Nothing But the Truth (2008)

Anecdotal evidence has always been against the middle man or against that middle ground. 

In business removing the middleman means raised profits since the middleman needs his cut just like any other which raises overheads.  In fights, riots, or brawls, the man in the middle or as they say the "taga awat" is the one who gets crushed.  In romance, well let’s just say, one will be flirting with a broken heart if there is a middleman. 

Perhaps in some definitions the Persian messenger in the movie 300 is not a middle man since he is a servant of the Persian King Xerxes; but considering his fate would anyone want to be in the middle of two warring kings.  Maybe an army is better than be crushed in the middle of two kings because at least you’d have the chance to fight.  Maybe...

Nothing But the Truth is about another entity in the middle: the media.  In today’s society, media acts like a middleman, as our eyes and ears on all sectors of society.

Like the Persian messenger, the media in the film finds itself in the middle of the government eager to defend itself against all who dare question policy and its need to protect its integrity which depends on it being a institution where any citizen can express his ideas, including knowledge of a crime without fear of persecution.

The lead character is Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale), a reporter with a monster of a scoop and naturally already dreaming Pulitzer Prize. She stirred up a political hornet’s nest with her piece alleging the President ignored a recommendation from the CIA regarding Venezuela’s involvement on an assassination attempt on the President himself.  The information, had it been considered, could have stopped a war against Venezuela.

It would have been simple for Rachel had it been reduced to a he said she said bout with the government but unfortunately for her national security was the government’s ace in the hole.  

What made Rachel vulnerable is that she had uncovered and named in her article the CIA agent as Erica Van Doren (Vera Farmiga) the wife of US Ambassador to Venezuela.  Revelation such as that imply not only squealer or worse a mole within the secretive CIA but that would also mean that the entire network of contacts at home and especially in Venezuela could be exposed.  

Like any spy movie would tell you, or just look at your daily life, a network of contacts is not easy to build. And since in the context of the film a part of that network is a spy the exposure brings with it a danger of life and death to everyone.  

The US Government in order to prevent revelations of its intelligence networks enacted laws such as the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.   And though Rachel had freedom of the press, the government was on a roll: there was a war, a retaliatory strike for an assassination attempt at that, and there was a law.  

Patton Dubois (Matt Dillon) plays the Special Prosecutor charged with the sole task of ferreting out the leak.  Rachel she was the only lead the government had and since the Special Prosecutor had nowhere to go and carrying the full weight of the government he had a fairly easy time railroading Rachel to jail time for contempt.  She and her paper were easily painted as unpatriotic.  Government outlasted all media attempts to paint her as a hero of the First Amendment.  

So that is, in a nutshell, the entire movie: will Rachel brake her vow not to reveal her source or not.  Let this be a warning for spy movie lovers; though there was a spy and her identity was revealed it was all a side show.  

Nothing But the Truth is about that middle ground: the media.  Government, citizen, any part of society can use it; spur debate; make changes; inform; hold people accountable.  The film asks of the audience those critical questions such as keeping sources secret, for that matter should government keep secrets?  Should Rachel talk and be with her family or should she keep to the ideals of the First Amendment and rack up those lawyer’s fees, be a mother in absentia?  Is the idea of a free press more important than one’s own life?

The Persian messenger comes to mind, "No one threatens the messenger", and we all know what happens next.   Leonidas and the US government in this film share the same motive.  Sure media can have its abuses but think about it, if there is no such thing as anonymity who wins?   What will happen to a society which looses that middle ground where there is a free exchange of ideas?

I like Kate Beckinsale if only because she’s pretty.  She did ok; a woman wondering if principles of the free press is worth her family.  But I wouldn’t so far and say she was excellent.  Oddly enough even with pen and notebook at hand she did not come off as a reporter to me.  

The rest of the characters were somehow forgettable which doesn’t bode well for the film.  The film has relevant issues yes, but somehow it seemed like a waiting game; will Rachel brake or not.  

Alan Alda was the film’s highlight in the sense the he verbalized the message.  He played Alan Burnside, Rachel’s Attorney.   When the case reached the Supreme Court he defended the right to keeping sources secret via the dissenting opinion of Branzburg v. Hayes.    'As the years pass, power of Government becomes more and more pervasive. Those in power,' he said, 'whatever their politics, want only to perpetuate it, and the people are the victims.'

"When we as a nation will no longer be able to hold those in power accountable to those whom they have power over-and what then is the nature of Government when it has no fear of accountability? We should shutter at the thought. Imprisoning journalists-that's for other countries; that's for countries who fear their citizens, not countries that cherish and protect them."

But the best moment I have to say was the revelation of the source was out of the blue and yet surprisingly very plausible.  If Alan Burnside invoked jurisprudence, the source was largely symbolic and effective.

As for middle men and middle grounds, it is inescapable for anyone to choose a side but I think it is not always bad to have a place where all sides can meet; a neutral ground, a middle ground; where people can compromise; make changes, or to just simply talk... 

Engineering an Empire (2006 - 2007)

image from Calgary Herald

Engineering an Empire: the title I thought was an interesting combination of two words: engineering and empire. It was enough to catch my attention.

Rewriting Pandora's Box

Search Pandora’s Box and moral lesson together in Google it will point to sites that say the myth is a condemnation of curiosity. ‘Curiosity kills the cat’ was even among those results.

Battleplan (2005 - 2006)

Battleplan is not the Art of War. Certainly it is not as poetic, insightful, or as comprehensive as Sun Tzu’s work.

While many say the Art of War can be a great philosophy for both war and life in any age, the History Channel production, Battleplan, is still one of a kind for having clearly defined the steps of well known battle plans in the past 100 years.

e-Minority Report

Yesterday I was googling “divine right to rule” at work. Politics was on my mind for many reasons other than the Nonoy Aquino for president campaign getting a boost. The term just came to me out of the blue, weird as it is.

Freudian slip or honest mistake?

Is there anything more hurtful than this caption to a sitting president?

Leaving your Car in the Flood

Angels and Demons (2009)

I struggled how to write this review thinking how I can judge the movie independent of the book. Eventually I accepted the fact that there is no other view that I can offer except that of a reader. As a film Angels and Demons is a failure.

A Day or so in Palawan

April 16 at around 4:30 p.m. I hopped on a plane along with two fellow employees of DBM and their families, onward to Palawan: from the afternoon of the 16th to the afternoon of the 18th.

Dexter (2006 - 2013)

 

In Red Dragon, Hannibal Lecter said to Will Graham; ‘we’re very much alike’. It was not out of spite that made the canniba serial killer say what he said. He meant that the fear and revulsion of Graham was misplaced, that there lies deep within the FBI agent a killer nature similar to Lecter’s own.

Such remarks are not unique, however. The hero and the villain sometimes are said to be just opposites of the same coin. Often it is the villain who says it with the hero saying something like ‘I am not like you’.

But more often the truth is neither side can stay apart or different from the other.  One side needs to understand the other side in order to win.

Demented Thinking

A group has the right to enforce conformity among its members like a secret handshake, tattoos or burn marks, or walking naked around the campus which I hear some fraternities do. And so does the church with its policy of no abortion.

Not Innocent

Legally they may be qualified for parole. It is even never in doubt that they are not the mastermind.

Defiance (2008)

Defiance is a story about the struggle of Jews from Belorussia. Hunted like animals they retreated to the forests in order that they live as men. There, even far from the people that hates them; it proved no easy task to maintain the humanity day after day.

Valkyrie (2008)

In the later years of World War II members in Hitler’s own army were attempting to kill him, and the most famous of these, because it almost succeeded, was the July 20 Plot: the inspiration for the latest Tom Cruise starrer, Valkyrie.

W. (2008)

Watching W. was distracting to say the least. All the time I was thinking, this is a movie full of impersonators, good and bad. Which is not to say that they were bad actors, it’s just that I never had the ‘suspension of disbelief’ as they say in watching the film. There are physical limitations to looking and sounding like some else it would seem.

Passengers (2008)

The strangest manifestation of post traumatic stress I’ve ever seen depicted on film is the victim, almost like an addiction confronting death which is the very thing that traumatized them.I saw that in Fearless in Jeff Bridges. Among other self inflicted brushes with death, he ate strawberries, a fruit which he had history of near fatal allergic reactions.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans came as a surprise and in some ways a disappointment to me because instead of seeing what happens next to the main character Selene (Kate Beckinsale) the story went into rewind.

Lack of Probable Cause

What sufficient belief can you derive to determine a crime has been committed or will be committed with three persons riding an SUV? What is the probable cause?

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a movie meant to give the audiences the unique perspective of someone who ages in reverse as he goes through in life. There is no magic nor are there wizards; neither is it about biological warfare or bad DNA. It’s all drama about being born with a different deck of cards than people would normally get, and triumph in spite of it.

Revolutionary Road (2008)

 

The lead tandem of the highest grossing film of all time – Titanic – reunites in Revolutionary Road, a film adaptation of a book by Richard Yates.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are Frank and April Wheeler, husband and wife experiencing the ups and downs (more of downs in fact) of married life in 1950s America.

Seven Pounds (2008)

I don’t quite remember if the motives match but the title hit me at once as inspired from The Merchant of Venice wherein the Jew, Shylock, demanded for payment a pound of flesh instead of money. So Seven Pounds to those classically inclined would mean at once to seven people.

Return Duckpin Bowling for the Department's Anniversary

It was January of last year when I joined fellow members of the New Worlds Alliance (NWA) in weekly bowling (ten pin) at Farmer’s Plaza. The group then had a bowling craze which ended somewhere in the second quarter of 2008.

What I had hoped besides having fun with fellow fans of geeky shows was to ready myself for the office’s anniversary season; duckpin bowling in particular. I was a player for the yellow team in 2007 which collapsed in the championships. I wanted to get back and get some satisfaction.

License to Wed (2007)

It’s funny (or maybe not) that in driver’s license there is a mandatory age before you can apply, but sometimes in marriage people seem to have the idea that there is an age when you should apply regardless of anything else.

In License to Wed, comedy’s energizer bunny Robin William stars as Reverent Frank a highly unorthodox pastor of St. Augustine. Believing that desire (and majority age of course) does not close the deal for having a great marriage he holds what is in effect a stress test masked as a wedding seminar for couples wishing to use his church for the ceremony. His target, at least for the duration of the film, Ben Murphy (played by John Krasinski) and Sadie Jones (played by Mandy Moore).

Notting Hill (1999)

As vacations would often do around the world plus having budgetary constraints and struggling for company, I reached deep into my DVD collection (both the legal and illegal) for entertainment. Hidden deep among my stash, among the originals in fact, is Notting Hill. That movie is a rarity considering that among the handful of originals that I have it’s the only romance flick. . . so far.

The central theme of the film is perhaps the Holy Grail in the area of love; two different people, polar opposites, falling head over heals over one another. Hugh Grant plays the bottom half of that pole as William Thacker, a travel book shopkeeper while playing the prestigious top end of the pole is Julia Roberts as a world famous actress in Anna Scott.

Eagle Eye (2008)

In some ways Eagle Eye is a souped up version of The Net but with a little something extra. Love or hate the movie depends on how you swallow that extra.

Transformers star Shia LaBeouf plays Jerry Shaw a young man who unfortunately happens to have more money than he had actually deposited plus he now has an apartment he doesn’t have a spot to lie in since it’s full of explosives. To make matters worse, the FBI is on his tail just as he was barely coming to grips with money and crime he didn’t commit.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

The first thing that came to mind was bad cinematography or bad editing. There was just something unappealing to it, I don’t know how to describe it; maybe in the framing, the pace or choice of shots.Something’s just off.

For the fans who are not up to date it may be necessary somewhat to refresh from the preceding movie just to be in sync with James Bond’s (Daniel Craig) state of mind.Quantum of Solace started off in a sprint, a car chase in fact seemingly just minutes after Casino Royale.Remember the man that he shot ending Casino, the one supposedly in the shadows, holding the strings; for this movie there seems to be an entire organization in the shadows, and its name is Quantum.

Erap for 2010?

Erap’s logic escapes me in his recent statement implying a run for the presidency, again, this time in 2010. The candidacy, the former president said, hinges on the ability or inability of the opposition candidates to unite. He will declare in late 2009 if the opposition remains disunited and go forth with his magic solution of having his name again in the ballot for presidency.

It is entirely possible that the former president and actor did not do well in math during his school days. In fractions, the larger the denominator does not mean a larger piece, so how can his running be a solution when all other presidential hopefuls remain on the table.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

The day the earth stood still for me when I watched the movie of the same name. It was as if I watched a movie from the ancient past never mind the new effects brought in.Granted that I never saw the original, a sci-fi classic from 1951, this 2008 Keanu version was predictable enough in the first 10 minutes.

Traitor (2008)

via GIPHY

To betray is to go against what is expected with the greatest of malice. It’s a stab in the back, not a pleasant surprise. He who betrays is the traitor.

For the film of the same name – Traitor – it was obvious from the title alone that someone will go against someone; there will be betrayals. Set in the age of the war against terror there are many sides to this film: the Americans, the Arabs, the terrorists, and the ideology.  The trick in this movie is to find out who betrays who, but most importantly who survives.

24: The Redemption (Fox) (2008)

 

 

24: The Redemption is a transition piece that should act as a bridge for season 6 and season 7.

Unfortunately the fact that it was shown in the same real time narrative as the series removed all chance of this piece being a stand alone film. Two hours in real time is just too short to establish deep plots and great action.

Timex Ironman

I don’t remember how many times over the years I have changed batteries for all my watches. But something tells me that getting 3 years before a change would be a lot. My Timex Ironman lasted 7 years.

The Irony that is CDR-King

Wanted (2008)

I thought at once the curving bullet was a deal breaker for me. Why should it curve even if you fire a pistol as a pitcher would throw a baseball? So it was then I decided not to watch Wanted in the theaters.

I turned back on my decision because of the lack of anything to watch. There weren’t many A-list films in the offing and I was getting tired of trying out new TV series to enjoy. Surprisingly the film had more meat than I expected.

Gettysburg (1993)

I think of Gettysburg, a made for TV movie, as the things learned from ROTC during its heyday. Why keep soldiers in neat formation in an era of muskets and cannons? The result was more than 50,000 Americans dead, making the Battle of Gettysburg the bloodiest in the American Civil War. This was 1863 and it would be two more years before the war was over.

Thirteen Days (2000)

It is unclear to me if the film Thirteen Days got any inspiration at all from the book of the same name written by one of the principals, Robert F. Kennedy. But then the scriptwriters of the film have the next best thing because they in fact included the authors of The Kennedy Tapes - Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Thirteen Days is a political thriller of a real life event, the Cuban Missile Crisis which happened in 1962. The title was derived from the time span of the crisis, from the discovery of the missiles in Cuba to its disarmament. Just to give the short version the Soviet Union placed nuclear weapons in Cuba; the Americans found out and didn’t like missiles so close to Florida; and suffice to say a nuclear hell almost literally broke lose.

How high is your electric...meter?

This high?

Max Payne (2008)

Max Payne is a video game inspired movie (so I read) about a cop grappling with personal ghosts prowling the streets at night in search of the murderers of his wife. On the onset it really sounded and looked like many a cop movie I have seen.

Body of Lies (2008)

Even now I cannot explain the title – Body of Lies. Maybe it refers to the nature of espionage and the web of lies inherent to it. But by the film’s end, lies were the last thing on my mind. I got more ideas mideast politics and social mores, along with America’s lack of understanding. While everybody lies in the film ironically it was not presented in a deceitful sense.

The Tudors (2007-2010)

 

Anne Boleyn, the Queen of England, was a beauty. Her life as seen through the eyes of her even more popular husband, King Henry VIII is the centerpiece in The Tudors the latest Hollywood attempt to bring to life one of the most well known couples in history. Helen of Troy may have launched a thousand ships, but Anne was the catalyst that eventually brought down the monopoly of the Catholic Church already softened by a rising Martin Luther.

This drama series, produced by Showtime, is not a love story as implied by having husband and wife as characters but it is in fact a political story wrapped in the pretense of love.

Sacrifice

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16.
I remember hearing it in the 3 p.m. prayers. It is used so often that it is fair to say that this is the closest thing Christianity has to an opening spiel.

Danger Zone

I guess this would fall as one of your ‘dodge the bullet’ type of situations.

Whenever I go to Cubao from my office at the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) I usually take the LRT at Recto station. If I am fortunate enough to catch an officemate with a car, then, I will ask to be dropped off just in front of Legarda station, where the officemate can either go back to the office or go straight to Quezon City. However, if I can’t find a car I’ll commute via the Pasig-Quiapo jeep going to LRT’s Recto Station.

Observe the sky-shot of DBM (building marked B), the street corner is a weird shaped intersection, looks like a melted cross. The building marked A is an apartment where all those who wait for Pasig-Quiapo usually stand and catch the jeep before it turns right – its last turn before reaching Quiapo. And like everyone else that is where I waited around 5-5:30 pm on September 3^rd.

As had been my usual I lined myself up at in front of the traffic as much as possible so that when the traffic stops I’ll have ample time to study if I actually fit in any of the incoming jeeps. I never liked having just one ass cheek sitting you see especially with so weak a lower body strength.

I had my eye on one, about four cars back; a great enough distance to observe it if it was packed or not. But before it got close to me (I actually wanted to ride it by then) to my surprise the lady in the front fell out of the jeep, almost face first. My mind raced for answers: boyfriend trouble, smelly passenger or a drunken passenger (either her or someone near her); slip, even attempted rape. It wasn’t long that I was soon dazed observing the puzzle unfold before my eyes as other passengers follow suit, through the window, door – so I was thinking mechanical trouble, maybe a bomb.

Failing to appreciate the situation and remaining relatively untouched from where I stood I watched on, passively. Soon with almost all of the passengers out scattering in all directions the insides of the jeep was clearer, there was a noticeable scuffle; how many I could not count. The answer was soon revealed because by this time passengers who got out at this time were already shouting hold-up.

Perhaps noticing the commotion they were causing, and also the lack of available victims, the two assailants got out of the jeep. Looking around realizing the attention was already too much (traffic was packed by now the jeep just stopped, plus the people at the store in the apartment) they ran away.

Thankfully no one was hurt in this incident but it did give me a front seat view of what the place’s reputation was all about.

That stretch of road (Arlegui to Palanca and General Solano), that general area, has its reputation of hold-ups and riots (I saw remnants of one in Palanca one late night: shattered glasses and rocks in the street), as well as being an area of dormitories, students, government buildings, and a wide array of colleges and universities. It’s not anarchy mind you so you can relax a little. Just keep in mind that if you do come by this area to just keep your eyes open and relax. Everyplace has its dangers.

Thankfully, I am still not part of that crime statistic unfortunately some DBM employees are. But the sad thing is, more of an annoyance in fact, is that because of the reputation of the place, taxi drivers often think of me as a potential criminal. I have experienced being passed over by passenger-less taxis a number of times during late nights at the office.

Anyway, I wish a safe travel for everyone. Be mindful of danger zones wherever you travel.

Fish at LRT Central

"Manang pabili ng buntot!"

Compare the fork of Mr. Art (middle) to the serving...its really generous; guaranteed to give a fulfilling lunch.

Fulfilling indeed!

Couple's Choice

“What god has put together let no man put asunder”.

Every priest knows that. You hear a lot of this phrase whenever the topic of marriage comes up especially on the question of ending it – meaning divorce.

Children's Choice

Holy Mother Church: that’s how Catholics call the organization sometimes, never minding the fact that females are never allowed to rule it.

The Priests are referred to as father but I wonder why because they are neither a parent nor gods to deserve the title.

So it’s not surprising that the Church invoked the analogy of a parent giving advice to a child; rather, a parent choosing for a child regarding matters like this controversy over the Reproductive Health Bill. In their minds it’s enough to trample on the principle of separation of church and state (a principle their European counterparts seem to abide by) when the child, in this case the Philippines, needs to be straightened out. Never mind if the surveys say a growing number want the bill to be passed, a parent should correct a child.

Grace is Gone (2007)

In watching this film I am reminded of what Col. William Ludlow (played by Anthony Hopkins) said in Legends of the Fall, “Samuel chose to be a soldier and soldiers die. Sent to be slaughtered by the men in the government.” The character Samuel was his youngest son who died in the trenches of World War I. He accepted the death as only a former soldier could. 

Here in Grace is Gone is also story of the death of another soldier, Grace Philipps, and how her husband and her two daughters deal with the aftermath. But Stanley Philipps (John Cusack) is not a Col. Ludlow.

The Dark Knight (2008)

In writing this review I agonized how to start it; but here goes: Just because there is a clown-like character does not mean The Dark Knight is a movie for children particularly those that barely walk.

I began that way because I was distracted – fortunately not so much – by a child, who seems to me, not old enough to walk. The mother had enough sense to go out with the child before making too much of a scene. So before bringing your child for this movie watch Batman Begins and maybe this time understand it, or, keep note of the fact that Adam West is 80 years old. The Dark Knight is not for children!

Do tools make a good man?

Of all the areas that the issue of reproductive health has touched I have always considered that population should be removed from the table by virtue of agreement.   There is nothing more painful to my ears than to hear the issue resurface and discussed over and over again.

Now how could I consider both parties agreeing when in the media they seem hell bent on tearing each other’s heads, hopefully not lierally. The reason is family planning.  Yes, each side favors its own method: natural in the anti-reproductive health side and artificial for those in favor; but whatever the method, if people calmly think about it, the intent is the same: control.

Infamy?

I was dreaming more of seeing the headlines with me as hottest matinée idol; Oscar winner; maybe Palanca Awardee, but this is not how I expected to see my name in the papers. That’s twice already in case people texting me this rainy weekend were wondering: 2004 and 2008.

Four years before a recycle, they must like my name. hehehe.

Whatever happened to the little picture?

Whatever happened to the little picture?

It’s always about the big picture.

The Happening (2008)

If I were to describe M. Night Shyamalan in one word it’s minimalist.

From his works like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, and now The Happening he showed remarkable control of the story, never showing too much or too little. His pacing is perfect, it’s not boring, in fact it’s presented in a way that you are almost anticipating a monster to always pop out every few minutes.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

The first thought that crossed my mind during the opening scenes of the Incredible Hulk was Bill Bixby. Though the memory is almost gone, it was the TV series Bruce Banner whom I thought of - his eyes when he goes berserk; his ‘you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry’ remark; and that Gamma experiment which as I recall also happened in a lab and a chair similar to this 2008 incarnation.

Erosion in Puerto Galera

Topography is hardly something I try to notice in a beach. Who would study the physical features of the land when you can study the physical features of crowd especially the ladies….

A nice sunny day, fine sand, clear water, and an atmosphere that seemed derived from a Beach Boys song are all I the qualities I look for. And there are a lot of beaches that fit that description in this country of ours, Puerto Galera among them.

But recently in my recent trip to Galera just this past week, topography was something I noticed, because if I am right, one of the favorite summer spots in the country may have its days numbered.

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

If can be mobile like Po the Panda, do a split, do kung fu, in spite of my bulging tummy I’d be a happy man. Alright, maybe minus the splits.

Kung Fu Panda rocks! It’s somehow like the old Cris Farley (remember him?) movie Beverly Hills Ninja but a thousand times better and guaranteed to make you laugh.

21 (2008)

Watching the TV series Numbers should tell you that math can be applicable in just about anything. For me, Math remains to still be understood as I barely passed it during my school days.

21 is a film a team of card counters (student geniuses) from M.I.T who went into Vegas to win big money using high level math. The interesting part is (and I’m still googling my way if) it was real. But suffice to say from the few readings I came up with a group of students did test themselves in Vegas with a system so effective they got away with millions.

Pasig Cools Down my Office

Waters in the streets usually herald the end of the hot days of summer and play time for the kids.

But not here: there are no kids as this is the front of my office, the Department of Budget and Management Building 1. And, the water you see there comes from Pasig River so play at your own peril. Furthermore, it did not rain that day at least from our area.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

If we judge based on the performances of past resurrected franchises such Rambo, Rocky, Terminator, and Die Hard, the Indiana Jones sequel would be on top. It came off in a shape fairly resembling its former self. I guess we can thank almighty Steven Spielberg for that feat. But then again, even Spielberg has his limits.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

 

Compared its Da Vinci Code riding predecessor, National Treasure: Book of Secrets is more appropriate of being called ‘national treasure’, because this time the treasure searched for was entirely American. Allusions to American Revolutionary figures in part one I believe were merely a side story as the fabled (and more European) Templar Treasure and mysterious organizations such as the Freemasons were the true crowd drawers.

Awake (2007)

There is a joke that goes: ‘Doc it hurts when I do this’; Doctor answers, ‘stop doing it’. Corny yes but what if you can’t do anything. What if you can’t stop that pain and it’s your own doctor that is giving it to you.

The backdrop of the story of Awake is a phenomenon called Anesthesia Awareness. The name itself betrays what is wrong with experiencing the phenomenon; when you are under anesthesia you shouldn’t be aware.

Iron Man (2008)

Except for mild surprise that Tom Cruise was not able to lock on the Iron Man movie, I had no opinions of Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark when the movie was just green-lighted for live action production. Honestly, I had Patrick Bergin in mind for the role back in the mid 90s when Marvel seemed to be hot on making a movie of their characters. The mustache was the clincher.

Thankfully I had no Hollywood producer to hear my choices because I loved the performance of Robert Downey, Jr.

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

On the surface The Other Boleyn Girl seem like your typical love triangle – two sisters battling for the heart of one man. And had the film been titled something more common as “The Other Woman”, and set in a period more contemporary, it could make some money here in the Philippines. But being a historical drama of Henry VIII’s England, I seriously doubt it’ll make decent money.

John Rambo (2008)

Potentially John Rambo could have had more punch than the boxer movie Rocky Balboa, but it’s a dud. At least with Rocky you had some nostalgia albeit forcefully jammed down the movie goer’s throats with some old clips and locations.

This movie is emotionally dead. Such a big waste of opportunity if you think about it considering its intent was, like Rambo III, to try to bring attention to a war torn country: Burma in this case. But when part III succeeded, part IV failed.

Replays (Coup Holdiays Redux)

(I wanted to edit Coup Holidays because it sounded bad to me, and this is what I came up with. For, thinking such writing would never see the light of day in a government newsletter, I gave it to my boss because I was facing deadlines. It did (or will) see the light of day, minus a few names and harsh words. Well here are the words in entirety. Here's to living somewhat dangerously in dangerous times.)

One cold December night I was watching the Return of the King on DVD when in the scene where Aragorn was meeting an army of the dead, I got a crazy idea.

Maybe this was what the Manila Pen Siege was all about; Sen. Trillanes, ala-Aragorn, beseeching the ghost of Andres Bonifacio to lead an army of dead Philippine revolutionaries to help him capture the leadership of this country.

Atonement (2007)

‘If you can go back in time and change anything, what would it be?’

You cannot, obviously.

Atonement is a film about wanting to go back, but maybe the more accurate description is it’s a film about being burdened with a pain in the past. As in life, there is not much the lead can do. What is done is done; there is no going back.

We make amends, do penitence; then maybe fate will look kindly, and give back that which was destroyed. Maybe . . .

Rendition (2007)

I looked the movie up on imdb.com and was only to happy to see the quote I loved and decided to start the piece with it.

“In all the years you've been doing this, how often can you say that we've produced truly legitimate intelligence? Once? Twice? Ten times? Give me a statistic; give me a number. Give me a pie chart, I love pie charts. Anything, anything that outweighs the fact that if you torture one person you create ten, a hundred, a thousand new enemies.”

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

This movie was a surprise in a low key kind of way. Actually, I was waiting for good old western style shooting; gunfights; cowboys; especially when one of the most popular leading men around, Brad Pitt, is the lead as Jesse James. I wanted action and I wanted to be dazzled. Instead, what I got was a puzzle, skillfully crafted, that I wanted to solve and savor even long after I have finished the movie.

And the puzzle is; who was the bad guy? A strange question if you think about it since the demarcation lines between good and bad are always evident in movies. But strange as it is, it is the only question that came to mind when I finished watching the film.

Coup Holidays

The government’s security agencies, for the umpteenth time, uncovered plot to destabilize the government. This time, they say, the plotters plan to use the Anniversary of Edsa II (Jan 20) and the Mendiola Massacre (Jan 22).


This recent news is just one in a long line of attempts and alleged attempts against President Arroyo since she took power in 2001. Many of these tidings of doom have come on or before special days like Labor Day, Edsa Anniversaries; and most recently Bonifacio Day.

Lions for Lambs (2007)

I have searched my memory and I have come to the conclusion that Lion for Lambs is the first Tom Cruise starring movie that has made me think – all thanks to Robert Redford who directed it.

But I must warn Cruise fans out there Lion for Lambs doesn’t have much of a story; no cat and mouse suspense; no death defying action; no sex. The film isn’t about making Tom Cruise looking cool. It’s a debate film, if that is the appropriate description; as all of the characters at one point or another have engaged in a debate with fellow characters. And the issue of the day is the War on Terror.

Independence Day (1996)

Independence Day’s opening sequence is incredible; one of the best I remember. Dozens of fifteen square mile saucers landing on earth from a mother ship that seems to half the size of the moon; a musical score in the background giving you a feeling of dread; and a line from an R.E.M song “it’s the end of the world as we know it…”

It’s both scary and in some strange way festive, which, if you think about it, seems unfitting in a story that is about worldwide destruction. In this case, the pair of emotions worked because, in all likelihood, a real alien presence would arouse both fear and joy.

I am Legend (2007)

What if you had the world to yourself? Too big? Then, make it a city; let’s say New York – all its money, cars, art, buildings, weapons; everything is yours.

I can’t help opening this piece with material wealth because it stood out in the trailer; the aircraft carrier, the sports car, the laptop…

When I was in high school, I had this fantasy of being trapped in a mall and helping myself out to all the goodies. I am Legend main character, Robert Neville (Will Smith), has all the wealth of New York and is obviously feeling empty. He talks to a dog, sometimes engaging in full debates; he arranges mannequins in a video store as if they were fellow patrons; and he watches reruns of NBC news!

The Kingdom (2007)

The Kingdom is not a very good film in spite of being relevant with the times. It’s a donut because it started big and ended great, but it had no fulfilling content in between.

There is an historical recap at the opening credits where you’ll get some highlights encompassing almost a hundred years of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ; from the colonial days to the crash landing planes of September 11.

It was Galman . . . .

“It was Galman who did it”.


Like a broken record, this line was repeated by 16 soldiers over and over again since August of 1983 when the exiled former Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. was shot at the airport tarmac.


So what is their point in saying it over and over again?

What's five minutes. . . .

What’s five minutes to a busy man? A lot, it would seem, if Manny Pacquiao would be believed; Scheduling difficulties (maybe mishap is the appropriate word) being the top reason floated around to quell the firestorm that resulted from his ‘snubbing’ the City of Manila.

He is a national icon and fresh from a boxing victory that made the Philippines proud. It’s a safe bet that every Filipino in the land (or abroad) wanted to shake his hand immediately after defeating Barrera, but unfortunately there’s not enough of Manny to go around.

Ratatouille (2007)

It is not often that you will see a unique idea in movies nowadays, especially when an adaptation of a book, television show, or comic character can guarantee money. But thankfully, once in a while you will find courageous and inventive filmmakers that can treat you with a sight you have never seen before.

The Insider (1999)

Before Russell Crowe took a stab at a Roman Emperor and was remembered for eternity for an Oscar award, he played a real life, down and almost out, former employee of a tobacco in The Insider.

Judas, the Traitor?

A traitor is someone who betrays. Being a traitor requires first relationship. It can be as close as best friends; a husband and wife; an officemate; or the relationship can be as far as the Philippines is to a Filipino; or as an employee is to a company.

And because that person is a friend or an employee or of a particular nationality he or she is expected to act in the interest of the relationship which makes the proverbial knife in the back by this person to be one of the most painful assaults anyone can inflict another.

U-Turns

My parents and good old Sesame Street taught me how to cross a street; look left first and then right, cross when it’s (more or less) clear.

Those childhood lessons were valid up to at least three to five years ago when intersections littered the streets; one intersection is found virtually in every crossroad in the city’s highways.

Since X road cannot be in motion at the same time as road Y; thus what could be a steady stream of traffic is cut in regular intervals. Looking left and right was valid because you were sure to get a safe chance to cross. Problem was in the rush hour those regular stops became only one, a traffic jam or jams, since it was a city wide epidemic.

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Finally, finally, some prospect of combat!

Four films have past with only a hint of the real danger, but not now. The nameless enemy, or rather He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, is no longer just a whispered legend wreaking havoc by proxy, but up and about the world of wizards bringing death.

A pity Harry Potter is still not up to the task in combating the now fully corporeal Lord Voldemort but that is to be expected. He is a boy after all, and like all beings he must earn his “spurs” as they say, before he can ever be called a match for the top bad guy. Besides what would the much publicized 7th installment be for if he marches for the big fight just now.

Within a Minute: The Making of Episode III (2005)

The ‘making of a movie’ is a guaranteed staple on TV even before the film hits the theaters. It is advertising; it’s raising the hype; it’s showing every little tidbit of how our beloved stars go about in their job. Did he do his own stunts; how much was she paid; what new things did he learn – they all show this in 'the making'.

My interests are more than what happened behind the scenes. As a mass communication graduate, I have developed an interest in the technical aspects of film making. I do love to learn what my favorite stars do on films like any other fan but since I have made some school film projects of my own with my classmates, intellectual curiosity made me more curious as to how professional make theirs.

Transformers (2007)

Remember the sound effects had as a cartoon when they transform?

Many of the boys, including myself, were mimicking that ‘transforming’ sound after every episode. Transformers were so popular that everyone wanted to be one in those days.

Joan of Arcadia (2003-2005)

Have you ever experienced something so bad that made you just want to cry out and ask why it had to be? Questions of that sort are usually asked to the One who started it all – whether He exists or not.

We search for His answers in everyday things sometimes ignoring the fact that we had answers all along. And, for those whose love is only met by silence there is only pain. But what if, just what if, the One we seek to blame (or thank) appears before you just like anybody.

Superman Returns (2006)

The year 2006 saw the end of an almost decade long media speculation on whether the most famous superhero will ever see the silver screen again.

Well known actors that include the likes Nicholas Cage, Brendan Fraser, Josh Hartnett, Paul Walker, Ashton Kutcher; Star War’s Hayden Christensen and the Passion of Christ’s James Caviezel were said to have been once considered to wear the red cape and its equally famous red jockeys. But Director Bryan Singer wanted nothing of them, and chose fresh face Brandon Routh in the lead of what we saw as Superman Returns.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

What is heaven? What happens when we die?

The answers to the questions vary among religions. Heaven could look like the most beautiful place on earth with green fields and flowers. Or, if you want to believe the version of suicide bombers heaven is a place of 72 virgins. But whatever the differences, all are in agreement that human life is judged upon death and heaven is the reward.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Touch, taste, smell, hear, and see: the complete set. But what if we had more? Would it be a gift or a curse?

The M. Night Shyamalan hit The Sixth Sense attempted to answer just that; it showed a boy that was unable to cope with having more than the usual allotment of five senses.

Spider-man II (2004)

Often a sequel is nothing but a ruse to sell an idea that has already expired, and I am happy to say that Spider-Man II is not one of those. Yes, the formula remained the same - ordinary guy with extraordinary powers - but the character has gone through more difficult times and greater challenges.

Spider-Man (2002)

It’s not a sure thing to adapt a work of literature on the big screen, more so a comic book hero. Fans often judge harshly.

But judging by the ticket sales and the recent release of a third sequel in local theaters, Spider-Man has passed with flying colors the judgment of millions of fans.

A hero with no desire, maturity, or the time to save the world, Spider-Man was created, Stan Lee recalled, with an approach unlike established heroes like Superman, who was born perfect, and Batman, who had trained all his life.

Spider-Man III (2007)

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. -

Friedrich Nietzsche

Monsters, they are what Spider-Man faces everyday: thieves, murderers, and super villains. He fights them, risking life and limb, and not to mention a social life in order to save the weak. And after fighting the monsters, people without care or rules; he goes about his life without the mask and follow the restraint.