Lens for Eyes

A project blog consisting of short Film reviews that does not reveal much of the stories for Film 100 by Lou Benedict Daran ------------------About me: A 3rd year BS Geography student based in College of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of the Philippines

[lensforeyes]

On Stereotypes

Film Rating: 6/10

A film by Joel Lamangan, Mano Po shows the Chinese Filipino culture among families in the Philippines. For me, the portrayals were mostly about stereotyping Chinese Filipinos as being one of the richest families among Filipino citizens, the famous great wall, and the usual black sheep of the family. Everything in the movie made sense because that’s how most viewers generally think of Chinese Filipino families.

Taking out all the Chinese-Filipino elements of the movie, it would look like one of the most common family films in the industry wherein a major problem would arise and in the end, the family would still be intact but only with drugs and kidnapping involved. I would rather watch a normal Filipino Family movie that deals with sibling rivalry issues and other family issues, than this film as it also looks into kidnapping as a normal thing.

Reinstating, they did well on representing the viewers’ perception on Chinese-Filipino stereotypes.

[lensforeyes]

A Neighborhood in Brooklyn

Film Rating: 9/10

Do the Right Thing, a film by Spike Lee, started off powerfully both with its ‘Fight the Power’ introduction and how it introduced each vital character of the film. It takes place in a neighborhood in Brooklyn composed of mostly of a black community, the Italian’s who own a pizzeria, and a Korean store. Spike Lee gave the viewers a very upbeat and chill ambiance throughout the film, however, he smoothly transitioned the unspoken tension in the community.

The movie tackled the racial tension among communities, giving both a light and heavy feeling throughout. Despite being a film back in 1989, the jokes and insults are still relatable up to date. Spike Lee weaved together all the characters smoothly from the beginning to end, the stories connected with ease despite the number of major characters he has. In terms of aesthetics, it is very appealing for the viewers and gives the same feel through its visualisation.

[lensforeyes]

Love & Differences

Film Rating: 7/10

Rent is a movie adaptation by Chris Columbus of  Jonathan Larson’s Broadway hit musical of the same title back in 1996. The movie tackled issues that are quite a taboo during those years, especially in the musical dated 1996, such as AIDS awareness, and acceptance of the LGBTQ community. The film represented a community as its characters are a mix of different professions such as filmmakers, professors, strippers, musicians, lawyers, and artists. They faced a lot of different struggles brought by  the community’s stigma on AIDS and the LGBTQ community

Although the movie gave me a warm feeling through its music and lyrics, I find it difficult to keep up with the stories of each character. The stories kept jumping on from one character to another giving me a state of confusion of what relevance they have in the story. The music may have given a feeling a viewer may have but after that, it is not connecting to the story properly. If the stories have intertwined well, it could have been a powerful movie.

[lensforeyes]

A Complicated Love Affair

Film Rating: 8/10

A film by Alfred Hitchcock, Notorious is an American spy film noir that involves a complicated affair. It involves a daughter of a convicted Nazi spy who is a patriotic American woman named Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) who was recruited by an agent named Devlin (Cary Grant) to undergo a mission in Rio. It involves a love affair between two conflicting sides, the government and the Nazis.

Aside from the complicated narrative and emotional impact of the film, Hitchcock’s famous shots are to be seen in this film. He carefully stitched everything into pieces from the tracking of the camera over the balcony to having a close-up on vital elements of the story. He also played well on focusing the important details of the story. Watching this made me look into a lot of details that somehow zoned me out.

[lensforeyes]

Antonio’s Lens

Film Rating: 7.5/10

Ang Lihim ni Antonio, a film by Joselito Altajeros, deals with the curiosities and self exploration of a teenager named Antonio (Kenjie Garcia) being a child who is exposed in a setting where he lived only with his mother, Tere (Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino), and his father who’s working overseas. His journey came about his close friends, Nathan and Mike (Nino Fernandez & Jiro Manio), whether his exploration would lead to acceptance or rejection. The urban setting in the Philippine’s take on homosexuality and the gay community was shown in the lens of Antonio’s milieu. His sexuality is further challenged by the arrival of his uncle, Jonbert (Josh Ivan Morales), who will be living among them.

The film had a lot of sexual exposure that it actually became like a soft pornography. The film may have been catering to the sexual pleasures that its audience seeks, nevertheless, it could have been better if it was done in a way that it had less nudity. Other than that, the film represented the Filipino community’s take on homosexuality and how different households are shaped by the living conditions they faced.

[lensforeyes]

Flashback Classics

Film Rating: 9/10

Citizen Kane, a film by Orson Welles, who starred as the leading actor as well, started with an eerie deathbed scene in a place named ‘Xanadu’ which is a place that Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) established. The film revolves around that establishing scene as Charles Foster Kane utters the word ‘Rosebud’. In the eyes and ears of a reporter named Jerry Thompson (William Alland), Charles Foster Kane’s life was plotted through various stories and insights of former friends, lovers, and enemies.

The form of the narrative of the film is extraordinary considering the year it was produced, compared to modern movies this form of narrative would be one of the normal types. However,  it still provides curiosity for its audience as they seek information like in this film where its viewers are attached to the story as they anticipate for the meaning of ‘Rosebud’, to which I find this film as one of the classics.

[lensforeyes]

Maze of Love

Film Rating: 8/10

The Rules of the Game, a French film directed by Jean Renoir, tackles every taboos of a romantic relationship. Renoir tickles his audience from the beginning with his flirtatious love triangle among Christine, (played by Nora Gregor), Robert (Christine’s husband played by Marcel Dalio), and Octave (played by Jean Renoir himself) that sets the overall vibe of the film -- a tragic multi-leveled infidelity tackled in a very comedic way. The comedic aspect of telling the narrative by Renoir gave a light view of the disastrous relationship patterns of the characters involved despite how heavy each individual act of infidelity is. Additionally, the film intertwined the different social classes through the pairs of lovers and depicted the borders that hinders their relationship.

For a 1939 film, it’s long takes are fascinating and very much utilized. The setting involves a lot of mirrors, hallways, and spaces that allowed different long takes to take place.  Despite having semi static setups for the shoots, Renoir took advantage of the spacious setting with the use of blockings placing his actors well in different scenes providing a more detail to the story in a very aesthetically pleasing manner.

Overall, the story can be so confusing because of the nature of flirtations in the movie. Paying close attention to detail between characters should be done. Otherwise, you’ll get behind the narrative if you zoned-out.

[lensforeyes]

Birth of a New Editing Era

 Film rating: 8.5/10

Battleship Potemkin is a well-known Soviet film by Sergei Eisenstein because of it’s Odessa Steps scene as it is one of the most famous montage sequences of all. In fact, some other films had an adaptation of the sequence itself. The famous scene is about protesters being driven away through violence. Large variety of montage techniques were used in the sequence, it involves dramatic cuts that transitions from a wide shot to an extreme close-up, vigorous and graphic cuts were seen, movement and continuity where conveyed on the sequences, and as well as time independence as it stretches the whole scene when in reality it would take a very short time.

Confusion. That’s what I felt as Battleship Potemkin progressed through its sequences. Eisenstein and many other Soviet movie makers are fond of aggressive camera works and sequences. The film’s major stronghold is how it constantly feeds its viewers the curiosity of knowing the story, giving them a focused atmosphere on it, acting like a magnet.

As a pioneer of a new era of film sequencing and editing one must go back through time and witness this film as it has a great influence in modern day films. Putting one’s self in the year of the creation of the film would give a different impact towards the viewers -- just as watching Star Wars on its first release with its fresh graphical editing that no one else had ever seen. So I’m rating this film with a context that I’m at its production year, I would give it an 8.5/10 rating.