Category: Reviews

reviews of the books I’ve read and movies I’ve watched

#Y: A Journey of Personal Catharsis

I don’t have much experience with indie films – or films in general – but I do know that Cinemalaya films are a must-watch for they expose issues in society rarely discussed and much less shown on film. And so, I made it a goal to watch a Cinemalaya film this year – finally after being cooped up in the province for so long where Cinemalaya is virtually inaccessible.

With so many great films to choose from, I didn’t know where to begin. A friend recommended #Y and it being about my generation, I opted to watch it. And so, at 9pm on a Thursday night, there I was, alone, in Greenbelt, watching #Y.

I didn’t really know what to expect from the film. The reviews were mostly vague. And nothing could have prepared me for the film’s effect. Seemingly shallow at the beginning, the more I dwell on it, the more it exposed issues inside of me – issues I have been too afraid to disclose; issues I have set aside and never really dealt with. It was not your usual indie film. It didn’t just expose issues in society – it exposes issues within yourself.

And so, after almost a week of having seen the film and after countless discussions with friends, officemates, myself and even the director – here is my take on the film and how it has purged me of my own personal demons.

SUICIDE

The overall apparent theme of the movie was suicide. The trailer unapologetically led people to believe it was a film simply revolving on sex, drugs and alcohol and never really gave a hint that it was primarily about suicide. Hence it was a shock when the film opened with the main character – Miles (Elmo Magalona) – lying on the pavement, in his own pool of blood.

And from there, it was a flashback to how it all began.

The suicide theme was softened by Miles’ comedic monologue. I found it funny when, even while lying in the pavement, apparently dead, the audience can still hear his thoughts – about how dying by jumping off a building, despite being really fast, was in fact, very painful.

BBC-Sherlock-Season-two-cliff-hanger

No one really knew why Miles would commit suicide. In fact, his family and friends all pretty much had good opinions about him. They saw him as having everything he could wish for and living a pretty much good life. No one knew why he would do it. But I do.

And that I have expounded here.

SEX

Sex was another overriding theme in the movie. It tackled how sex is the norm in today’s generation and how the days of Maria Clara and sex-after-marriage are seemingly down the drain. My mom would have a fit when she reads my exposition on sex – and my vast knowledge of it but such is the reality of things.

Continue reading “#Y: A Journey of Personal Catharsis”

SUICIDE – How I Overcome It: My #Y Personal Catharsis Series

The main overriding theme of #Y was suicide. When I asked the director why he made a film about suicide – and if that is really the norm in my generation – he straightforwardly answered YES. Studying in the U-Belt area, he claimed that it was a normal occurrence for a student to simply jump off the building. In fact, the number of students who commit suicide are never really reported for most of these kids belong to well-known families who would rather keep everything private.

Come to think of it, suicide is a tough thing to deal with. From the person attempting to commit it to the people left behind after the act. So many questions. So few answers.

It appears that despite the socially connected world we live in, we still suffer from isolation.

Continue reading “SUICIDE – How I Overcome It: My #Y Personal Catharsis Series”

Pino’s 4th, My 1st

It was my first time to attend a quiz night last Wednesday at Pino Bar & Restaurant. It was also my first time at this famous Pinoy Fusion place in Jupiter St., Makati which had a vegan concept called Pipino.

As such, I was excited to try their food and to participate in their 4th Quiz Night.

The place was well lighted, had high ceilings and comfortable seating. It reminded me of resto bars I see in American movies set in New York. Most of the patrons were also corporate Makati and so it has a vibe of a professional, upscale resto bar.

Signage by the entrance
The Bar is at the far side while couches and tables occupy the center of the place.

The menu is extensive! There’s just so many items listed that it’s hard to choose. Pipino’s menu is already incorporated to Pino’s. They just give a distinction that the dish is Pipino’s. Pipino is the vegan counterpart of Pino. If Pino serves a Pinoy Fusion food such as Chicken Inasal Caesar Salad, Longganisa Topped Nachos, and Red Wine Adobong Tadyang; Pipino serves fusion vegan dishes such as Watermelon Steak, Tofu Lemongrass Skewers and Wicked Walnut.

Both concept share one resto space but between them – their dishes are just too numerous to be able to choose which is the perfect one suited for my taste.  And since the prices are not that cheap, I opted to do my due diligence and check out what other foodies are saying about their menu.

Yet, I ordered and sampled items far from what they all reviewed. And here’s my verdict:

 

Tuna Shiitake Pasta – the actual serving
Tofu Lemongrass Skewers
Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
Mini Sisig Tacos
Tablea Cheesecake
A close up shot

 

 

The Mini Sisig Tacos was weird for me. Normally, you expect to taste beef with tacos so tasting pork – with distinctively pork taste – with your taco shells was not something my palate liked. I am not a big fan of pork but there are times when pork would taste good. This time, sadly, the pork tasted off. To me, it was a miss.

My order – the Tuna Shiitake Pasta (P215) was a hit! The pasta was al dente and the combination of the ingredients created a sumptuous dish. The blend of tuna flakes, shiitake mushrooms, and tomatoes was perfect! Sadly, the serving portions was too little. It’s good for just 1 person on a diet. Seriously! It’s half the serving of most pasta places who also serve great pasta. For the great taste of this food, I could have easily consumed two servings! Don’t expect much of the garlic bread side though.

The Tofu Lemongrass Skewer was one of the more popular item in the Pipino menu. However, to me the taste wasn’t right. It was too bland and stuffy and I can’t quite figure out what it should taste really. It was a miss for me. I’ve been trying vegan food and I have yet to find a vegan joint who’ll serve a vegan dish I’d like.

For dessert we tried the Tablea Cheesecake. It was salty and sour as can be expected from a cheesecake. I didn’t really like it. Another miss.

I didn’t get to taste the Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast which my companions ordered. So I can’t give a verdict for it.

Good thing the Quiz Night was entertaining enough. I had a good time learning about random facts such as Nicki Minaj’s first name being Onika. Most of the questions were really random stuff i.e. What is the first property in Monopoly? and though I got most of the items which I do know, I’m afraid I missed out on a lot. Good thing my team mates were veterans in this kind of thing. What the Quiz Night taught me is – you can never be too smart on your own.

Pino vowed to make the Quiz Night a monthly thing so next month there’s another one to look forward to.

For more details on Pino’s Quiz Night and other events, you can visit their Facebook Page.

Manang’s Chicken: Way Better than BonChon

Chicken places abound in Manila. Some are hits but for me, many are misses. So when a friend told me that the son of so-and-so owned this place, I was skeptical. It’s a chicken place – what else is new?

But like my recent discover and love for Chef Lau’s Pugon Roasters, this place – Manang’s Chicken – would be something I’d be coming back time and again simply because I can’t get enough of how the chicken tasted.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve tasted far better chicken and Bigg’s Crispy Fried Chicken still reigns supreme on my list. However, devoid of Bigg’s in Manila, I opted for alternatives.

Manang’s Chicken, every time I bring someone here, is likened to Bon Chon. But unlike the latter, which I hate for the lack of value (too expensive for so little), I liked the taste of Manang’s better.

For the price of P99 (1 pc chicken with rice and chips), the chicken is good namely for the sauce. There’s something unique with how they blended soy sauce to be sweet and how they added sesame seed (possibly sesame oil) to add that unique flavor. It’s kind of addicting really to think they have original, mild spicy and spicy versions. The chicken itself is sometimes a hit and miss – one point it will be juicy and at times it won’t. But the sauce is what I keep coming back for.

Admittedly there are many other items in the menu but I haven’t tried them. Manang’s is the kind of place wherein when I need a budget meal – and Jollibee, McDo, KFC or any other fast food joint is a no-no, then it’s a pretty fair alternative.

I just hope they have a branch near my office so I can eat for lunch every item in the menu.

The counter at their Food Choices branch in Glorietta 3. Admittedly, this is the only branch I’ve visited but they have a full store in Jupiter St., Makati.
They deliver!
The 1pc chicken meal I always order.

 

For more info on Manang’s Chicken, check out their Facebook Page.

 

PS – The marketer in me simply loves their marketing strategies. I guess knowing the owner (though just an acquaintance), I feel a kinship with the brand.

Pugon Roasters: An Inexpensive Celebrity-Chef-Owned Resto

When I first discovered Pugon Roasters, it was love at first bite. First, I was amazed that the famous celebrity chef – Chef Lau owned it and that the dishes were surprisingly affordable – even outright dirt cheap! Second, I was amazed at the food choices and more so at the succulent tastes of each. And lastly, it was located in my favorite park in the city.

And so it came as no surprise that every chance I got, I would invite friends to meet at Pugon. I loved bringing them there and suggesting my favorite dishes. But lo and behold not all of them loved Pugon as my as I did. And when I probed deeper, it was because their taste buds cannot appreciate the intricate flavors Chef Lau mixed into his creations.

The flagship product is, of course, none other than Pugon Roast Chicken (P99 with rice). It is actually served with artistic flair as would befit any chef. Their chicken is best paired with the vinegar that comes with it. It actually taste was better than Mang Inasal or any other common chicken place but my friends simply didn’t have the taste buds to appreciate the Indian-inspired cuisine. Their claim is that the chicken is roasted in a pugon and as we know anything cooked in an actual pugon is well-worth the taste (think Pugon Pandesal).

But what I love about them is their version of chicken liver and isaw. The Chicken Liver Surprise (P75 with rice) has this distinctive spice taste reminiscent of Indian cuisine. The liver is so soft you can just bite and swallow. But of course who would do that? Best chew the food slowly first and savor its rich taste. Another rather unique dish is Chikenini (P65 with rice). It’s chicken intestines (isaw) fried then cooked in adobo sauce. There are times when it would be so salty but most of the times the taste is just enough. It’s pretty strong taste but to me it’s what keeps me coming back because I find it ingenuous that there is another way of cooking “isaw” (in fact, I should just refer to it as intestines because it is not really “inisaw” (grilled)).

They have other good menu items like the Chicken Croquetas (P85 with rice) which I recommend you share with a group as one order has 5 big pieces and eating all of them can get “nakakaumay”. The barbeque sauce that comes with it though is divine.

The place also serves alcohol such as beer served really cold and hence dubbed beer zero because it is cooled to almost 0 degrees. Of course the have pulutan like Chicken Sisig. They also carry desserts such as cheesecakes, halo-halo and carabao soft ice cream. If you like dark chocolate, I recommend their dark chocolate cheesecake (P130). I’m sure you’ll love it!.

There are other menu items such as a baked bangus and angus beef. I didn’t really try them hence I can’t give a verdict. I merely go back for the chicken liver and chikenini most of the time but I must make a mental note to go back more often and try the other dishes.

Final note: Pugon is a fantastic resto. Their claim of #FastGood is true. Food is served fast and it tastes – and look – good. I love the food and I love their service. But I know the taste is not for everyone so if you are not that adventurous with your taste buds, or you do not prefer Middle Eastern tastes, then proceed with caution. Yet, as they say, YOLO – you only live once – so why not try the sumptuous meals at Pugon Roasters. (Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored review though it might sound like one because I just so love the place!)

 

Drop by and you might just meet the famous celebrity chef and his wife. 
Baked Potato Wedges. One of the many sides availbale for P19 (half) and P25 (full). Verdict: so-so.
The Chikenini – Fried Adobong Chicken Intestines
My all time faves – Chicken Liver Suprise and Chickenini!
The very unassuming menu board which is chuck full of other dishes to discover like the Kalderetang Lasagna.
Ensalada. Another side. Verdict: so-so.

Pugon Roasters by Chef Lau is located at Ayala Triangle, Makati and McKinley Hill, Taguig. Visit their Facebook Page at Chef Lau’s Pugon Roasters.

 

 

Wabi-Sabi: Beyond My Imagination

Lately I’ve been feeling more adventurous and more exploratory. Blame it on my new found freedom but I really wanted to try as many things as I can now that I have time in my hands. And so, top of my list is to collate as many unique epicurean experiences as possible. I cannot claim to be a food blogger – maybe not yet – but I can most certainly review food and definitely be on a hunt for the most unique experience I can possibly dream of.

Being adventurous, I decided to try out Wabi Sabi after reading about it from two food guides. I searched the net further to find out what it’s about and came across famous bloggers who attested to its taste. And so together with friends, I decided to investigate.

The evening we were about to try out Wabi Sabi proved to be a dreary rainy one. We were close to backing out but I persisted for the sake of trying out something new.

Wabi Sabi is located in The Collective along Maluggay Street in Makati. At first, I thought The Collective was your usual, typical mall. I was badly mistaken. Coming from Buendia cor. Osmena Hwy, I walked to Maluggay and was glad that I easily found The Collective. Upon reaching the building, I harbored second thoughts. I was the first of our party to arrive and I didn’t know if I was in the right place. It looked like an abandoned warehouse from the front. There were several food joints in front but none of them was Wabi Sabi.

I dared ventured in. Inside were walls covered with graffiti – artistic graffiti that is but to my world, it was scary graffiti. Obviously, it was a hipster – artist place and there was even a newly opened gallery. I wasn’t entirely sure if I’ve come to the right place so I asked someone if they knew where Wabi Sabi is. I asked one of the ladies who appeared to work in one of the food joints and she was quite unsure what I was asking. She merely pointed out that I could try exploring deeper into the building for there are other food joints inside.

I took her advice albeit cautiously and all along, as I explored the narrow corridors whose walls all contained graffiti, I felt like anytime soon I will be stabbed or mugged. It was how I would picture out the Bronx in New York.

Thankfully enough that building wasn’t really that big (or deep) and upon two turns I saw Wabi Sabi. I felt relieved. It was just like Anton Diaz’s (of Our Awesome Planet) description – the place looked like a Kung Fu Noodle House. The place is really small and when I arrived there were two big groups occupying almost the entire restaurant. So, having gained a new found bravado, I ventured to explore the building deeper, only to find out it was actually small, and resolved to wait for my companions in the main hallway.

Surprising, all of us were scared and a bit skeptical when we entered into the building. I had a good laugh looking at their faces when they entered the building only to see hipsters, artists and graffiti – being scientists – we knew we were not in our turf.

So on to Wabi Sabi.

Sadly, the joint did not live up to my expectations. I expected a lot given that they have this concept of Ramen Padilla vs Fernando Pho Jr. Their specialty is noodles and they serve it two ways – Japanese ramen (choice of shoyu (P120) or miso (P130)) and Vietnamese pho (P105). We also tried to order their appetizers yet most that were written on the blackboard menu were no longer available. Most disappointing was that their specialty sample dish which allows you to go back for seconds was also not available. Apparently, it was just a promo 3 years ago and they just didn’t erase it from the menu blackboard.

So we basically ordered what was available. The gyoza (P55, 3pcs) which tasted like crab meat was pretty good. So was their Harumaki (P65, 4pcs) which had a seaweed taste probably due to the prominence of the dried seaweed. What we all love was the Bahn Mi (P150, 12”) which was a sub sandwich filled with pulled vegan pork, cucumber, carrots and some other veggies I can’t identify. It really tasted great and you wouldn’t realize you’re eating vegan meat!

For drinks we had two choices – a refreshing Lemongrass Iced Tea (P50) and the usual Thai Milk Tea (P60). For me the Lemongrass was better even if the lemongrass taste was too strong. It was not at all sweet also.

The main dish – the two noodle soup. I got to try the Shoyu Ramen and the Pho. The Shoyu Ramen to my taste was a bit bland. In fact we all agreed it was bland and we had to add some chili powder to heighten the taste. The meat – which was gluten of course – was average. I did not enjoy it actually so I switched with my sister who ordered Pho. The pho tasted strongly of cilantro and all the while I can imagine I was eating leaves. But I preferred it to the ramen because at least it had a strong taste to it. I also found it more filling.

So my verdict for the soup war – I go with Fernando Pho Jr.!

As for the entire place, it failed my expectations and my friends were generally not impressed. There were products we enjoyed but it won’t be enough for us to come back and relive the experience. We also surmised that since we were not vegetarians, we found the soups bland.

And so, in my quest to find out if I would ever be vegan – I’m sad to say my first attempt at vegan dining out in Makati was a flop.

The positive side to all this though was I got to try a new place and gain a completely different experience. Will I be back? In Wabi Sabi, perhaps but just to eat the B-my or the gyoza. In The Collective, perhaps to try Ritual, an organic store which sells vegan ice cream (P110 per scoop).

Will I continue exploring vegan places? Definitely! And not just vegan places but every hole-in-wall resto in Makati.

Wabi Sabi
To order, you go to the bar and look at the menu on the blackboard. Then sit down, wait to be served and pay your bill afterwards.
Harumaki
The Bahn Mi or what was left of it
Gyoza – great taste really
The Ramen Padilla
The Fernando Pho Jr.
Wabi Sabi’s wall features the noodle wars. On one side Ramen Padilla’s fans. On the other Fernando Pho Jr.
An organic shop inside The Collective selling organic produce. They have vegan ice cream which I’d love to try some other day.
A heavily decorated wall in one of the corridors
People taking photo of the artwork on the wall
There is a courtyard of sorts in the middle which has no roof and was open to the elements. I guess this is used as a performing stage.
Another wall covered with art

Superbook Reimagined in 3D

Have you ever watched this show when you were young? I did. I could remember how every weekend morning, me and my siblings would gather in front of the television and watch these kids be transported to another dimension – the Biblical times.

It was my very first encounter with the Bible. Having been schooled in an exclusive Catholic school, we were taught all the dogmas and traditions of the Catholic faith but emphasis on the Bible has been limited to mostly mass readings and Bible stories. Superbook had been one of the avenues for me to become familiar with the Bible’s characters and stories.

Recently, ABS-CBN has acquired the franchise to the series – this time adapted to the new generation’s entertainment preference – 3D animation. It actually kind of looks neat from the advertisements – something which ABS was generous off (cue primetime 30-seconder ad spots and brand bugs). I also saw from an FB post that they have acquired the gizmo mascot.

They are also showing the classic series back-to-back the 3D ones. Probably since, in my opinion, the classic one is still the best version. But that’s because this is my time frame.

I’m glad ABS decided to revive Superbook. It’s about time that the kids of this generation get to watch cartoons with real substance. I long for the time when cartoons don’t just entertain but also educate. Think of Captain Planet, the environmental cartoon. I really watched it faithfully and it helped formed an environmental consciousness in me as early as my pre-teen years.

It is my hope that kids would be enthralled and engaged to watch this show. That despite the modern comforts of today’s technological age and the endless split-second entertainment available, they will learn to find joy and knowledge from classic cartoons such as Superbook.

*I hope they also (or GMA) revive the Flying House.

Shocking Glee Episode

Today I watched the most emotional Glee episode ever. It doesn’t really count as the best Glee episode especially given that it only had 3 songs which were not even good ones. But it touched a lot of nerves and pulled quite some heartstrings in me – to think I’m not even from the US where people had experienced, first hand, the tragedy portrayed.

[Warning: Spoilers Ahead]

At first, I thought it was just some routine Glee episode which tackled the romantic hang ups of the cast as well as their competitive spirits especially with Regionals coming up. But when the first gun shot sounded followed by the long agonizing moments of pure emotional torture – several things ran in my mind all at once. Despite wanting to hit the stop button and watch the episode no longer, I couldn’t bring myself to simply be cut off from the pure emotional torture portrayed.

“What is this? How long will this last?” It felt like the entire sequence lasted for hours. The New Directions waited in their hiding spots in the choir room while some of their members were scattered and trapped outside. Choir practice haven’t completely started and some might have been late for Glee practice hence why they were trapped outside the classroom. The others were left inside, presumably safely hidden, but going through an agonizing trauma of what could be happening outside and where their friends and relatives (in Marley’s case) maybe.

“Wow. They have an organized system.” Despite the emotional torture, I saw how organized they were. After the first shot was fired, they immediately knew what to do. Lock the doors and cover it with something heavy. Hide in obscure spots that can’t be spotted outside. Get down. Be quiet. Stay put. Even Brittany, who was locked outside, in the bathroom, knew what to do. Keep the showers running. Hide in the stalls. Remain calm. It all seemed as if they knew the drill in cases like this. Somewhat like knowing what to do when an earthquake or fire hits.

“Is this for real? They are very brave.” Not the cast but the production team. The issue tackled is something I know will surely strike chords in the hearts of many American viewers, especially those who can relate closely with what happened. But I was awed but the sheer bravado of the team to tackle such an issue. Something that clearly needs to be addressed in their education system – why kids would bring guns to schools and how safe the educational institution is. Glee has always been unafraid to tackle social issues pertaining to high school. Yes they dwell mostly in sappy story lines and cliche American high school drama but beyond all those they were able to tackle issues such as teen pregnancy, homosexuality (both male and female and transgender), bullying, suicide, and now school shootouts alongside common issues of acceptance, being different, pursuing one’s passion, and learning to dream.

“The emotion is killing me.” Indeed, it is. The emotions of all the characters were very raw especially those of Sam, Blaine, Ryder, Marley and Kitty. The rest – Artie, Wade/Unique and Jake – were not as emotional but their subdued acting complemented the emotional distress of the rest of the group. Brittany was also commendable for her performance where I can feel her fear and calm strength at the same time while she remained perched atop the toilet bowl in a bathroom stall awaiting the dreaded moments for what could possibly happen next.

The episode takes a sudden turn when the culprit for the shooting was identified. Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) admitted that the gun fired was hers and what happened was an honest mistake. I doubt it the moment she made the explanation. I had a hunch that Becky was involved in it somewhere – judging by the focus given to her at the beginning of the episode – and true enough, towards the end of the episode when Will Schuster was asking Sue for the real reason of how everything happened – a flashback revealed that Becky, out of fear, brought a gun to school to be prepared. When Sue tried to retrieve it from her, it was accidentally fired.

I was sad that Sue would be leaving McKinley High (how will the revenge planned by Blaine pan out?) but I doubt she will be removed from the series. I’m sure, she’ll be in the background and the storyline will still involve her.

Blaming the shooting on Becky for me gave her character more depth. It showed that like any normal kid and despite her tough and bitchy exterior, she is still scared inside. Her plight was also an emotional one. How will she move on from the place which accepted her and made her feel loved (despite her bitchiness)? I do not think the show would put Becky in a discriminatory storyline, not after how they build up her character and showed how people with Down Syndrome can be normal additions to our society that needs to be accepted and respected. For me, making Becky responsible for the shooting further showed how she is a normal kid, just like everyone else, despite her genetic disorder.

Overall, it was a good episode. It was scary for me in the sense that it was a tragedy rooted too deeply in truth. But I hope that it will serve its purpose and be a perpetual reminder of the horrors and dangers of violence in an institution commonly regarded for the safety it offers its inhabitants. And may people realize the cause for such violence and perform measures to mitigate them in the future. Lastly, for Glee fans in the Philippines, although the episode may not directly hit a chord in our hearts because we cannot fully relate to the situation, may it provide us lessons how violence in the school is completely unacceptable and how the episodes of bullying (and sometimes gun pointing) need to be properly addressed so that we do not gravitate to graver violent tendencies.

 

 

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Movie Review: The Bourne Identity..oops! Legacy pala.

After such a long time, I watched a movie in the big screen again. Not that I am no movie buff, I just don’t seem to find any necessity watching films in the big screen when I can easily download them. Then again, Bourne Legacy was a different story because it was shot in Manila. I was excited how they will depict the city in the film. Not being a fan of the previous Bourne movies, I was at a lost when the film started. I literally don’t know what was happening. But I hang on, waiting for the Manila scenes to take place.

The two main casts – Rachel Weisz and Jeremy Renner in the streets of Manila.

Almost 2/3 of the film was already done, and still no Manila. I was beginning to get bored especially when Rachel Weisz started talking scientific jargon. As a biologist, I’m suppose to understand some of the terms – I do – but then it was too technical even for me to appreciate. I tuned out of that conversation. But I was aghast at how Manila was inserted in the story line. The virus was manufactured here? I didn’t know what to make out of the logic presented. But since I tuned out of the entire conversation, I really didn’t know the logic behind Manila being the virus producer.

And so the characters went to Manila. Yey! At first, I was impressed with the nighttime aerial shots. It was as if the film was in Bangkok or some other high-end Asian City (but then I recalled some Hollywood films did used Manila as a stand-in for those locations). I was also almost at the edge of my seat when close-up shots of Manila were presented. From the taxi ride from the airport to the scenes in the factory and the rented room, it all screamed Manila to me. During the chase scene, I felt that it was a Tagalog movie I was watching, with all the Tagalog dialogue I heard. It was in fact unnerving to hear the occasional English conversations of the main characters.The Manila geography was a bit off for me – I mean who in the Philippines would seriously believe Manila was laid out like that? But then again, for the many foreign viewers, or even those who don’t know Manila all too well, they will most probably excuse the geographical liberties.

Just when the scenes were getting good, the film had to end abruptly. Just when I thought that finally, they have come to the Philippines and we can see some real action, it ended. The hyper chase scene that dominated 1/3 of the film was all there is to it. Nothing more. I was literally left hanging. I can’t believe the credits were rising; I can’t believe the lights turned on. I can’t believe the film was over. I kept expecting something else to happen.

To me, it felt like a very bad, forced ending that would communicate – again badly – that there was a sequel to look forward to. I felt that the entire film was something that they made just so they can make another Bourne installment  and make money out of it. In fact, I think they tried to work up all the hype over nothing! Of course, I was happy Manila was featured in the film, although mostly it was the slums they showed and nothing too flattering to the Philippines except the last shots in El Nido, Palawan. Then again, who would really recognize that the end shots were in El Nido? Will anyone ever think those were actually in the Philippines after what they saw in Manila? I certainly hope so.

But overall, story being considered, I did not really like the film. I was in there to watch out for the scenes shot in Manila and that was exactly what I got. Nothing more. No enigmatic story to pique my brain. No intelligent conversation to make me rave about the film. I got what I went there for and that was it.

Did it meet my expectations? My expectations for great shots in Manila, yes. I knew they were not aiming to shot the glorious tourists spots but they did justice to the city. My expectations for a great film with great story telling and dialogue and characters, no. Basically, it was all hodgepodge to me.

Since the film obviously has another sequel – the way they just cut it out in the middle blatantly speaks so – if it is no longer shot in the Philippines, then I would definitely not watch it in the big screen; MAYBE (and not even sure about it) just download it. Because of my disappointment, it was no surprise that I came out of the theater without really catching on the title of the film – even to the point that I posted a status update saying: bitin ang Bourne Identity.

This is why I hate watching movies in the big screen. Sometimes, you can never be too sure of your money’s worth.

This post was supposed to be made when I watched the film during its release last Sunday, but I never got around to it. But thanks to the date function here, I can alter the published date. Hehe.

 

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