Essay (Cover Story): "Nora Aunor, Banaue, and the Ties That Bind"

The first movie I ever watched was Banaue, directed by Gerardo De Leon. It was a film unlike anything I had seen before, and I will always cherish the memory of that moment. I was sitting in my grandmother’s house, a place where I spent countless afternoons, and together, we watched this film that would stay with me for years to come. My grandmother, a devoted fan of Nora Aunor, was a true Noranian, and for her, watching her beloved actress on screen was something magical.

As a child, I was accustomed to cartoons and lighthearted kids’ shows. But Banaue was an entirely different world. The film's portrayal of the native Filipinos before the Spanish colonization was so surreal to me. Growing up in a rural town in the Philippines, where Catholic traditions were deeply rooted and life was simple, this ancient culture felt almost foreign. It was as if I was watching a different people, a different time, and a different way of life. The attire, the rituals, the daily lives of these people — everything felt distant, like a story from another world.

Filipino Films That Should Be Made in the Immediate Future, Part 1 (Film #1: F/F) and Introduction

Every year, we see many excellent Filipino films, mostly from independent filmmakers. However, after the year is over, most of us forget. Even more interesting, the same kinds of people watch these so-called “excellent” films. If film is mere entertainment, then save me a seat for the new Avengers movie, or the next Vice Ganda and Daniel Padilla flick.

Still, I was taught that film is power, and every year, I see that power being flushed in the toilet together with shit in the name of cash.

Being an uppity critic, I decided to suggest some future films to all film artists out there. I call this “Filipino Films That Should Be Made in the Immediate Future.” Here is film number one.

FILM NUMBER 1

Working Title: “F/F” 

Many films about the rich and powerful in the Philippines have been made in the past but none of them actually has incited righteous anger from the common person. Let us face it. Many ordinary Filipinos do not need to be reminded that their government officials are stealing people’s money, which is one the main causes of dire poverty in the nation. Ordinary Filipino perhaps only wonders about the daily lives of the top one percent elite of the country. In this year’s Cinemalaya, “#Y” provided a glimpse but this film is more about rich teenage angst and morbidity than an accurate representation of the Filipino upper class. 

Best Performances in Filipino Films (2013): "Results of our Critics and Readers Poll"

Terracotta figurine of a theatrical
mask representing Dionysos.
Image part of public domain.
Taken from Wikipedia.

Updated: Jan. 17, 2014 (End of voting)

2013 is filled with outstanding performances from Filipino thespians both in local and international films.  For her role as a sacrificing but assertive domestic helper in Anthony Chen’s “Ilo Ilo,” Angeli Bayani has recently been nominated for Best Actress in the Asia-Pacific Film Fest.  John Arcilla also held his own in Sean Ellis’ “Metro Manila.”  

As expected, the best performances came from independently-produced films, but sadly, many Filipino moviegoers did not see these films.  In 2013, big studios that continually produce trashy films still dominated the industry and monopolized most cinemas in the country, specifically in Metro Manila.  In effect, most moviegoers had to contend seeing more “TV Patrol” and “Elevator” types of acting as Eugene Domingo puts it in “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank.” Let us face it, as long as films like “My Little Bossing” and “My Other Woman” remain to be blockbuster hits, we will continue to see more bad films with even worst performances in the coming years.

Black Swan Review Series: “Where is Your Mother, Nina?“ The Nonexistent Mother Theory and the Female "Psycho"

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By Rob San Miguel       

(First published on February 16, 2011 in “The Chair.” Updated: 2012)

(Spoiler Alert) 

One of the most intriguing interpretations of Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” is that Nina’s mother, Erica Sayers (outstandingly portrayed by Barbara Hershey) does not exist.  She is Nina’s creation along with all the other doppelgangers inhabiting Nina’s psyche.  This theory may be a stretch for some but Aronofsky’s tricky and calculated direction laid open the film into various interpretations.  The film has enough ambiguities to entertain even far-fetched notions.  If Nina’s mother truly did not exist, then “Black Swan” may be darker than it claims and Nina may be more psychologically splintered than most of us earlier speculated.   What proof do we have to substantiate this theory?

Black Swan Review Series: Dark Perfection, “The Internal Process of the Performer”

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First published on February 16, 2011 in “The Chair.” Written by Rob San Miguel

“Art is a guarantee of sanity. That is the most important thing I have said.”

Louise Bourgeois

“She’s insane,” as many moviegoers may assume.  Within the confines of dark theaters all over the world, some of us may take the easiest explanation and simply place Nina, the Swan Queen, in the loony basket along with her putrid eggs and frayed white and black feathers soiled with blood.  Nevertheless, if you dare to see Nina in the eyes of an obsessive perfectionist artist, Nina is nothing but insane. She is, in fact, the most rational of all the ballet dancers in the “Black Swan” ensemble because she knows exactly what must be done to get everything “perfect.”  Put yourself in her shoes, figuratively speaking, and you might comprehend her motivation.  One must understand that a true artist is brazen and has no sense of self-preservation for the sake of his or her craft.  Most artists, especially performance artist like actors and dancers, rely on superficial camouflage to highlight their transformation into their characters. Sometimes, the deceit works and we see more of the mask rather than the real transformation.  I am sure you have watched countless actors who thought that by merely looking like the characters, their job is done.