Change Your Image
lildovefeather
Reviews
Touched by an Angel (1994)
The Angel's Touch
Middle of the '90s brought angels on our TV screens and closer to our hearts, mine included.
From the first time I saw the show Touched By An Angel (TBAA), I was hooked. This was the kind of thing a not-so-religious person like me wanted in a religious showunpretentious, not super-in-your-face-preachy wagging an invisible finger and saying "You are such a sinner and you will burn in hell if you don't repent!", with a sense of humor even in the midst of drama (it did always make me cry and feel for the characters involved in each episode). You can't even hate any of the "guest characters" (well, sometimes) because TBAA made sure to show the why's and the how's of things that happened to people. What's more interesting, sometimes, there's some mystery involved and the audience was made to think and try to figure it out.Now that I'm thinking, maybe it took off from where Michael Landon's Highway to Heaven series left off...
But I'm going forward already. Rewind.
The story starts when an angel appears in the desert. She is Monica (Roma Downey), a child-like and innocent newbie angel who is on probation and going to her on-the-job training on earth to become a full-fledged angel. Her main role, of course, is to help humans who are at or about to be at the crossroads of their lives. Being wet behind the ears, she often needs a lot of guidance and learns her lessons the same time as the people she tries to help learn theirs. Sometimes, she wonders what she is supposed to learn from it all especially when she feels so down and vulnerable. But always, God sends her her own guiding angel.
It is in the form of Tess (Della Reese) who is older, tougher and much wiser as she had her lessons, too, long before Monica's time. Tess is Monica's loving guide slash teacher slash friend slash "mother". She can be feisty, strict and mad, too, when needed be especially when Monica is being stubborn (which is rare) and/or unwittingly affects people's lives and makes things worse.
This team-up, however, is made complete and sometimes more complicated when Andrew (John Dye) joins their merry li'l group. While the appearance of Andrew could be a welcome sight as he is a funny, friendly fellow angel, it is marred by the fact that Andrew is the Angel of Death. So when he appears, there's usually something looming, and you know what that is. Nevertheless, he is also sent to assist the duo and as part of the trio, Andrew is an additional helping hand.
So that is--was--the premise of the show. It was such a darling little show that I will forever miss. Both Monica and Tess were darlings. I liked Monica for her simplicity, innocence, sometimes naiveté, sweetness, sunny disposition and human emotions. And she's cute wearing her Sunday's dress. I liked Tess for her toughness, wisdom, wonderful singing voice (!), motherly traits and even feistiness. I'd like an angel like her to guide me. I liked Andrew mainly because he wasn't bad as people often thought Death would be. I liked that he gave Death his own heart and point of view.
I liked the show so much that I even wrote to ask for the stars' autographs and some years ago, I bought an old copy of People with them on the cover. Also, two of my first angel figurines, I named "Monica" and "Tess" (ha ha!). Mostly, I liked the whole show, not just the characters, not just the stars.
I wish producers would still come up with uplifting, feel-good shows like this once in a while, shows that make a difference.If this show ever gets re-shown, I would definitely watch it all over again. Or if I can get my hands on videos, that would be nice, too.
It's lovely just being touched by an angel!
Feng Shui (2004)
Feng Shui, anyone?
Whoever said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery must have been very wise indeed. The movie Feng Shui is a very good example of an imitation that does not leave you disgusted and is actually a welcome change as far as Philippine cinema is concerned. To their credit, some Filipino filmmakers have already started creating quality movies long before this scream-or-whimper-in-fright flick. But Feng Shui does stand out for the sheer fact that it is something new and different in this part of Asia. A new "attack", so to speak.
The movie starts with Joy (Kris Aquino) finding a bagua (however you spell it). According to the ancient feng shui practice of the Chinese, this traditional mirrored piece brings good luck to the owner and wards off evil. As she has no way of finding out where the owner is, she decides to keep it and hangs it at home.
To her surprise, good luck starts to pour in. Quite overwhelming for a young mother in the middle of trying to start a new life with her family. So of course, she welcomes the wonderful changes. However, the opposite seems to happen around her. Bad luck comes to people she knows and loves. It is only a matter of time that Joy realizes that not all good things come for free.
We have to thank the Japanese for coming up with Ringu, or The Ring (the original and Japanese version, not the Hollywood version). Its phenomenal success in the country paved the way for more Asian horror flicks to pervade Philipine shores. I did not at all foresee it, but the country finally came up with its on ghost story to tell in Asian-fashion.
Part of the success of Feng Shui was the curiosity factor. Judging by the trailer alone, one was quick to guess it was done in the tradition of The Ring, The Grudge, etcetera (formulaic, if you ask me). Enough to make one curious how good or bad it would fare. The other parts, however, were due to how the move was done. Though it wasn't quite so scary for someone like me who somehow has the knack of anticipating shock moments most of the time, the movie sure scared the crap out of most movie-goers. It shocked, surprised, and gave people the chills using minimal special effects, make-up, and all of those technical and visual stuff.
Story-wise, it was engaging and rather original, as far as Filipino films were concerned. I must say, though, that it tried a bit too hard. The birth years idea (if you've seen this, you'll understand) was too "forced" and unimportant, really. Stop it already, I wanted to scream. When they showed the gun-wielding,bulldog-tattooed husband (Noni Buencamino), that was the height of corny-ness. I mean, c'mon, stop trying to be too Chinese! It just wasn't working.
Good acting from the cast, that's a big plus. Until the movie Mano Po came along, Aquino's acting was the butt of jokes because, well, did you see her act before? I mean, did you? This time around, after the success of the said movie that earned for her an award, she proved that she can now act. I wouldn't go as far as to predict another award for her, certainly not. That is, unless other movies pale in comparison, maybe.
Great acting from Jay Manalo, Ilonah Jean, and most especially Lotlot De Leon. Had De Leon not returned into the limelight, we would not have known she could act almost just as good as her mom, Nora Aunor. While the story did not really scare me, her panic scenes really did it for me. I kept muttering, "Stop it! Please, stop all that screaming, he'll kill you!!!" Sorry for the spoiler, folks, but it was obvious, anyway. For me, at least. It was like knowing what was going to happen and all you could do was sit and watch somebody get killed in front of you.
All in all, I liked Feng Shui. If not for the corny idea aforementioned, I could have given it five stars. But such major plot flaws should not go unnoticed. But hey, if it's any consolation, this still comes down as a quality and highly recommended Filipino flick in my book.
*Oct. 19, 2004*
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
Eye and Heart Candy
Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain, Le (2001).
Translated as Amelie from Montmartre. Direct translation: The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain (well, I'm guessin' here). Actual known title: Amelie...Sheesh.
Set in Paris, the story features the main character Amelie (Audrey Tautou), a rather lonely but sweet and quite imaginative (read: weird) young woman. Through the invisible Narrator's eyes, we follow and silently applaud her as she does one good deed after another (if the receivers deserve it) and, sometimes, exacts her own brand of creative revenge (for herself and other underdogs). But always, she does these in secret. She is contented being some kind of secret modern-day Robin Hood and making others happy until she meets someone and realizes that she, too, needs her own miracle.
I do not exactly know how to categorize this movie. An adventure-mystery-comedy-fantasy-romantic story. Yes, in that order. Or if I may make it more general, it is a feel-good piece of art.
An original story, told in an engaging and different manner, the story takes us to the world of Amelie and the people around her. One does not have time to be bored even for a single second. Wonderful, interesting and very creative story-telling. Wonderful, interesting and very creative cinematography and stunning visuals. Wonderful, interesting and very creative protagonist. Wonderful, interesting and very creative Audrey Tautou.
"Wonderful, interesting and very creative." That sums it all up. So if you need a dose of feel-goodies, Amelie is a very good medicine. Amelie is certainly one heck of an eye- , and even heart-, candy.
Definitely.
Pao ba hai zi (2003)
Bringing Home the Shoes
Tip: If you really want to see me cry by watching a movie, then it better be about family. Last night, I cried buckets just watching the Singaporean flick Homerun on TV.
The movie is actually an adaptation of the Iranian original entitled Bacheha-Ye-aseman or Children of Heaven by film-maker Majid Majidi. However, this new version by director Jack Neo did not exactly base the whole story on the original and added flavors of his own. I have not seen the original, though, and therefore cannot make any kind of comment.
Set in 1965, Homerun centers on Ah Kun (Shawn Lee), his sister Seow Fang (Megan Zheng), and their seeming obsession with finding a new pair of shoes for the girl. If they cannot achieve that specific goal, at least, find the old ones that Kun lost. The very significance of the goal becomes understandable from the start. Their family lives in poverty with the father taking all the odd jobs he can find and the mother heavy with a baby. Them being so poor, the siblings know that their family cannot anymore afford to buy yet a new pair of shoes.
To solve the problem, Kun and Fang end up using the same worn-out pair that Kun owns. Fang wears them to school in the morning and gets into trouble with her teacher scolding her for wearing boys' shoes that are even too large for her. Kun wears them in the afternoon and gets into deeper trouble with the principal always catching him going to school late. What makes things doubly hard is they keep the problem as a secret to spare the parents from further worry. This only creates complications. In his desperation, Kun is forced to swallow his pride and submit to rich boy Ben Soon's (Joshua Ang...In reviews, the character is Ming Soon) demands and conditions only to acquire new shoes for his beloved sister.
Homerun has a familiar, universal theme - poverty. However, the actual theme, if you concentrate on the movie alone, is family love as well as friendship. If you concentrate further and are familiar with Singapore's political history, you will further find underlying messages that Neo did not exactly try to hide. I am, of course, under no authority to comment on this, so I will leave the debate on those who have. Personally, I am more touched by the family love theme. This is what I will concentrate on.
It was very commendable of Kun to be so loving and caring for his family, especially for his little sister. The things he did just to replace her shoes and make her smile again surely melted my heart. She was no ungrateful wench either. In her quiet way, Fang appreciated his efforts, never got mad at him, and actually cared for her big brother as well. Both were just victims of poverty, symbolized by the shoes they so wanted. Or by the lack of shoes, to be more specific. You'd have to be touched by the sacrifices the kids had to make, especially Kun when he joined a race and, in his belief, "lost". His loyal friends, at least, were always there to try and help as much as they could, which was also touching.
This movie certainly makes it up my list of favorites. I highly recommend it as a family drama. It is a very well-made story, simple and direct, the best way to get your message across. You'd want your audience to focus on one or two character(s), not bombard them with others' sub-plots. Too much ingredients and flavor sometimes ruin the taste.
The characters in Homerun were well-developed. There were no mysteries that needed to be solved, save from who got the old shoes. No high-tech presentations. After all, it was 1965. Certainly no hysterics. There were crying scenes, yes, but mostly, the situations and long faces would make you do all the crying yourself. If you were me, anyway. The kids were very good actors, particularly Zheng who became co-winner of the Best Newcomer category and gave the movie its first-ever Golden Horse award.
The movie wasn't very sad all through-out, though. In fact, there were a lot of funny scenes, especially with Kun's friends providing the comic relief. There's the stereo-typical fat kid who's supposed to be considered ugly and called pig, but other than that, I have no complaints.
For me, this movie - as a movie - deserves a NINE out of a ten rating. No questions asked.
Yi ge dou bu neng shao (1999)
One More About Real Life
This is also a well-received and well-applauded film in the international scene. Not surprising for it is a film directed by the same man who gave us Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, and Zhang Ziyi (via The Road Home, which I have yet to see) - Zhang Yimou.
Based on "There is a Sun in the Sky" by Shi Xiang Sheng, who also wrote the screenplay, the story tells about a young girl who actually represents China's poor and practically illiterate sector. Oh, but that's getting ahead of the story.
In the movie, Wei Min Zhi, young and barely out of her teens, is given the task to substitute for the very dedicated Teacher Gao at the Shiuxian Village's school in Beijing. Having big and understandable doubts, Teacher Gao still hands over the reins to her for a while as he is left with no choice. It being a job, Wei asks for payment. They argue until they both agree to a decision, that he will make sure she gets paid provided that in his absence, no student leaves schooling to work, not one less. Wei intends to keep this promise, a promise that eventually becomes threatened when one of the students runs away.
It is obvious that Not One Less is a movie intended to serve as an eye-opener and does not pretend to be anything else. It touches on issues such as poverty, child labor and illiteracy. It is realistic enough as who are we to say that a situation such as Wei?s does not exist? While you maybe amused by the story from time to time, you can?t help but feel pity for the characters. Imagine a 13-year-old kid forced by the need to earn and teach other kids almost her own age. I winced between chuckles as Wei struggled to find the right words for the only song she claimed she knew, the right answers to simple mathematics, and the right way to find the missing boy in the jungle called The City.
The story is told in quite a simple manner. No music, no flairs and, save for one - Li Fan Fan - no real celebrities. Read the credits and you?ll soon realize that none of the cast, whether main or not, were real actors. In fact, everyone used his/her own name! Wei Min Zhi was actually a student from Zhenlingbao Village Middle School. Trouble-maker Zhang Huike was actually also another student from another school. Teacher Gao (Gao Enman) was a real primary school teacher. Though the story was not based on a particular and actual person's life, the cast played their own roles, from the young runner-athlete to the village mayor to the TV anchor.
There is no great acting. I must say the better. Raw acting can sometimes make everything more believable. Watch it and you'll see what I mean. Heck, it's like seeing a familiar situation in my country's own backyard! A plus for Zhang Huike?s infectious smile. But even that, I missed the first time I saw him cry and in this particular scene:
Li Fan Fan: Do you like the city? Zhang Huike: Yes. Li Fan Fan: What is good about it? Zhang Huike: The city is beautiful and progressive. Much better than the countryside. Li Fan Fan: What?s the most lasting impression? Zhang Huike (pauses and the smile fades): That I had to beg for food. I will always remember that.
So if you feel you can break away from all the hi-tech, gory and adrenaline-rushing flicks, opt for a simple and realistic story. Here it is and don't expect any butt-kicking Wei Min Zhi anytime soon. Just isn't going to happen.
Xiaohai bu ben (2002)
You Stupid?
More than a month ago, my eyes got all puffy again and I blamed Jack Neo for it. If a law was ever passed against making women cry using movies, he would be in death row by now.
Of course, as you can gather from my reaction, I am actually starting to love Neo (just don't remind me about his Liang Po Po slapstick). After watching Homerun, here was another Neo flick that had my tears streaming down my face uncontrollably - I Not Stupid (I.N.S.). Clever devil. Even his title screams with comic irony.
Compared to the first film aforementioned, I.N.S. is another Singaporean political and, more specifically, social satire. The treatment, however, is more direct though not literal. Without ever having to guess, one would not need to read any background on Singapore to realize that the film is satirical.
The whole movie is full of similes and metaphors - mostly directly injected in dialogue - that pertain to the country's government and its people. For around two hours, we are given a peek, a good peek, at one of Asia's well-known nations. At the same time, neighboring countries may recognize a thing or two about Singapore that resemble(s) a thing or two about themselves.
Strictly speaking, the story is about and narrated by Terry (Huang Po-Ju), a little rich boy who could be so obedient to an annoying fault. Actually, the story revolves not only around Terry, but also around poor toughie Boon Hock (Joshua Ang) and misunderstood artist Kok Pin (Shawn Lee). Well, around them and their parents, to be more exact. The adults have their own sub-plots that cannot be simply ignored. Each of the boys belong to section EM3 where all the kids perceived as lazy, troublesome and dumb always end up and are considered hopeless future adults. The parents, on the other hand, basically play the part of society and government. Special focus is on Singaporean education, both in school and in society.
As a satire, I found I.N.S. simple, direct, and effective in communicating the message. As a non-Singaporean, I cannot, in all honesty agree with all of Neo's opinions. I cannot, simply because I have never been to Singapore, personally talked to anyone who has, discussed the country with online buddies, nor met a Singaporean in the flesh. But as far as freedom of speech is concerned, through the use of a powerful medium, I say, yes, Neo conveyed his message very well. In fact, right at the start, he made it clear through the narration.
However, it wasn't the "underlying" content that got to me. It was Kok Pin and his mother that made me cry. I was doing fine until Kok Pin got up the building and...I should have known it would be about family again or I would have bought some tissue! As for funny moments, even if it was supposed to be comedy, there wasn't a lot to laugh at, literally or not. At least I didn't find much of the story funny. Sorry.
I.N.S. is a brave, intelligent film done in-your-face. It was created not to confuse but rather inform the audience and perhaps, serve as a wake-up call. It is not a stab (in fact, there is an "appreciative" comment near the end regarding "mothers") but rather, just a prick to remind the government to do what is proper and right when it comes to educating its people. No need to beat around the bush. After all, we not stupid.
Therefore, I highly recommend this movie. Not as powerful as I found Homerun, but still a very commendable piece. I can't wait to see another one of Jack's Neo-isms. This guy is not to be missed. After all, he most definitely not stupid! *May 15, 2005*