik who would be king and his wife.

Finding Ahmed.

Noy - Riding the Wave of Hope

Noy (Coco Martin) carries a heavy baggage on his back. His depressive brother Bong (Joem Bascon) is a paraplegic who wallows in self pity, occasionally hurting himself. His mother Elena (Cherry Pie Picache) maintains a wobbly online relationship with an African American who's in town for a visit - but she's repelled by his attention. And his younger sister Tata is constantly complaining of a blurred vision. Meanwhile, his girlfriend Divine (the endearing Erich Gonzales) is coming to terms with the fact that she is least of his priorities. She has accepted another suitor's proposal, and has to fly to Canada to join him. However, she pleads, "I'll stay if you ask me too." What's a guy to do?

When he finally gets his foot in the door, he becomes a traveling journalist whose beat is to follow presidentiable Noynoy Aquino's campaign trail. Though he works hard, his work appears soul-less, remarks his editor (Baron Geisler). Is his domestic baggage dragging him down? Or is he the underqualified journalist who has faked his resume?

There is no doubt about it. "Noy" is a well made film that brilliantly juxtaposes the homespun allegory of Noy (Coco Martin) with live footages from 20 of Aquino's campaign sorties nationwide. The symbolical narrative is meant to reflect the plight of modern day Filipinos in light of the growing dissension against poverty and moral apathy.

Director Dondon Santos coaxes great performances from his ensemble. Coco is obviously comfortable with his character's dilemma after having appeared in several Dante Mendoza films. It's no surprise that he comes up with a well fleshed characterization. Bascon is too one-note to involve us. Then there's the lovely Erich Gonzales whose character is tasked to, errr... cry! And cry she did! Despite her thinly written story, Gonzales comes up with a luminous performance that underlines the adage: "There are no small roles for great actors." In a representative scene where she bids Noy goodbye - and says, "Wag ka nang mag-sorry!" and "Manong, (the taxi driver), tara na ho." - she carries enough pathos to satisfy us of her discernment of loss, an emotional cataclysm. And boy! Can she literally cry buckets! Vice Ganda is surprisingly mediocre; his delivery is inconsistent and insincere. He was good in Lamasan's "In My Life" so we wonder what went wrong.

Despite the tragic thread, there is a hopeful tone as the film draws to a close. It brings back my pre-election concerns about Noynoy as the new President of the Philippines. I have no doubt in my mind of Aquino's sincerity and incorruptibility. He will not enrich himself the way GMA and his relatives have - and they're even quite arrogant about their blatant pilferage. Unfortunately, what do you say about a man who - at close to 50 years old - cannot build a house of his own without the help of a much younger sister (Kris Aquino - she did boast several times how she will finance his new house when President Cory passed away). We need to rebuild our nation. How can we entrust nation-building to a man who can't even build his own home? My friend would say, "Baka naman he is prudent." Baka nga! LOL. Well, Noynoy will be the new president - and I will respect and support him as my president - with bated breath!

"Noy" is a well made film, but we do have scruples about the pervasive use of poverty as a cinematic theme. Aren't we all tired of supposedly socially relevant films that conspicuously depict our nation as a land of squatters, where mosquito-infested houses rise on flooded out stilts? They would have people believe that this unidimensional theme is all that pervades our desperate society of prostitutes and callboys, alcoholics, thieves, perverts, fixers, and other aberrant lowlives! In this country, a socially relevant movie is equivalent with the exploitation of poverty. Talk about bankruptcy of ideas!

Coco Martin