Star Cinema and ABS-CBN management should start to re-think whether they would want to produce quality and insightful products or just fairly provide big ‘on-screen’ weekly television drama anthologies in Philippine cinema. There is actually a major dramatic difference between business and art. Hard to combine, it can still be done if paradoxically analyzed by producers and artists themselves involved in the production. However, ‘Caregiver’ is another machination of its system that entails purely for business pleasure or dominantly gearing towards box office conclusion. A thinking audience would not deny about the film’s verisimilitude (appearance of being true or real) on screen as the plot moves forward in an Aristotlean way but if one really cares about the aesthetics of cinema and not just its thematic message, one would obviously see its definite loopholes in the courses of actions.
The story (Jewel Castro, Chris Martinez, Chito Rono) simply provides another special episode of the very influential tycoon Charo Santos’ Maalaala Mo Kaya in her television anthology drama. Nothing is extraordinary and cinematic about the film script. Her being one of the executive producers reflects the kind of quality Star Cinema provides for the audience. They just made the whole thing bigger as it is seen on big screens instead of boob tubes. Eli Balce, the director of photography, fails to capture interesting mood lighting moments aside from the predictable day and night sources. This is quite a mediocre for a creative artist such as failing to achieve excellent measurable photography. The style of editing (Manet Dayrit) provides the usual stamp of television editing. Raymond Bajarias, the production designer (responsible for setting and costumes with make-up), did not render stimulating sceneries that would accurately capture textured London setting. The make-up was extremely awful and ridiculous as foreign-aged actors look zombies, dead people or even project ghosts from the past. Rica Peralejo’s make-up was totally inconsistent and even Sharon’s make-up in some scenes. This is where appropriate continuity would be felt. Carmina Robles-Cuya presented the predictable soap opera’s incidentals and themed music to the film the same way as Albert Michael Idioma finalized an unbalanced rendition of sound engineering and not to mention the participation of field sound reocordists (Chito Alamazen and Wielder Catapat). More heads can ruin the film.
Versatile Anita Linda marks another interesting characterization of a grandmother who forgets scenic memory and identity of others. In less than five scenes, she was able to pull-off an undeniably remarkable performance as she holds back and maintains tears in her eyes without dropping it intentionally. Her bravura performance so far makes the entirety of the film applaudable.
Sharon Cuneta who plays the character of Sarah is supposed to transfer signs of depression, sadness, pity and poverty while she leaves her mother country and her only son in exchange of golden opportunities abroad particularly London in the film. In her seemingly-established cliché of melodramatic notion, Cuneta provided an exaggeratedly non-stop tear-dropping. She has mastered her craft pretty much well in her previous films which made her multi-awarded actress so far in her film career race. The least that she could have done is not to repeat once more what she has done in the past. This is where versatility comes in. It would have been much appreciated if pain is delivered and seen only in her mind or some sort of an internal-plot to provide a visual representation as to where in the scenes she would start to cry and when to end it. Though she mildly used mannerisms like pouting of the lips, making her eyes smaller as it is, and occasionally holds her hair back, her performance still needs to be graphed. Cuneta holds better in several ‘non-crying’ scenes though not her the best so far. She was when she did Lino Brocka’s Pasan Ko Ang Daigdig (1987).
John Estrada played the male-insecured husband stereotypically. Rica Peralejo’s portrayal created a weak mark. Jhong Hilario attempted but did not transcend as he was too pushy with the character playing. Mickey Ferriols made her role the typical ordinary support. Makisig Morales was somehow effective together with John Manalo’s performance. Others contributed fairly to the success such as Marita Zobel, Lotlot De Leon and Boots Anson-Roa. Surprisingly, Monique Wilson suddenly disappeared in the film as she did not create her mark as well and thought to be an invisible actress in the end.
What Chito Rono did was to unconsciously disengaged the film to a supposedly magical tempo. Robert Benton’s Kramer vs Kramer (1979) is surely one melodramatic film that features “adagio” (slow) tempo. Meryl Streep’s performance was absolutely effective in terms of natural rhythm leading to her dramatic catharsis. Rob Reiner’s Misery (1990) starred in by stunning performance of Kathy Bates, recognizes in an “allegro” (fast) tempo.
Speed can be of different pace, as Roger Kamien examines in his book “Music: An Appreciation”, very slow broad; very slow solemn; slow; moderately slow, a walking pace; moderate; moderately fast; fast; lively; very fast; and as fast as possible, which all of these provide tempo – the speed of the beat and is the basic pace of the music. Associations are considered to be fast tempos (energy, drive, and excitement) and slow tempos (solemnity, lyricism, or calmness) which create versatility and texture.
To care – would mean to follow track all possible improvements. Not to care – would absolutely be in denial of possible improvements. Tempo, which completes an exciting characteristic in music, is seamlessly connected to a film but ‘Caregiver’, a Star Cinema and ABS-CBN productions, decided to disengage it.
Post-script:
The film is saying something socially for it tells the plight of overseas Filipino workers who labor and sacrifice a lot just to fulfill decent lives for their families and relatives. Sarah represents the epitome of courage as she risks her life outside her boundary; sense of freedom as her mother country, the Philippines, is pulling her down because of the pathetic way of living and hopelessness, eventually making her decide to work abroad; and frustrations as she senses the miserable faces of Philippine societal masks through poverty, mediocrity and crab mentality.
Being a teacher is not the ideal way of a decent living in the Philippines as they begin to be frustrated about financial rewards, benefits and academic citations. One needs to go first in other countries either to study or to attend month-long crash courses even if foreigners would look you down like a piece of junk. In other words, one would take a degree or ph.D for own interests and promotions and finally be respected by peers and society.
Caregiver or carer as it is supposed to be coined as a nurse assistant abroad is a different case. One has to go out to be bought in by hospitals for unselfish but caring services to others who are not even our own relatives. These services are acquired by the hospitals paying dollars but not really in recognition of the nurses but more on to them. Thus, one will never go back for Philippine pride and honor.
It is pathetic. This is really pathetic. The government should have to say something meaty about this issue and should be taken as a serious dilemma of Filipinos still living in the country at present.
The story (Jewel Castro, Chris Martinez, Chito Rono) simply provides another special episode of the very influential tycoon Charo Santos’ Maalaala Mo Kaya in her television anthology drama. Nothing is extraordinary and cinematic about the film script. Her being one of the executive producers reflects the kind of quality Star Cinema provides for the audience. They just made the whole thing bigger as it is seen on big screens instead of boob tubes. Eli Balce, the director of photography, fails to capture interesting mood lighting moments aside from the predictable day and night sources. This is quite a mediocre for a creative artist such as failing to achieve excellent measurable photography. The style of editing (Manet Dayrit) provides the usual stamp of television editing. Raymond Bajarias, the production designer (responsible for setting and costumes with make-up), did not render stimulating sceneries that would accurately capture textured London setting. The make-up was extremely awful and ridiculous as foreign-aged actors look zombies, dead people or even project ghosts from the past. Rica Peralejo’s make-up was totally inconsistent and even Sharon’s make-up in some scenes. This is where appropriate continuity would be felt. Carmina Robles-Cuya presented the predictable soap opera’s incidentals and themed music to the film the same way as Albert Michael Idioma finalized an unbalanced rendition of sound engineering and not to mention the participation of field sound reocordists (Chito Alamazen and Wielder Catapat). More heads can ruin the film.
Versatile Anita Linda marks another interesting characterization of a grandmother who forgets scenic memory and identity of others. In less than five scenes, she was able to pull-off an undeniably remarkable performance as she holds back and maintains tears in her eyes without dropping it intentionally. Her bravura performance so far makes the entirety of the film applaudable.
Sharon Cuneta who plays the character of Sarah is supposed to transfer signs of depression, sadness, pity and poverty while she leaves her mother country and her only son in exchange of golden opportunities abroad particularly London in the film. In her seemingly-established cliché of melodramatic notion, Cuneta provided an exaggeratedly non-stop tear-dropping. She has mastered her craft pretty much well in her previous films which made her multi-awarded actress so far in her film career race. The least that she could have done is not to repeat once more what she has done in the past. This is where versatility comes in. It would have been much appreciated if pain is delivered and seen only in her mind or some sort of an internal-plot to provide a visual representation as to where in the scenes she would start to cry and when to end it. Though she mildly used mannerisms like pouting of the lips, making her eyes smaller as it is, and occasionally holds her hair back, her performance still needs to be graphed. Cuneta holds better in several ‘non-crying’ scenes though not her the best so far. She was when she did Lino Brocka’s Pasan Ko Ang Daigdig (1987).
John Estrada played the male-insecured husband stereotypically. Rica Peralejo’s portrayal created a weak mark. Jhong Hilario attempted but did not transcend as he was too pushy with the character playing. Mickey Ferriols made her role the typical ordinary support. Makisig Morales was somehow effective together with John Manalo’s performance. Others contributed fairly to the success such as Marita Zobel, Lotlot De Leon and Boots Anson-Roa. Surprisingly, Monique Wilson suddenly disappeared in the film as she did not create her mark as well and thought to be an invisible actress in the end.
What Chito Rono did was to unconsciously disengaged the film to a supposedly magical tempo. Robert Benton’s Kramer vs Kramer (1979) is surely one melodramatic film that features “adagio” (slow) tempo. Meryl Streep’s performance was absolutely effective in terms of natural rhythm leading to her dramatic catharsis. Rob Reiner’s Misery (1990) starred in by stunning performance of Kathy Bates, recognizes in an “allegro” (fast) tempo.
Speed can be of different pace, as Roger Kamien examines in his book “Music: An Appreciation”, very slow broad; very slow solemn; slow; moderately slow, a walking pace; moderate; moderately fast; fast; lively; very fast; and as fast as possible, which all of these provide tempo – the speed of the beat and is the basic pace of the music. Associations are considered to be fast tempos (energy, drive, and excitement) and slow tempos (solemnity, lyricism, or calmness) which create versatility and texture.
To care – would mean to follow track all possible improvements. Not to care – would absolutely be in denial of possible improvements. Tempo, which completes an exciting characteristic in music, is seamlessly connected to a film but ‘Caregiver’, a Star Cinema and ABS-CBN productions, decided to disengage it.
Post-script:
The film is saying something socially for it tells the plight of overseas Filipino workers who labor and sacrifice a lot just to fulfill decent lives for their families and relatives. Sarah represents the epitome of courage as she risks her life outside her boundary; sense of freedom as her mother country, the Philippines, is pulling her down because of the pathetic way of living and hopelessness, eventually making her decide to work abroad; and frustrations as she senses the miserable faces of Philippine societal masks through poverty, mediocrity and crab mentality.
Being a teacher is not the ideal way of a decent living in the Philippines as they begin to be frustrated about financial rewards, benefits and academic citations. One needs to go first in other countries either to study or to attend month-long crash courses even if foreigners would look you down like a piece of junk. In other words, one would take a degree or ph.D for own interests and promotions and finally be respected by peers and society.
Caregiver or carer as it is supposed to be coined as a nurse assistant abroad is a different case. One has to go out to be bought in by hospitals for unselfish but caring services to others who are not even our own relatives. These services are acquired by the hospitals paying dollars but not really in recognition of the nurses but more on to them. Thus, one will never go back for Philippine pride and honor.
It is pathetic. This is really pathetic. The government should have to say something meaty about this issue and should be taken as a serious dilemma of Filipinos still living in the country at present.
No comments:
Post a Comment