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PLAYING AGAIN | Insights: The Winnie-the-Pooh Books & The Christopher Robin Film

Hello!, I’m Meg :)

This past week, I decided to try and play again with Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga and Roo, Rabbit, Owl, and - of course - Christopher Robin.

The Winnie-the-Pooh Books

Basic Info

The Winnie-the-Pooh books were written by A.A. Milne and illustrated by E.H. Shepard. The first book was published back in 1926 on the 14 October through Methuen & Co. Ltd. A.A. Milne merely shared with us this world created by his son, Christopher Robin Milne. Although, Owl and Rabbit were not part of the original gang Christopher played with when he was a young boy. I’m not going to go into the whole history of this and the family because I haven’t fully read into the original sources. But here are a few people that probably know what they’re talking about.

Thoughts On the Books

Considering that they are children’s books, it doesn’t take much time to read them, but it does take more time to fully enjoy them. What do I mean by that? When reading a book so open to imagination such as children’s books, at least for me, I feel that you find yourself taking the time to read slowly and attempt to fully immerse yourself in the text. It isn’t heavily loaded with descriptions because, I suppose, children are meant to freely make it theirs. It’s like how every individual has their own perception of who to them is God or what to them is Heaven.

Hold on, I want to reference a completely separate film that has nothing to do with the Winnie-the-Pooh universe - as far as I know. In Vincent Ward’s What Dreams May Come, a character named Albert points out that

“‘Here’ is big enough for everyone to have their own private universe.”

I think children’s books, the Winnie-the-Pooh books in particular give you the freedom to do that quite well. I must confess, I didn’t read the books as a child. But even as a 20-year-old girl today, I did enjoy the books. But something was missing… It wasn’t real enough.

The Film: Christopher Robin

Basic Info

Disney’s Christopher Robin, directed by Marc Forster, premiered in 2018. It stars Ewan McGregor as grown-up Christopher Robin, Hayley Atwell as wife Evelyn Robin, and Bronte Carmichael as daughter Madeline Robin. Jim Cummings voices both Pooh and Tigger, Brad Garrett as Eeyore, and Nick Mohammad as Piglet.

Although young Christopher Robin (acted by Orton O'Brien) definitely knew how to play, grown-up Christopher has forgotten how to. Back when they were younger he was the one saving Pooh and his friends, but now it was time for them to save him.

Thoughts On the Film

When I previously said how the books weren’t real enough for me, this film definitely helped fill that void. It isn’t a retelling of the stories in them, no, it is an extension of them and makes them real.

The film itself runs for 1hr and 44mins, so it doesn’t take up much of your time as well… But, I think that’s up to how much it is able to engulf you. I am the type of person who, you could say, gets distracted easily. I tend to take notice of small things that don’t really matter and obsess over them. Something is always buzzing up in my head, so I appreciate it when a film or show is able to truly bring me someplace else without me having to try. The film Christopher Robin, I’m happy to say, is able to do that. I found myself bawling for most of it, thinking about what it must feel like to be so lucky as Christopher that his private universe is real. Everything you’d think that is made up is all real. Just to have that place where you can run off to and just… be and do nothing.

As it is said by Pooh and Christopher,

“Doing nothing often leads to the very best of something.”

I am grateful for films like this that are able to create something real for you. Yes, there are no full descriptions and explanations for how things work in the world it’s trying to put out for you- But, that’s just it! For me, it’s relieving to not have to worry about piecing together bits of information written out and to be able to just have it… be right in front of you. Yes, there isn’t much room for you to make up and add things, - imagination - but they do make up for it by doing their best to make it real. They very carefully and lovingly piece together everything for you; the people acting for you, the composition, production design, lighting and color, costume, hair and makeup, texture, sound - Mise-En-Scène! All these things come together to make something surreal real for you. It’s as if that world is now your life, even just for that 1hr and 44mins.

Playing Again

Something we can really learn from the film is to play again. Oftentimes, we take ourselves so seriously, thinking that it’s just the way life has to go in order to make our dreams a reality. We often are so busy chasing after our dreams that we forget that now can be a dream too.

“Your life is happening right now in front of you.”

Evelyn says this to Christopher when discussing why he can’t go out to the cottage with them.

I think this film does a very good job of reminding us that it is okay to play and be happy, even when things aren’t exactly perfect yet - whatever perfect means. Eeyore, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger are here telling us to go and play again.

One Last Time

Hi, I’m Meg :)

For everyone who’s been wondering what all these posts on films have been all about, it’s time for me to come clean.

[Warning: Spoilers on my life ahead.]

What’s Goin On?!

These past few months, this past term, I’ve been taking up this Introduction to and Appreciation of Film (FLOIFLM) class at my college. It’s been really good, but admittedly I was running out of words towards the end. I don’t know. I love film, but I was having a hard time expressing what I had to say. Anyhow, the time has come for this class to end as the term does, so here’s one last blog post (for this class) for my awesome professor AHAHAHA

Sir Asks: What was your favorite lecture/ topic/ moment/ activity in FLOIFLM?

One of my favorite times during the duration of this class was doing the blogpost PLAYING AGAIN | Insights: The Winnie-the-Pooh Books & The Christopher Robin Film. The assignment was to take a fairytale or children's book that was adapted into a film. Put the original and adaptation side by side and take a look at the time, depth, imagination, immersion, movement, and reality of each.

Working on this one really did just take me back and remind me that the dream life can be right now, no matter how it is right now. “Your life is happening right now in front of you,” Evelyn says to Christopher. And she is very right in saying so. Admittedly, I’m itching to finish this college program of mine, so that I can finally entirely focus on what I really want to be doing. Yes, I’m a victim of having chosen the wrong program for me, but it hasn’t been a total loss. I haven’t transferred because I’m in my final year. I’ve decided to just go on because, as I said, it hasn’t been a total loss and everything I’m learning are all still great assets to what I plan on doing for the rest of my life.

Sir Asks: What did I learn in FLOIFLM?

Hello, Sir, I learned many things from FLOIFLM. I promise you that I have thoroughly enjoyed and taken in all that you have shared with us. But if you want me to specifically name a favorite, I’d have to say that it was, again, learning about time, depth, imagination, immersion, movement, reality, and how they all work together to give you a unique and extraordinary experience. Why? Well, if you remember from the blog post I mentioned earlier, I am the type of person who is easily distracted by many things. Films and TV shows are some of the escapes I take when I want to just be for a while, so I appreciate it when they can truly bring me someplace else without me even having to try.

Sir Asks: What did I really learn in FLOIFLM?

I literally just told you, Sir- But okay, I know what you mean- I think. Hm… I learned to look at things in every possible way. How’s that? I did! I swear, but it is definitely easier said than done.

Sir Gives a Prompt: In closing, I'd just like to say…

Thank you for everything and anything, Sir! It’s been real ;) AHAHAHA Truly,

Until we meet again :)

M&M and Fantastica: A Look Into Philippine Humor

Hello, I’m Meg :)

Today, we’ll be talking about the Philippine movies M&M: The Mall The Merrier and Fantastica. Specifically, how the two reflect Philippine humor and the media trends the year each was released.

[Warning: Spoilers ahead.]

M&M: The Mall, The Merrier: About the Movie

ABS-CBN Star Cinema’s M&M: The Mall The Merrier, released in 2019, was directed by Barry Gonzales and stars Vice Ganda as Moira and Anne Curtis-Smith as her sister Morisette. The story follows the two’s family history and drama. Their father being the main owner of their Tamol Mall, all hell breaks loose when he and the mother die in a plane crash. Moira and Morisette battle it out to see who gets to keep the mall.

Fantastica: About the Movie

Another ABS-CBN Star Cinema movie, Fantastica was released in 2018 and was directed by Barry Gonzales as well, starring Vice Ganda as Belat in the lead role once more. Belat and her family own a carnival that houses a bridging to Fantastica. When there is a lot of joy and cheer in the park, the portal is activated and opened. A prince from that other realm emerges and Belat is to help him find his three lost sisters.

Philippine Humor

Making Financial Instability Funny

Both M&M and Fantastica make use of the sad life being financially unstable can bring, all the while using it as a comedic relief too. For some reason, it’s a thing for Filipinos to quite literally laugh and smile their pains away, making everything a joke.

In M&M, the issue is brought up right at the beginning when it is seen that the escalator is broken yet again. At their parents funeral, Moira sets up the ashes of her parents in a pitcher and cup, and even has a side of fake flowers instead of real ones.

In Fantastica, the money issues are evident as well, as the story follows their battle against corporate people trying to buy their land.

There’s a scene in the movie where two park visitors complain about a ride not being exciting. Instead of seeing to it that the ride is fixed, Vice’s character and her brother get on the ride and make-believe that it’s going fast and that it is, in fact, exciting.

Insulting People Is Fun

It’s common in Philippine culture to offend the other person and play it off as a joke. The biro (joke) has become such a normal comment that you could be scolded and said to be overreacting if you get offended. A possible reason for why these sorts of jokes came about in the first place is because of the disregard of many Filipinos of the others’ feelings. They say such comments need to be said in order to learn, but what they don’t know how to do - really - is give actual constructive criticism properly.

Breaking the Fourth Wall

Both M&M and Fantastica break the fourth wall, acknowledging who the actor is in real life.

In M&M, one of the ways they do this is by having a pun battle with Vice and Anne’s movies respectively.

In Fantastica, they do this by making fun of how they come from different Philippine television networks.

Trends At The Time

Sana All!

“Sana ol” or “sana all” and any other variations of the term was a popular saying of Filipinos across the globe in 2019. It is an expression of jealousy. A rough translation could be, “Why can’t that be the same for all?!” A perfect example would be this scene from M&M:

Dalagang Pilipina

Dalagang Pilipina is a popular trend among Filipinos of people making these faces to seem cute, the Filipino term being “pabebe.” As made popular by famous Pinoy vlogger, Mimi as she went viral with her rendition:

Throughout the course of both M&M and Fantastica, Vice makes these faces over and over.

The Two Movies

Looking at the two movies side by side, there’s great similarity in their formulas, which could be because they were both directed by the same person, as well as star several of the same people. But besides those facts, it’s clear that these two movies were made for Philippine audiences as they are loaded with inside jokes that you may only understand as a Filipino and/or if you’ve lived in the country for a time. The two also tend to try and hop on some viral trends going on at the time they were made and released.

Issues that are present in Philippine society are showcased through humor. As mentioned earlier, it’s as if they are literally just laughing their pains way. The recurring problems of poverty in the country is nothing to laugh about, but there are those who find it acceptable to do so in their attempt to make a heavy topic lighter. The same with using insulting comments as a way to joke around with others. Such comments can be very scarring, no matter what the intention. One might say Filipinos could never take matters seriously, but it might also be understandable that it is their way of coping with the matters the Philippines is constantly in.

When talking about how these movies exploit the use of trends to get on the bandwagon and sell out in theatres, I’d say they don’t do a very good job at it. Yes, they take trends, but how they integrate them into their storytelling isn’t so good and seamless. Upon watching both M&M and Fantastica, I found myself constantly wanting to get up and leave because I did not understand where everything was going. Tangents popped up left and right, making the movies unnecessarily longer than needed to successfully tell their tales. Personally, I would not recommend these movies to anyone. I want my money back!

#philippine cinema #philippine comedy #abs-cbn #star cinema #vice ganda #barry gonzales

What Dreams May Come: The Atmosphere

Hello! I’m Meg :)

For this one, I’m going to be talking about the film What Dreams May Come, particularly how the filmmakers were able to translate and distinguish all the different settings. Let’s get to it!

[Warning: Spoilers ahead.]

About the Film

What Dreams May Come, released in 1998, was directed by Vincent Ward based on a novel by Richard Matherson as adapted (written into a screenplay) by Ronald Bass. It stars Robin Williams as Christy, Cuba Gooding Jr. as Albert, and Annabella Sciorra as Christy’s wife, Annie.

The story follows Christy and his struggle to understand what Heaven is. When he is given the news that his wife had committed suicide, he refuses to accept that she belongs in hell for an entirely different reason than he initially thought. Christy embarks on the challenge of finding Annie and bringing her to Heaven. He is her soulmate; he can find him.

Technically Gorgeous

It’s worth mentioning up front that the praise What Dreams May Come for it’s visual beauty is widespread. It’s been honored with awards such as the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, the Satellite Award for Best Visual Effects, and the Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design for a Feature Film back in 1999. But, of course, we’re here to pick at why it was awarded with these.

Overall Atmosphere

The entire film mimics this dream-like filter overtop of reality. Everything is all that tad bit fuzzy and warm, with the exception of when Christy is given the news of Annie’s suicide and then forward. But, even the harsh settings of hell has this overlay of fog and clouds.

Christy’s Heaven

The minds behind how to bring Christy’s universe carefully thought about how to imitate the material that is acrylic paint and use that to make up entire sceneries in which Robin Williams could live in. Additionally, they had to replicate the feel that Annie’s paintings had into a setting.

When we first transition into Christy’s Heaven, you might not notice right off the bat that what he wakes up in is paint. He quickly realizes this and squeezes a flower by him confirming the thought. To further emphasize this, they focus on Katie the dog stomping on the plants and how they turn to mush. It is all reminiscent of paintings his wife, Annie, did.

Later, Albert shows Christy that he doesn’t need to see everything as paint anymore.

Marie’s Heaven

Earlier in the film, Christy and Annie’s children, Marie (Jessica Brooks Grant) and Ian (Josh Paddock), die in a car crash. When Christy first wakes up in Heaven, he doesn’t meet the kids just yet. He has to puzzle the pieces together and figure out who of the people he meets they are. At some point, Albert brings Christy to someone else’s Heaven/universe. It turns out to be Marie’s.

Marie’s Heaven is reminiscent of the diorama sat by her bed. One night, she asks her father if that’s what Heaven’s like. Although they didn’t have the same challenge of mimicking a unique material, the task of successfully translating the feel of the diorama was there, For me, the most notable feature there was getting that same warmth. They did it well.

Annie’s Hell

When Christy and his companions successfully make it to Annie’s Hell, it is strikingly different from Christy and Marie’s Heavens. It’s entirely dark and cold with the exception of the warmth still present with Christy and his friends as well as the blazing fires. Everyone else is completely pale and no longer possessing that warmth.

How the filmmakers have captured this dreadful place is admirable. They successfully make you feel the weight and gloom of the setting.

Final Thoughts

All in all, What Dreams May Come is a perfect example of how a production house should go about tackling the visual aesthetics of a film in order to have an audience feel something and transport them to surreal environments with near-perfect distinctions between each.

#what dreams may come #vincent ward #robin williams #cuba gooding jr #annabella sciorra #richard matherson #ronald bass #universal studios #film

Batch ‘81: A Film of Cowardly Boys! But That’s Exactly The Point

Hello! I’m Meg :)

Today, I’ve got some things to say about Batch ‘81. Let’s get to it!

[Warning: Spoilers ahead.]

Batch ‘81: A Film of Cowardly Boys! But That’s Exactly The Point

About the Film

MVP Pictures’ Batch ‘81, released in 1982, was directed by Mike De Leon and was selected for the Directors Fortnight at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. It stars Mike De Leon as Sid Lucero, Ward Luarca as Pacoy Ledesma, Noel Trinidad as Santi Santillan, Ricky Sandico as Ronnie Roxas, Jr., Jimmy Javier as Vince, Rod Leido as Arni Enrizuez, and Vic Lima as Gonzales. These 8 boys decide to take up the ambitious challenge of signing up for the fraternity, Alpha Kappa Omega, supposedly the best frat of the university. The film follows these neophytes as they go through the tortuous hazing process to become an official member of the fraternity.

Impressions

During my first viewing of Batch ‘81, I found myself constantly mad at everyone. “You idiots!” I said, “This is so stupid; this makes no sense.” I wasn’t referring to how the film was shot or the flow of the story. No, I was referring to what was happening in the story. I was referring to how the character’s choices were making me feel. I couldn’t help but question all the dumb decisions being made. What were they playing at?

“Kaisahan: Isang kalooban, Isang Katwiran” (Unity: One Will, One Righteousness)

That was something that was always emphasized and gone back to. But what did unity actually mean to them? To me, in the context of the film, it meant being selfish and cowardly- BUT, maybe that was the point?

Cowardly Boys and their Questionable Intentions and Decisions

Frat? All for What? After another round of initiation, Arni and Sid return to their dorm room. Arni complains about his aching bones. What exactly is all this pain for again?

[Arni: Shit, my neck hurts. Sid: That’s okay, Arni: “That’s okay,” yeah right. We’re being tortured! Sid: Just think about the advantages of being in a frat.]

Unity? Really? Sounds More Selfish to Me When one of the boys shares to the others that he wants to quit, Sid Lucero asks, “Eh, ano namang mangyayari sa batch?” Is that all you care about, Sid? Throughout the course of the film, it’s another thing always gone back to. “What about the batch?” they’ll ask, “We need to stick together.” But what do you care if he leaves? If you want to stay, by all means. Let him if he can’t take it anymore. How selfish.

[Sid: Then what’s gonna happen to the batch?]

What Kind of Friends Are You? In another moment, Pacoy feels betrayed by his own batchmates - friends, even - when they didn’t tell him they knew about an embarrassing incident with one of their professors. The said incident was streamed and the frat leaders made them watch. Sid gets Pacoy to calm down and Pacoy opens up saying that this was meant to be some form of therapy due to his anxiety towards people.

[Pacoy: I didn’t even want to join the frat. It was my mom!... And doctor. He said it’d be my therapy.]

Just Let Him Go! Arni is another boy of the batch that expresses his desire to leave. This causes Sid to say he’s weak and even gets into a fight over it. But what for? Like I said earlier, just let him leave! It’s his life, not yours.

The Girl that Said It for Me

When Sid goes out on a date with his girlfriend, Mariel, they discuss this whole frat hazing situation. She knows how it goes and she knows how dangerous it is. She wants him out of there. Her own brother died from initiations trying to join that same fraternity. But still, Sid won’t listen. Mariel goes on to say that he doesn’t have his own mind anymore. No matter how ridiculous, he’ll follow orders of the frat leaders.

[Sid: Look, I know what I’m doing. You know me. I have my own mind. Mariel: Maybe before, but not anymore. The day will come when you’re all just the same. You jump at any requests they have.]

Batch ‘81: A Film of Cowardly Boys… But That’s Exactly The Point

To my understanding, they’re really just scared to be alone. At any mention of quitting, someone jumps up immediately to prevent whoever from leaving. But why? Just let them leave if they really want to. It’s their loss if they don’t get in and gain all these “advantages” of being in that fraternity.

“Kaisahan: Isang kalooban, Isang Katwiran” (Unity: One Will, One Righteousness) AGAIN, that was something that was always emphasized and gone back to. But what did unity actually mean to them? To me, in the context of the film, it meant being selfish and cowardly- BUT, maybe that was the point?

The point of initiations are to test and see if you are worthy of being a part of the group. That specific fraternity values unity, so naturally they would test incoming members on exactly that. It wasn’t about being brave, strong, and tough enough to endure all the dumb and torturous hazing - WHICH, BY THE WAY, I DO NOT APPORVE OF THIS HAZING. It was about making it through as a team. It was to see if you would do anything for your friends. If you passed the test, the frat leaders were sure that you would be a loyal member.

Sure enough, the ones who stuck together made it to the end.

#batch '81 #film

thecollectibles

Art by Fatima Mandouh

Tayo: A Film About An Aspiring Comedian Is Purposely Not A Funny Film

Hello! I’m Meg :)

This time around, I am going to be talking about a student film coming from the School of Design and Arts at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and the school’s film organization, Benilde Film. It’s entitled Tayo (stand up).

[Warning: Spoilers ahead.]

Tayo: A Film About An Aspiring Comedian Is Purposely Not A Funny Film

About the Film

Tayo (stand up), premiered in 2018, is a short that follows Reg, an aspiring comedian, and his struggle to be funny. But is that actually what it’s about? How I understood it, it followed his struggle to find the confidence in him to share his stories. So caught up in worrying whether or not he was funny enough, he didn’t realize that all he needed to do was be himself.

First Impressions

After my first viewing of Tayo, I was not satisfied in a bad way. I found myself very confused and unamused over the duration of the whole thing. It was only towards the end when I was starting to see something. Other than that, I found that nothing was really happening. A film about an aspiring comedian, you’d think it would be at least a little bit funny. I was only laughing at how confused I was.

Staring at the blackened screen for a few minutes was when it hit me,

“Maybe they meant it to be all over the place and make it seem like it was going nowhere because that’s how Reg was feeling... And you only start to laugh in the end because that’s when he discovered that he could be funny…”

But of course, I decided to give it another chance and watch it again. The second time around was when I realized what, to me, it was actually trying to say.

Unamusing Jokes

I guess my first mistake in watching Tayo was already expecting it to be funny, realizing it was about some comedian. Obviously, that would have made it harder to make me laugh. But even after going back to it several other times and trying to keep an open mind, it just wasn’t funny.

Unassuming Joke #1 Reg gives a set that people don’t find funny, but they laugh when Trey tells the joke.

Unamusing Joke #2 The nod to Ruby Sparks wasn't that funny either...

Unassuming Joke #3 The interview with Alyssa and Reg (as seen in the previous stills), how they tried to break the fourth wall, and joking about how no one else could see Alyssa- They just didn’t cut it for me.

But, Maybe They Weren’t Supposed To Be Funny?

Again, the first time I watched Tayo, I didn’t get it. But the times after that, I think I got it. How I understand it is that Reg wasn’t funny because he lacked confidence not just in his jokes, but in himself too. Moments in the film when he was just being himself were funny. That nod to The Exorcist was funny, compared to the other jokes they tried to play off. My best guess is that it was because Reg was just being himself.

But when interviewers were asking if he and Alyssa were in a Ruby Sparks situation, he was uncomfortable and walked off - and for some reason, I wasn’t amused by the joke. But when Reg is shown some support from Trey and Pete, his set gets funny.

Oh Wait, This is Actually Funny!

Only the jokes at the end of the film almost made me laugh. This was because Reg finally shared himself and just told his story.

See, all you have to be is you!

#short film #benilde #benilde film #sda #school of design and arts

Insights: Kramer Vs. Kramer

Hello! I’m Meg :)

I’ve just recently watched the film Kramer Vs. Kramer! Here’s how that went: [Warning: Some spoilers ahead]

About the Film

Columbia Pictures’ Kramer Vs. Kramer, a drama film released in 1979, was written and directed by Robert Benton based on a novel by Avery Corman and stars Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Justin Henry. Ted Kramer, a career-driven man, believes his family life to be perfect only to be corrected at the beginning of the film.

Now experiencing not having the luxury of having someone take care of house chores and raising a child, Ted struggles to find a balance between them and his beloved work life. But just when Mr. Kramer and Billy finally get the hang of things, Joanna decides to show up back into their lives. She wants Billy, but Ted isn’t going to give him up that easily. After refusing to hand Billy over to Joanna, they go to court to fight for the custody of their son.

Kramer Vs. Kramer?

Upon first glance, the title “Kramer Vs. Kramer” suggested to me that the majority of the film would focus on the battle between the parents over the custody of Billy. I was surprised to see more screen time for Ted and Billy to figure out their new life together. At some point, I was certain that the film wasn’t named appropriately, but a lightbulb moment happened as I thought about it sitting on the toilet. Kramer Vs. Kramer didn’t have to refer only to Ted and Joanna. It could also be referring to the struggle between Ted and Billy or Billy’s struggle to accept that his mother was gone.

The Woman Leaving the Man: Ted Becomes A Father

It’s always refreshing to see movies that don’t show the man leaving the woman, but the woman leaving the man instead. I loved watching Ted step up to the plate and really become a father to Billy. Of course, they struggled in the beginning as Billy still sought for his mother. When he throws a tantrum, this is a test to see if Ted would leave the same as Joanna did.

But, the point when things really turned for the better between them was after Billy was brought to his room and left to calm down. Ted went to check up on him later in the night, and it made for the sweetest little moment (I couldn’t find a clip of it online).

Ted Kramer’s plea in court says it all.

Joanna’s Emancipation

I think the story did a good job of making you not hate Joanna for leaving, In the beginning of the movie, it isn’t exactly explained why she’s leaving. But later on, Joanna sends a letter to the apartment addressed to Billy explaining that she needed to leave for herself. At the time, Billy refuses to read the whole letter, but Joanna is given the chance to explain it herself in person later on. Although how she left isn't ideal, I can completely understand why she did.