FILM criticism is a lonely act. That is my own take on our task as critics.
Once more that claim to “loneliness” surfaced on Tuesday, May 17, when we, the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (MPP), presented the nominees for the 39th Gawad Urian. The event was held in cooperation with Cinema One, which will cosponsor the awards night.
While the rest of the audience are home to sleep, or somewhere to spend the night or what remains of the day, we, critics, sit and ponder on what makes a film good. After nights and days of reviewing films through screeners secured from producers, we sat down to produce a list of nominees.
Screeners are copies of films sent by filmmakers. These screeners allow us to watch a film once more. Before the screeners come, we have a series of meetings where we discuss the merits of certain films. This discussion is the beginning of a long list of films we must watch.
By March, we start to have more regular meetings where the postdinner topic is film. By April, the long, long list is ready to be trimmed to a a regular long list. At this point, during meetings, we keep on talking about films in no particular order of distinction.
By April, we are ready to sit down and focus on films that we should watch. This happens because, by April, or even early March, the screeners have poured in. To help sift through the heap, we need to help each other. If we feel the critics need not view a particular film or films, then we state so and we assume the other critics believe us. Our suggestion is a suggestion: It is not binding upon a critic. In fact, we suggest to the others that, well, they could always watch this film in question or that. In fact, most critics do watch the entire collection submitted.
When May comes, the awards night is scheduled in either the last week of May or the early weeks of June, and we’re ready to defocus on dinner and concentrate on the films at hand. We are ready to do the short list and the nominations.
Before the deliberation for the nomination comes, we, once more, talk about the films we are considering. We look at their strengths primarily, for at this juncture, the weaknesses in them are not anymore central. The weak films have been set aside. The field is golden and the harvest is awaiting. Pardon, but I cannot avoid the cliché and metaphor.
Believe me, we are all excited during the nomination nights. It is, if I may compare the critics session, like class reporting. The critics have viewed the films, and have done their research and it is time to report, not merely view or analyze, on the film.
I should not be the one to say but the decisions of the MPP, have always been interesting and never dull or insipid. There are many unexpected names.
Gigi Javier Alfonso, the present chairman of the Manunuri, uses a very current term, pasabog. What is the pasabog of the MPP this year? What are the surprises or “shockers” from the MPP.
John Lloyd Cruz is the pasabog of the MPP. The dramatic actor/matinee idol gets two Best Actor nominations: one for A Second Chance and Honor Thy Father. This is not the first time that an actor gets double nominations. Alessandra de Rossi was nominated as Best Actress for Auraeus Solito’s Baybayin and Best Siupporting Actress for Adolf Alix’s Mater Dolorosa. She was Best Supporting Actress that year.
Angel Aquino was nominated Best Actress for Huling Cha-cha ni Anita and Best Supporting Actress for Porno. She was Best Supporting Actress then.
The selection of Johh Lloyd Cruz as a nominee also answers the eternal accusation hurled at us, that we favor independentt cinema over the mainstream. For this year, there are proofs that we consider all films. Jennelyn Mercado is nominated for Walang Forever; Dennis Trillo, as Felix Manalo in a well-funded film about the Iglesia ni Cristo founder, is being considered for Best Actor. The film Heneral Luna, epic in form and budget, gets nominated for Best Film.
Predictable in her genius, Nora Aunor is nominated for Best Actress as she creates a stirring impression even in an abbreviated performance. She competes with Angeli Bayani (Iisa), who is becoming the darling of indie films. Other nominees include Alessandra de Rossi, who comes up with a raw portrayal of a mother whose young son is being accused as a thief. In that role, de Rossi alternates between being a protective mother and one who, given her own moral compass, pushes her own child to admit to the crime.
LJ Reyes, who has been vastly underrated in the past, sears the screen with a complex persona of a woman in love and a woman fighting for a cause. In Jun Lana’s stylized Anino sa Likod ng Buwan, we never know when Reyes is the woman lusting after a man, or the person playing a game of one-upmanship. Anika Dolonius (Apocalypse Child), Ces Quesada (Imbisibol) and Mercedes Cabral (Da Dog Show) are the other Best Actress nominees.
It appears that this year the actors secured the important roles. There are 12 nominees in this category. Luis Alandy springs up a surprise as the army man caught in the small space with two individuals he seems to like.
During the media conference, several questions were raised as to to how the MPP reaches its choices and decisions. Are we becoming elitist? Are we selecting films that people do not watch and do not like. The critics who were around (this writer included) talked about how we are also film educators, and that we are interested in the vision of the filmmaker. We value truth as it is presented, unfettered. We also talked about digital filmmaking and how it allowed many filmmakers to venture into expressing what bothers them.
Dr. Nic Tiongson, one of the original founders of the MPP, spoke about how quality remains to be debatable and how our choices as critics may be questioned by others. What they cannot question, Tiongson emphasized, is the integrity of the MPP. “Hindi kami nababayaran [We cannot be bought].”
The 39th Gawad Urian will be held at the KIA Theater in Araneta Center Complex on June 21. The red carpet spectacle begins at 5 pm.
Below are the nominees in the top categories:
BEST PICTURE
- Heneral Luna, Artikulo Uno Productions
- Taklub, Centerstage Productions
- Anino sa Likod ng Buwan, Octobertrain Films, IdeaFirst Company
- Honor Thy Father, Reality Entertainment
- Imbisibol, Sinag Maynila, Solar Entertainment
- ARI: My Life with a King, Holy Angel University Center for Kapampangan Studies
- Bambanti, Solar Entertainment, Centerstage Productions, Sinag Maynila
- Da Dog Show, sans cinema (Germany), Queen B Production
BEST DIRECTION
- Ralston Jover, Da Dog Show
- Jerrold Tarog, Heneral Luna
- Brilliante Mendoza, Taklub
- Jun Lana, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan
- Erik Matti, Honor thy Father
- Lawrence Fajardo, Imbisibol
- Carlo Enciso Catu, ARI: My Life with a King
- Zig Madamba Dulay, Bambanti
- Mario Cornejo, Apocalypse Child
- Kidlat Tahimik, Balikbayan #1: Memories of Overdevelopment Redux III
BEST ACTOR
- John Arcilla, Heneral Luna
- John Lloyd Cruz, Honor Thy Father
- John Lloyd Cruz, A Second Chance
- Ricky Davao, Dayang Asu
- Jericho Rosales, Walang Forever
- Dennis Trillio, Felix Manalo
- Sid Lucero, Apocalypse Child
- Jun Jun Quintana, Water Lemon
- Luis Alandy, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan
- Anthony Falcon, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan
- Francisco Guinto, ARI: My Life with a King
- Lou Veloso, Da Dog Show
BEST ACTRESS
- Nora Aunor, Taklub
- Anika Dolonius, Apocalypse Child
- LJ Reyes, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan
- Angeli Bayani, Iisa
- Alessandra de Rossi, Bambanti
- Ces Quesada, Imbisibol
- Jennilyn Mercado, Walang Forever
- Mercedes Cabral, Da Dog Show
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
- Julio Diaz, Taklub
- Lou Veloso, Taklub
- Tirso Cruz III, Honor Thy Father
- JM de Guzman, Imbisibol
- Bernardo Bernardo, Imbisibol
- Micko Laurente, Bambanti
- RK Bagatsing, Apocalypse Child
- Alion Ibanez, Da Dog Show
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
- Rio Locsin, Iisa
- Anna Abad Santos, Apocalypse Child
- Gwen Zamora, Apocalypse Child
- Mylene Dizon, Heneral Luna
- Tessie Tomas, Water Lemon
- Liza Dinio, Toto
- Cecil Yumol, ARI: My Life with a King
BEST SCREENPLAY
- Ralston Jover, Da Dog Show
- Henry Francia, E.A. Rocha, Jerrold Tarog, Heneral Luna
- Honeylyn Joy Alipio, Taklub
- Jun Lana, Anino sa Likod ng Buwan
- Michiko Yamamoto, Honor Thy Father
- Herlyn Gail Alegre, John Paul Bedia, Imbisibol
- Robby Tantingco, ARI: My Life with a King
- Lilit Reyes, Water Lemon
- Bor Ocampo, Dayang Asu
- Zig Madamba Dulay, Bambanti