#mmff 2016

Die Beautiful is still showing on Phillippine cinemas this week. I’m not sure if it’s because the MMFF screening hasn’t ended yet but I’ve thought of something.

Why don’t we give Die Beautiful a Heneral Luna-style success? That is, make it last in the cinemas longer than it should.

I thought of that because rarely do accurately-made LGBT+ films succeed in this country and I think it’s about time we change that. For one thing, Die Beautiful has opened up discourse on Filipino Transgenders (note that while trans people don’t get killed here, we’re not yet that open to them to the point that we’d guarantee them right to change their name after transition and the right to adopt children to name a few).

The movie is rated PG-13 which is pretty much a surprise for any movie made in the Philippines that deals with the LGBT+ seriously (most films like that in our country get rated NC-17 or they don’t get shown in the big cinemas at all!). Since it’s PG-13, it is basically open to all audiences but viewers under the age of 13 need someone above 13 to accompany them.

Now you might wonder which cinemas are still screening this movie and from what I’ve found out so far, most branches of SM Cinema and Robinsons MovieWorld still screen the film up to this week. You can check here (for SM) and here (for Rob). It’s still showing in all branches of the Ayala Cinemas as well.

5/5 stars

(( May contain spoilers because I’m obviously not a good film reviewer huhu I’m sorry ))

What I love about it: • Cinematography. No wonder it got the award. I’m not exactly sure on the technicalities of cinematography though, I’m not a film major or something, but it adds to the overall aesthetics of the movie. That part where Angela is asking Miguel to accompany here to her room, the shot make it look like Angela is leading Miguel to the dark. • It was a horror story sans scary creatures. It gives light to a different perspective to what is scary. For someone (like me) who has no experience whatsoever with supernatural beings or typical Filipino aswang, it really hit a nerve. I’m scared with my own demons, my conscience, and that’s where the focus is. That little something in us that we always pray would go away, but it’s always there lurking at the back of our heads. That little mistake that we did which we’re trying to regret and make peace with by doing something good. That’s exactly what’s kind of scary, and this movie steps it up a notch by revolving the entire story about a person’s own demon. • Back stories. Philippines have always perceived priests in a certain way, especially mainstream local films (or at least, for the few movies I’ve seen; I stand corrected on this one). We always highlight the priests as the saving-grace, as that good camp that exorcise the bad spirits and devils wanting to conquer a person’s body and soul. They can be that one perskn the antagonist go to to confess for their sins. That character who talks to the protagonist about not giving up, about God knowing that we can always make it through whatever shit storm is given to us. Seklusyon shows a different perspective on it. The movie portrayed the priests in a very human way. It reminded us that priests, before being the Godly people that they would have become, are once regular human beings, who like us, are flawed and sinned. Not that being ordained a priest makes them flawless, but it puts a perspective that priests are once human and may also do stuff that may seem un-priestly (is that a word? I don’t think so). I enjoyed the back story because I think it supported the way the entire story revolves. In a way, Erik Matti’s storytelling was made effective and so good with it. • Angela’s lines when (spoiler alert) she was about to kill the priest investigating on her becoming a saint (I forgot the name of the priest). It was so on point, so apt especially in our time. I particularly had goose bumps all over with me (non-verbatim), “people nowadays would do the easier things rather than the right things” and it’s so true. Sometimes, people use their faith and beliefs for their own leverage. When a belief agrees with them or help them in a way, they are full-on agreeing to it; at the same time, they’re also using said belief to justify for their wrongdoings. It’s true that the world has been so polluted, and that most times we’re envisioning a life mainly to benefit us, not anymore for the entire generation or for others. What scares me is the fact that evil works exactly that: it makes it look like it’s good for us, but overall and when you try to think about it, it’s not. I particularly commend Carlo’s back story, and I think it’s a good example. He had been selfish during the war by hiding food from his brothers because he was afraid to starve to death. Consequently, his brothers died because they starved to death, and this has become his demon. He was so greedy, always taking so much because he’s afraid to starve. But what did Angela told him? That it was okay, God does not want you to starve. Go ahead and eat all of them. If you think about it, Angela has a point. But overall, it didn’t do anything for Carlo’s greediness. If anything, Angela used God to justify Carlo’s greediness. That’s exactly what’s scary about the devil, and it was portrayed so effectively in the movie – it’s so cunning it imitates the form of goodness.

What I don’t like: • I’m kind of not sure what to feel about Phoebe Walker’s character’s back story (heh, I forgot her character’s name) (I’m typing this out from my phone I’m sorry naman). What was her sin? That she was raped and that she enjoyed it? That her mother’s a whore? That was kind of vague for me, and a little problematic, but in a way I kind of understood what it’s trying to imply. I think it kind of want to use that weak point of Sister *something* for her to follow Angela in hopes of salvation, even if being raped isn’t her fault, but the devil wants her to believe that it is. I kind of think that’s a bit problematic, but gets. • The reality. As soon as the credit rolls, it’ll hit you. How can I differentiate right or wrong from now on? It gets scary, to know that we may think we’re doing the right thing but it’s not. That’s what the movie is telling us – that not all the good things we thought we’re doing is actually right. It’s the reality, and it’s kind of scary to reassess what you’re currently doing in your life, only to know, what the fuck I might be doing something evil right now and I have absolutely no idea about it.

I guess what I don’t like is the reality in itself, but I guess it’s a pointer that a movie served its purpose when it made you feel things after the movie. That it was not an entertainment for 2 hours or so, but an impact to your overall self, even after you walked out of the cinemahouse. To be honest, I was determined not to watch Seklusyon because I am not a fan of ~horror film~ but so many reviews raved about it, so I finally did one afternoon. I watched it alone. It fucked me up, but maybe in a good way. Or not. I don’t know what’s good or bad anymore.

Fave character: Ronnie Alonte only because he's too cute. Everyone's problematic in this film, I just can't.

I know it’s probably too late for this, but I still wanna share my thoughts on the two films I watched which were festival entries. And I wanna continue doing this for the future films that I’ll watch!

Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 2

I actually haven’t watched the first installment of the film, but my sister told me about its premise to help me prepare for this film. And I gotta tell you this if you don’t know it yet--Eugene Domingo is AMAZING.

She’s one of the greatest actresses in our country in this age. Relative to my knowledge, out of all the film entries (aside from Vince & Kath & James) I think this has a lighter theme to it, BUT it shows its viewers the state of the industry today. The message is pretty obvious--that mainstream shows and films lack the balls to make an out-of-the-box concept, something that isn’t “formula”. After watching this film, I thought that if more movies like this and other unique stories became mainstream, we’d be more cultured and there’d be more people who actually think about the things they say, especially online.

Also, my sister and I were surprised at Bb. Joyce Bernal’s appearance at the end (haha sorry for the minor spoiler there). Plus the ending was perfect. :)

Die Beautiful

Ahh, this movie. It was funny and heart-wrenching and serious all at the same time. Paolo Ballesteros, Christian Bables, and Joel Torre really gave us our money’s worth in this film. To be honest, I wasn’t comfortable about transgenders because they change their bodies’ composition. But watching this film made me more open about them, that they go through the same struggles as we do--even more, for some people. And that everyone is capable of loving, and being loved.

10/5 stars

What I like about the film: Um, everything? Number one, I like that it didn’t try to sugarcoat the reality that’s happening with most LGBT kids, especially those who are growing/grew up here in the Philippines. Our siblings, in Gladys Reyes’ character as Beth, are usually more tolerant than our parents. They are, in a way, more supportive than our mothers and fathers. That’s first scene, when Beth is filming Patrick doing the pageant poses with his other gay friends. Of course, in Joel Torre’s character, is (I don’t know the exact statistics) most of our parents. Their generation is generally less accepting than that of ours now. They still think that the family’s reputation to other people matters more than what their kid might be feeling.

This story/film/topic hits home. Not even close, but right in the eye. I can tell, I’ve been there, all of Joel Torre’s lines are actually being said to children as young as I don’t know, two or three when they’re already showing their preferences. In the film, we’re all viewers. It hurts like a motherfucker to be called “putanginang gago ka wala kang hiya” (may not be the actual line) after being raped several times. It is very painful to watch, but just imagine how that may feel if you are actually Patrick. Masakit. I’ve never been molested or violated sexually, but to be called that hurts more than a lot of you can imagine. Watching it again as a viewer, the pain’s the same.

I remember that episode from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Ru said something like, “as gay people, we get to choose our family.” In my point of view, I can’t really blame Trisha for leaving her biological family, even after her sister approached him. I understand that in a Filipino point of view, family always comes first, but I also believe that family isn’t always the one we’re born with.

Barbs is family. Family is those who stick with you even when you don’t have anything to be proud of. Family is those who are there when you’re at your lowest. Above all, family is those who will accept who you are.

Is Beth a family? No. Beth is that friend who accept gays but never stand up for you and your rights. Inaabuso ka na, sinasaktan ka na, pero walang ginagawa. Pero tanggap ka. That’s not family. That’s not love in my dictionary.

The story didn’t even try to sugarcoat the fact that gays are going to grow old alone. This country can’t even legalize same sex marriage. They have to look at “having a child” as an investment so that they can have someone who will attend to them when they’re old. For me, it sounds problematic to think about children as just mere aids to take care of you when you're old. But the movie didn't portray it like that. What they showed is that Trisha can be a mother too, even if she did not have the womb that bear Shirley. Trisha loved Shirley like her own, and Shirley to Trisha like her real mother.

What I don't like about the film: Migs. Migs and his arrogant, entitled friends. Migs is the world -- cruel, walang awa, kupal. It pains me to know that those acts are really done by people who have rational thinking and logic. Pure evil. What pains me more is teenage Patrick -- who thought that he deserved to suffer like that in exchange of a little happiness and a little love from Migs. It pains me to realize that there may be kids out there who might be suffering that, and just chose to shut up because when their parents find out, all they heard was that he's gay and he did something "the bible considered as a sin." It pains me that even up to Trisha's death, he never got the acceptance from her dad. It angers me that there are people out there like Migs who live in pure hate and does not know love or respect. It angers me that they are alive, period. It angers me that there are people who take advantage of others can get away with it.

It saddens me to think that straight men get in a relationship with gay men for their money. It saddens me that gay men are aware of it, but somehow, hope that they're going to be loved back just a bit, for a while. But I have high hopes. I've seen a lot of same-sex marriages and relationships, online and in real life, who have succeeded. I'm so happy that the gay people I know (including myself) don't have to have money to find love. We all deserved to be loved, wherever spectrum we are.

What does the film tells me? People in the LGBT community are just the same with heterosexuals. I guess, in a way, we just had it a little levels higher in terms of difficulty. We are not automatically loved by our parents. We are not automatically accepted by our friends. We are not automatically recognized by our society. It took us years before being "out" in terms of sexual expression is tolerated and accepted, all credits to those brave ones who fought hard in the battle of gender equality. It took us years before holding hands and kissing in public places become tolerable. I used the word tolerated/tolerable because I know there are still a lot who think badly of gender-bent relationships and although not actively fighting against it, they are still against it.

What this film tells me is that I should never shut up. You should never shut up. I feel the need to educate people more, to help my brothers and sisters in the community, to stand up against violence and discrimination, to fight for our rights and for equality.

Maybe it's because I am bi (woo spontaneous coming out), but this film empowered me. It represented me in a way, and made me feel things -- some which melts my heart (Trisha and Shirley, Trisha and Barbs), some makes me cry (Trisha's family), and some angers me (Migs kingina mo). And I guess that's when you know it's a great film, when it made you feel and made you ask so many questions and made you speak so much like this trash of an article that I wrote.

Thank you, Team Die Beautiful.

(other obligatory parts of the review na semi compulsory kuno and totally killing the momentum hehe but what the hell)

Favorite Character: Barbs, duh.

What I don't like (yung totoo edition, hindi yung pagrarant lol): Where is the lip-sync reference? I need my girls lip-syncing for their lives! (an rpdr reference sorry)

-Anghela Sta. Ana