tides of sentiments

Maybe I'll never know the maddening complexity between you and I, or if it had happened or never at all.

It's amazing how many people save at least a few letters during their lifetime, leaves of feeling, tucked away in a guitar case, in a safety box, on a hard drive or even preserved in a pair of old boots no one will ever wear. Some memories kept. Some don't.

stop gambling which way to go.

'di na titi ang nasusunod, takbo na ng puso ang namamayani.

Haunted by wistful longing and wilting memories, A Ghost Story manages to encapsulate the dilemma of a human, both portrayed by a human and a ghost. It invariably projects from the rules of aesthetic and storytelling, delivering tight-framed, long shots metaphorical to the situation of its characters. The sound of the birds chirping serves as a reminder of life. The never-ending gloom serves as a mnemonic of loss. The boyfriend's song serves as a recollection of blurring memories. There are boundless meanings in this film receptive to one's perception, as stated by the director. In any way, A Ghost Story is a human story. 5/5

A good approach to loneliness, Berlin Syndrome is a storyteller. A traveler trying to find something in life, only to be taken captive by a sociopath. As the film presents its characters, it then begs the audience to dig deeper and deeper about what it wants to tell. Is it a story of the traveler? Or is it a story of the antisocial abductor? Surprisingly, it's both. Giving the audience to equally know the twosome didn’t just make the film a story, but a set of stories—both characters are prisoners of their own lives. In a way, these two unconsciously helped each other find what they're looking for. Berlin Syndrome doesn't only tell the heart of a sociopath, but also tells how simple our needs are as humans. 5/5

Nina Forever might have been one of the best horror films of 2015 alongside Spring. With its unabashed concept, and referential, witty dialogue—especially between Nina's—one would think that it's just another no-brainer film. Fortunately, it isn't. Thirty minutes in, the director must have adjusted to the typical audience, wasting ample minutes solely to prompt them something crucial, when in the first place, the thinking audience has already figured it out. Sure, this happens a lot in British films, but with significant substance without wasting too much time. In any way, what the film lavishes upon its audience is its exploration of moving on. Nina Forever must have had a hard time getting there, but at least it has been devoted to its end goal, which makes it worth watching. 4.5/5

Final thoughts, Quick shows Leonard’s personality to potential readers through different forms. However, what Quick missed out was the main character’s depth. Quick must have thought that reinforcing Leonard through his knack for poignant writing would have helped Leonard find himself as a character. Instead, it turned out to be a composite path which failed to meet Leonard’s turmoil. That being said, Quick focused more on what Leonard feels, not on what it feels like to be him.

Sofia Coppola's films lie atop The Virgin Suicides. No matter how raw it is, it welcomes you to the main ingredients of her films: a playlist, a feminine vision, and a manic pixie dream girl. Going back, The Virgin Suicides is solely an eye-opener to teenage suicide, Sofia's ingredients, and the Coppola family's artistic DNA. 3.5/5

A film which didn't slightly push too hard but made its way outside the coast. Another coming-of-age story, which is situated in two kids who are average-looking enough to make the film realistic, Submarine reveals the intrinsic tale of adolescent love from its ebb and flow until to its surface tension— it leaves the audience stuck in the horizon for its ending. What made it more realistic is that there's an honest factor in its dialogues; there are no ostensibly big conversations. Richard Ayoade thoroughly ties the dispositions of every millennial and tried not to rock the boat. Even more so, as denied by the superficiality of the film, Oliver Tate never became a hero per se. This film captivates the audience through its deadpan humor succored by its quirky visuals and lyrical playlist. The ropes are unknotted, the waves are wobbling, and the sailors are waving, but Submarine catches my drift and is dead in the water in my heart for it is far too prodigious to let it go. 4.5/5

In the end, this is not about Marie Antoinette; this is about Sofia Coppola and all the sad girls. I just hoped Sofia invariably channeled it. 3/5

Elmo was meh. Sophie was k. Coleen was ok. Ping was alright. Chynna was great. Generally, it was an average main cast and Chynna Ortaleza, who played one of the minor characters, had proved to perfect her role in only a few scenes. From the film’s story, it has a lot of something to say. Unfortunately, it shifts from one element to another which stalls the progress of its chief notion; the entirety of its story’s elements is detached from each other. However, I was able to not take notice of it throughout the film—of course—without Gino Santos’ quirky knack. The storytelling includes a heap of soliloquies from its characters; some of them being predictable and immaterial yet often relatable. In any way, Jeff Stelton perfectly captured the way of life and zeitgeists of the "young elites" of the Philippines. It was also amusing to realize the insinuation of the recently shameful corruption in the Philippines. Reader, it is for you to see and know. Going back, the film solely incorporates the bittersweet side of spectrum of the Generation Y and, apparently, #Y is all about the moneyed youth and their first world problems. 3/5

Another story from Disney we're all too familiar with. Peter Sohn's ideation of storytelling manifests throughout the film with the like of Finding Nemo. Whilst Disney's bedrock is evident, The Good Dinosaur overlaps its way from other animated films for its animation — a spectacular grandeur which embodies real life. Albeit it holds a plain story, it opens the ground for the future of Pixar and perhaps, the animation industry. Oh, and kudos to the presence of psychedelia. 4/5

Mysterious Skin entails behind closed door matters — pedophilia. Visceral and imperceptible, Araki renounces crass exaggeration from its tackled subject. Instead, he instill a beautiful melancholia—a unique feeling from such topic—through music, narration, and interplay between characters. Moreover, his habitual angles—low angle and close up—are also ardent. Of course, his photographic finesse wouldn't be possible without the succor of the film's liberal cast. In any way, the film regards the predicaments of such juvenile protagonists rather than adjudging its forbidden subject — it subtly interlaces the two diverse yet fragile protagonists—Neil and Brian—slowly and perfectly, leaving no holes at the end. Despondent, relevant, and prudent — all of this is tangled in an absorbing story of inflicted youth with a taboo topic, a stellar script, and fresh characters. Mysterious Skin centers on self-discovery, not pedophilia. 4.5/5

The novel is disregarded in this review and solely gleaned on what's there in the film. How can you distinguish a lolita from an unaware damsel? Personally considered a cult film for its inexplicably rampant Internet popularity merely because pedophilia is extenuated by Dolores Haze's daddy issues, Lolita ravishes the audience through its deviant plot with an unwittingly bond between a precocious girl and a pedophile or a father. The cast is stellar — Jeremy Irons holds that likable, perverted father whilst Dominique Swain oozes sultry femininity. Often refined, Adrian Lyne's way of substituting motives through subtle gestures seemed pushy for they were invariably focalized. Nevertheless, his abstraction must be admired - adapting a classic novel must have been a pressure. In any way, the film forgets to answer its prompted questions: Is Humbert scared of losing Lo or getting caught?; Did he love Lolita as a lover or as a father? The film isn't about Lolita, it's about Humbert's epiphany. 3/5

Ashby's infancy seemed hasty to welcome its characters — 5 minutes in and it already denotes every archetype in the film through their first dialogues. Generic yet witty, Ashby percolates subtle humor and spontaneous randomness with regards to the contemporary coming-of-age and zeitgeist which alleviates its cookie-cutter plot — Speak, Almost Famous, Palo Alto, Looking for Alaska, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock are just several films and books which relatively resembles the film's story. I think it would be better off as a book as well. Ed Wallis is a metaphorical trope. However, the film fails to smoothly showcase the flow of Ed's relationship with his cohorts. It's also worthy to mention the priest who looks like a model from Versace. Underwhelmed, Tony McNamara's brilliance to delineate its witty humor is compromising. Can I just confess that Ashby made me sadder than The Fault In Our Stars? 3.5/5

A year whereby people would rather talk about people instead of ideas. From Iggy Azalea's crank to Alma Moreno's knack, we surely knew how to belittle their mishap may be in the past or the present. From John Travolta's confusion to John Cena's introduction, we made these random gifs and vids to either entertain or rile someone up. From Miss Colombia's flop to Shia LaBeouf's bluff, we learned how to stand and succumb. From Kylie Jenner's ruse to Kim Kardashian's butt, we realized that the more people talk, the more they own the walk. Satire is what I stand — a revelation which professes people talking about people when in fact, I just wrote a piece about people as well. Indeed, let this irony end all ironies before 2016 commences.