ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE DECADE

There are only 4 movies that I’ve watched for more than 50 times. I watched Titanic like more than a hundred times already. I watched Amelie for more than 50 times now. Moulin Rouge also reached the century mark. But no one can beat my favorite film of all times. The film stars the magical troika. I’m proud to say “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is my all time fav coz I watched it in a theater for 16 times. I watched it on DVD for eternity and I still love the film. Last January, the bootleg copy of Slumdog Millionaire was released by pirates ( sad to say) but I was kinda thankful. Sorry. I had no volition but to bite the apple. It had won numerous awards already and I was hopeless that time that it might not be shown here in the Philippines. I was just enthusiastic. You know what after watching it, Slumdog Millionaire is fast approaching my “golden mark”. I have watched it already for the nth time and luckily Viva Pictures decided to release it on the big screen here. Guess what??? Of course, I watched it again. This time the cinema experience is just unbelievable.



Slumdog Millionaire tells the fairy tale story of 18-year old Jamal Malik from Mumbai, India. He is having an amazing answering streak on the Indian version of the TV game show “Who Wants To be A Millionaire”. He’s only one correct question away from the big prize. However, some, including those associated with the show, is baffled how someone like Jamal, a self-confessed non-genius who grew up in the slums of Mumbai, can be doing so well on the show, when others who are brighter, more educated and wealthier than him have failed. Is he cheating? Is it destiny?



Superb is the best way to describe the experience after watching the film. I was blown away with the direction and all the technical aspects. Of course, it raked most of the awards in the Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Original Song. I couldn’t disagree. A well-deserved win! Congratulations Danny Boyle!This one takes the cake! The critics are really right. The moviegoers who made this movie a phenomenon are truly hypnotized. Slumdog Millionaire is one of the BEST FILMS of all times.



Let’s talk about the best scenes from the film. The opening chasing scene is exhilarating. It’s weird that the slum scenes are quiet fascinating. Even if that scene is similar to an award winning Pinoy indie film called “Kubrador”, I still find Doyle’s style a bit clever. The autograph scene with young Jamal and Amitabh is one of the funniest scenes I’ve seen in years. It’s really unforgettable. The escape scene to the train is marvelous. The lighting in the shrubs to the railway is thawing. This film also made me cry. Just by thinking about Salim’s brotherly love to Jamal is too much. I couldn’t help it. It’s too lachrymose for me. Of course, Jamal winning answer tops it all. It’s predictable but I don’t really care. It still made me cry. But no one can describe the victorious feeling I have felt while watching the end credit scene. That “Jao Ho” dance tribute to Bollywood films is truly infectious!!! I didn’t expect it and it also made me bawl. Great job!!! Dev Patel and Freida Pinto do a nice job as the adult Jamal and Latika but the young kiddie Jamal is the most unforgettable actor in the film. He is a cutie one.



Am I recommending the film? It’s too palpable. I still have fascinating million things to say about the film. Yeah, I believe that that there are negative criticisms and some flaws about Slumdog Millionaire too. Well, suck it!!!! The world has spoken!
JAI HO!!!!

A.R. RahmanJai Ho

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com

AN OUTSTANDING RIP-OFF

Honestly, when I first saw the trailer of “Sundo” I had goose bumps instantly. I really loved Topel Lee's previous horror films in the past two years and I became enthusiastic to see the new offering from GMA Films. According to its press release, “Sundo” is a suspense/thriller film. Not a horror film? I went inside a dark and cold cinema in Megamall without high expectations. The audience was really quiet and I never heard a single wail from the crowd. Indeed, “Sundo” is not a screaming horror film. For me, it is just a beautiful knock-off of the Final Destination trilogy.

The movie opens with a statement about a belief that people who are about to die are fetched by the ghost of a loved one. Romano is a soldier who became comatose after being injured in a combat. When his condition becomes copacetic, he learns that he can now see the spirits being dispatched to fetch those who are about to pass away. Because of that, he never leaves his house in Baguio hiding away from the ghosts. He’s eventually changes his mind when an erstwhile friend named Louella offers to take his blind sister Isabel to Manila for treatment and end the fight between their families. On their way to Manila,they were joined by two neighbors and a hitchhiker who happens to be an aspiring actress. Before reaching a scary tunnel, Romano has a nightmare that spares them all from a fervent destruction. However, the grim reaper is furious and wants to them to pay. Their death is their payment. How will they overcome the rage of the evil reaper and outlive the steadfast warning of death in their lives?

I can't promise that “Sundo” will scare you to death. It's not that scary at all. But the premise is new to me because I have never heard about the superstition. But after watching the film, I was really ambivalent if I enjoyed it that much. I just couldn't avoid from comparing it to the Final Destination movies. They really copied almost everything starting from the concept and even the brutal killings. So it wasn't an exciting experience for me. The twist is kinda cool though and it's not too Shyamalanish. Hands down to the skillful lens of Topel Lee! He is really amazing. I really love the tunnel scene with Romano and the spirits. The cinematography of the film is phenomenal. Who is J.A. Tadena? Coz I wanna shake his hand and congratulate him for a wonderful job. Excellent photography J.A.!!!! Yes, the sound and the haunting musical score also have this eerie touch.

Mr. Robin Padilla who plays Romano is undoubtedly one of the best actors in the industry. I can feel his fear just by looking at his eyes. I'm not a fan of Sunshine Dizon but she amazes me in her role as Louella. That scream from her is unforgettable. I love it. Rhian Ramos continues to surprise me in every movie she's in except in I.T.A.L.Y. She plays Isabel and she is so natural. This girl has a lot of potential to be the next big superstar. You know what? I think for the first time I like Katrina Halili. It's nice to see her being dead in a movie. It's cool to see her being tortured. Ha ha ha!!! Her role here is truly perfect. Mark Bautista is also good but Hero Angeles captivates me more. I just missed his cute face. Hero is a fine young actor and he must continue pursuing his acting career because his face is just delectable on the big screen. By the way, Jaclyn Jose is being at mentioned during the opening credits with a special role. I think I didn't see her in the film. I wasn't able to see a glimpse of her shadow.

“Sundo” is a pretty suspense film but you'll definitely shake your head in the endif you've seen all the Final Destination movies. It's OK to re-create a Hollywood film as long as there's a unique Pinoy twist in it. It's just not enough. I'm still recommending the film if you have enough time and budget. Gosh, the cinema prices now are too expensive. No wonder the piracy is booming. Please don't watch the pirated copy because Sundo is filmed mostly in dark and I bet you won't see a single ghost in the bootleg DVD. Wait for the Original DVD soon.