Cavite

Here's my mini-review of the film "Cavite" from Fil-Am director Ian Gamazon.

- the film's not bad. it's well edited and shot. But I feel the movie's trying a little to hard to be a video tour guide on the Philippines' slum areas and show non-Filipinos up close what poverty is like there. I'm not impressed with the story either. I've never felt Adam's life was in danger, and the voice on the phone was a joke (he also sounded a little gay too, IMO)

- medyo nakaka-distract yung title na "Cavite" dahil hindi naman "Abu Sayyaf teritory" yon eh, at ang mga kidnappers sa Luzon ay mga pulis at militar, hindi mga Muslim. Pero siguro mahirap (at delikado) gawin ang pelikukla sa Basilan, kaya siguro sa Cavite na lang.

- How was it possible for Tariq (the phone caller), to follow Adam wherever he goes (from squatter areas to open fields to little alleys) without being seen? Is he god or something?

- The unseen caller is always lecturing and preaching. Pinakain pa siya ng balut para raw "ma-experience" ni Adam ang Philippine culture. Pina-inum pa siya ng softdrink sa plastic na supot at pinapunta sa isang cockfighting arena. Yan raw ang Philippine culture at reality sa Pinas. Blah blah blah...

- pag-akyat niya sa lacson underpass, nasa quiapo church na siya. pero pina-ikot ikot pa siya ng pelikula/director.

- somebody said the movie's about how poverty will make Filipinos become suicide bombers or terrorists. But I think that's wrong. The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country with only a 5% Muslim population. Most Filipinos are poor Catholics, but you don't see them becoming suicide bombers, no? And Osama bin laden and the 19 9/11 hijackers are not exactly poor people.