#mallari

warning: mallari (2023) spoilers, mentions of violence

Mama's Boy ang Santo Bartolomeo ninyo

More Lucas Alarcon stuff !! Traditional sketch this time >:)))

Gomburza is a well-acted historical film. Now I understand why Cedrick Juan won the Best Actor award for MMFF 2023. He acted the heck out of his role as Padre Jose Burgos. Also, watching this film was like watching a character study - not of one particular named character but the character of a Filipino and how that term came to be and the spark of the revolution that would define our history. Don't compare it to Heneral Luna. That one was another great and spectacular movie, but its fire is different. Gomburza is more of a slow burn, taking its time to lay down the foundations of what the country fought for and the unifying idea that drove it -- the identity of the Filipinos.

Memorable lines include (paraphrased out of memory):

"No indio will rebel. We [the Church] taught them to be obedient."

"... ill-fated and cursed people?" (Malas at sinumpang bayan)

These were the lines that really made me teary-eyed. You already know why, considering the many things plaguing our country.

i've read a review on facebook that says the film is not without its flaws but can really be the start for more creative filipino horror films and i just have to watch the film for myself, and i did.

at first, there are some interesting editing choices that didn't sit right with me; like the sudden cuts for scenes that one would expect them to be long shots. it feels weird to watch a character turning and it suddenly cuts to them already shifted. i get to appreciate it towards the end though, for me, it adds to this ominous atmosphere.

the kills are oh so brutal and i loved the scenes with the kills. the first kill of the movie was shot and directed beautifully and acted greatly with the victim. the detail later of them actually getting chopped really adds to the brutality of the kill; and while the victim is being hunted and killed, it's already pretty brutal. i thought mid film that this might be a slasher and it definitely is.

it having this slasher plotline is not really that unexpected but i'm glad they went with it. again, we need more filipino slashers.

the story is so packed of storylines that it might feel convoluted but they executed it pretty well, in my opinion. i said in my previous post that leaving the movie as is and not answering questions is what i really like about kampon but with this film, i liked that they really tied the stories well because the film can be really confusing without those answers towards the end.

the astral projection storyline can be really confusing and i understand how this can be off to some but i really dig with it. it's really interesting for me and i liked this plotline.

as someone who's really fascinated by the aswangs and more creatures from filipino folklore, the whole aswang plot of it all is really enjoyable for me. another interesting choice to go with this supernatural plot and i really enjoyed it! in filipino horror films it's really on the supernatural horror that they focus the films on and it's definitely not new but the way they executed this film is just making me smile while watching it.

my problem with this is with the cg, the most off for me is with a character's aged body looking too cg for my liking. certain decisions feel dumb but those didn't ruin the movie for me, really.

“‘Di ba’t isang sumpa ang magmahal?”

Mallari does not only showcase the story of the infamous Fr. Severino Mallari, but also delves into the lives of men from succeeding generations of his clan. The first descendant, Johnrey, a documentary filmmaker in post World War II Philippines, and the second being Jonathan De Dios, a doctor and the lead protagonist of the film. The two descendants of Fr. Severino try to discover their family’s darkest secret, which most likely has contributed to the killings and disappearances in Magalang, Pampanga.

All three generations of the Mallari clan are played by Piolo Pascual, which is perceived to be difficult parts to play. However, Pascual was able to to help distinguish one generation from another and yet was able to establish the connection between all three characters.

What also is depicted in the movie is the presence of important female figures in each of the Mallari men’s lives: Dona Facunda, Fr. Severino’s mother played by Ms. Gloria Diaz, Felicity, Johnrey’s wife played by Elisse Joson, and Agnes, Jonathan’s fiancee played by Janella Salvador. All three actresses gave the three women their respective well-defined characters which was able to show how each Mallari’s love for these women had urged them to take greater lengths, even if it will cost them their own morals.

JC Santos does an excellent job in portraying Brother Lucas in the likeness of Brutus from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, as he showcases his character’s loyalty and later betrayal to Pascual’s Dr. Jonathan.

The film may remind one of Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All (2022) with its presence of common themes such as gore and manslaughter. It is also important to note how both Carido and Guadagnino have commonly used manslaughter as a dark metaphor for love as a motive of sacrifice and self-discovery, which the former has executed very well and evidently in Mallari (2023). It also bears similarities with Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho (2021) not just with the presence of gore and manslaughter, but also with the key theme of time travel, which the two Mallari descendants have used in order to learn about the dark secret of their family for this film.

The film had a well-organized flow of events, as well as a smooth transition in between time periods. It was able to give me and other viewers proper context and a good idea on how to let the story unfold and think about what could happen next. However, Jonathan’s arc was very anti-climactic towards the end yet it established his arc as an anti-hero.

Another thing to love about this film is that not only did it have Gothic themes and the use of the Catholic faith, which are associated as Western literary and cultural elements, but it also incorporated the use of Filipino folk medicine and faith healing, which are indigenous Filipino cultural elements, as important parts of the film.

In conclusion, Mallari (2023) was a great watch, and it definitely deserved the accolades. Not only did it bring justice to a dark love metaphor, but it also presented and promoted Filipino culture through folk medicine as key horror elements. It is a must watch for traditional Filipino horror movie buffs and those in need of a fresh face to Filipino horror films.

[Metro Manila Film Festival 2023]

RATING - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

(review is also available on letterboxd!)