In an effort to share more (hopefully decent and informative) posts, I decided to do a section about film and books (and occasional t.v. series). I'll really appreciate if you guys can comment about your own thoughts and give comments/suggestions about them and give recommendations about good books you've read or movies you've seen that you think I'll like (or not--hehe). It'll be highly appreciated!
This section about films, I dub thee "Flick Pick". And I'm so happy to be writing about this movie called That Thing Called "Tadhana". You missed it on theaters? Too bad you have to wait for the DVD.
Tadhana, as fans would fondly call it is a story about how Anthony (JM de Guzman) helped Mace (Angelica Panganiban) with her "excess baggage". Even if he only met her for the first time in Italy's airport, Anthony travelled so far as Sagada to help Mace with her broken heart. If you're checking out other movie reviews or comments, you'll find that this film is often compared with Richard Linklater's "Before" movies (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight) where the characters merely pondered about life and talked in the duration of all the movies.
Can I just go straight to the things I loved about the movie? Yes? Thank you.
- The script. I actually love everything about the film but I commend writer/director Antoinette Jadaone for giving Mace and Anthony dialogues that are relatable to the general public. I'm not even being a fan about this but I talk like Mace! Haha. Yeah, cause I swear like a sailor now (I know, I know but I'm trying to break the habit). Isa pa, kung gano'n ka ka-basag, ka-durog, stress-reliever din talaga kung minumura mo yung taong inapak-apakan ang puso mo diba? Kung hindi ka naniniwala click here for a post about how foul language can be a stress and pain reliever. Haha. Oo pinaglaban ko talaga.
- Yung scene sa bus stations ng Sagada at Baguio. Hindi ko na i-eexplain. Basahin niyo na lang ang script:
Baguio Bus Station:
Anthony: Sa'n mo gusto pumunta? May Burnham Park, may Mines View Park. Pwede tayo maglakad. Pwede tayong kumain. Pwede tayo matulog. Ano'ng gusto mo?
Mace: Makalimot.
Nung nakarating sila nang Sagada at saka nila nalamang nalimutan nila ang mga maleta nila sa Baguio:
Mace: Tara na. Ano ka ba, bagahe lang yun.
Anthony: E akala ko ba buhay mo yun?
Mace: E ito na ang buhay ko ngayon!
See the difference? :)
- Sina Mace at Anthony mismo. It was an unlikely pairing for Angelica and JM but it worked! JM is not my type of guy pero sa pelikulang ito, gwapong-gwapo talaga 'ko sa kanya. Dahil sa kung paano niya pinortray si Anthony bilang isang gentleman hanggang sa kaliit-liitang facial expressions kahit walang dialogue. Na-inlove ako kay JM. Siya na ang bagong John Lloyd! And Angelica? I can't imagine Mace being played by any other woman. Iyong-iyo siya, Angelica. Ikaw na ikaw si Mace. At dahil diyan, nagpapasalamat ako at binigyang buhay niya si Mace na may tamang-tamang timpla. Sigurado ako na hindi lang ako ang nagsabing: "Ako yan ah! Ako si Mace!" Kasi totoo, ganoon ako nung broken hearted ako, na kagaya ni Mace na hinarap ang lahat na may tamang timpla nang drama at tapang.
- The quarter-life crisis. Gustong-gusto kong tinackle nila ang tungkol sa walang kamatayang purpose in life nung tinanong ni Mace: "Aren't we supposed to be great by now?" Kasi tanong ko rin yan sa sarili ko. But I loved it more when they both toasted to: "To the great people we will be."
- The arrow with the heart pierced through him. No words.
- The simplicity. I love that there were only 2 characters. Na wala nang iba pang eksena kundi nag-usap lang sila. Yun na yun e.
- The videoke scene. Yung eksenang natatawa na si Mace nang 'konti tapos iiyak na naman. Yung kabaliwan na yun ng mga brokenhearted na iyak tawa, talagang naalala ni Direk sa eksena. Galing! At sapul ka ba sa 'Where do Broken Hearts Go?' ni Tita Whitney? Hindi siguro kumpleto ang buong pelikula kung wala 'to. Trivia: The song almost didn't make it to the film because of budget constraints. They had to do a fund-raising to raise money for the copyrights of the song. *buntong-hininga* Mabuti na lang!
- Baguio at Sagada scenes. It will make you want to go on a "feels trip"!
- The ending. Na hinayaan lang tayo ni Direk Tonet mag-isip kung saan napunta ang relationship nina Anthony at Mace. At ang Tadhana nang Up Dharma Down. Ano pa bang mahihiling ko sa ending na 'yun? Wala na. :)
So far, That Thing Called Tadhana is the highest-grossing local indie film. Ang saya ko lang for them. Oo, maraming iba pang magandang indie. But it's really something when a movie's topic is straight to the heart at tungkol sa isang bagay na pinagdaanan ng lahat.
Aminin. Naka-relate ka rin kina Anthony at Mace! Pero sana kagaya nila natuto ka din. Sana alam mo na ang tama o mali para sa'yo. Sana naka-move on ka na rin. O kahit magsimula ka na lang sa sana tanggap mo na na wala ka nang babalikan pa dahil yung taong minahal mo noon at kung sino siya ngayon, magkaibang tao na. Sana kagaya ni Mace, sa huli malaman mong mahalaga ka rin--at hindi ka pangit at may mahahanap ka ring kagaya ni Anthony sa buhay mo. Okay? Okay. Alalahanin mo ang sabi ni Ninong Fitzgerald, ipapaalala ko lang...
O siya. Thanks for reading my first Flick Pick. Comments are welcome below or via the Facebook page. In the mean time, cheers muna tayo. Cheers tayo for us: "To the great people we will be"! :)
