I am NOT a critic. I'm merely an observer. (Books, movies, plays, musicals etc.)

Director's Club Cinema 1, SM City, BF P'que. Short and simple:  This is the best adaptation so far(I love EVER AFTER too.  I am trying to look for the piece I wrote about it.  I hope to find it soon).  The on-screen chemistry of all the actors, most especially that of Lily James and Richard Madden, is very evident.  It's nice to relearn an old story and feel light in the end. Lily James reminds me of a very young Jessica Lange and a little bit of Grace Kelly.  Richard Madden's appeal is like "the boy next door".  Cate Blanchett is perfect for her role.  Ben Chaplin is debonair like as Ella's dad and Stellan Skarsgård  makes the Grand Duke seem vile. "Have courage and be kind!"  - Cindrella's Mother Kudos to the whole cast, crew and Disney!  Trivia:   Lily James was set to be one of the wicked step-sisters, Anastasia. From Wikipedia :  Cinderella is a 2015 British romantic fantasy film directed by Kenneth Branagh, fr

Imbisibol is directed by Lawrence Fajardo It stars: Allen Dizon, Bernardo Bernardo, Ricky Davao, Ces Quesada and JM de Guzman It is a SINAG-MAYNILA entry Highly recommended by Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino  and is adapted from the one-act play of Herlyn Gail Alegre of the same title. She, along with John Paul Bedia, wrote the screenplay As a lover of traveling, every experience is an exciting one for me.  I go to a place legally, I take pictures, some take my pictures, et cetera .  The thing is, I document almost everything, print or share almost everything, because I entered a place LEGALLY. What about those people who live their lives everyday as if it were their last? Those people who were not as fortunate as I am? Those people always hanging on a very, very thin thread...what about them?  Do we care at all?  They leave the country not for leisure, but because they have to, but by doing so, they put their lives in danger.  This is what's this movie is all

Bambanti means scarecrow in Ilocano Although very different, scenes of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables played in my mind while watching this film.  I couldn't help but feel miserable for the plight of the poor relatives being accused of stealing a watch, just because of their status in life.  Every scene was so vivid and very, very real. The town of Luna, Isabela...a place unfamiliar to me(I've been to Isabela, but not there), became very familiar, indeed.  I never knew of the Bambanti Festival and it was great to know that such a festival exists.  Who knows, I might go and experience the festival one day. Alessandra de Rossi , as Belyn, became the pilot of my journey to this quaint and mysterious town.  At least, that's what the movie conveyed to me.  The town was a bit mystical, but their problems were real as real could be. Ms. de Rossi is really a very beautiful and talented person.  The expressions of her eyes and her every movement bares to us the sou

Sinag Maynila's Balut Country Where a tragedy becomes a blessing in disguise BALUT COUNTRY is a movie about family, relationships, decisions and realizations revolving around the Duck/Goose industry and the lives of Jun and Dado. I learned a lot of things while watching this film...things that I probably took for granted while growing up. I know I was fond of mallards and geese(I played with them without hurting them) when I was in my formative years in the US of A and I guess I was one of the few who came from there  that love to eat balut  the moment I tasted it(not knowing it was the embryo of the duck).  I was not scared to eat it and I loved to sip the soup from the shell. I didn't realize that for me to enjoy balut , lots of people are involved and the process is long and hard...probably even tedious.  One of the things among many that I've learned via this movie is that ducks and geese eat snails  and for me, that is a very interesting fact.  J