The help movie review

I just finished watching "The help", a movie based on the novel of Kathryn Stockett.  It stars Emma Stone (Skeeter), Viola Davis (Aibileen) and Octavia Spencer (Minny).  And believe me, you need to have a handful of tissues with you while watching as it will make you cry bucket of tears.  The story can be compared to other best movies about racial inequality but the essence of the story does not focus on those events.  The setting is 1960's, the turbulent times on which two important figures who both changed american history  were both assassinated, John F. Kennedy on 1963 and Martin Luther King on 1968. 

The story revolves around the experiences of the helpers, as the title suggest.  Aibileen is a maid for more than 20 years and her present job is also a nanny to Ms.Elizabeth's 2 yr. old daughter.  Her friend is Minny who had 5 children and is a maid of Miss Hilly, the Queen bee of Jackson Mississippi.  Hilly and Elizabeth are good friends of Skeeter, an aspiring journalist who came from a wealthy family but is being criticized by her friends due to her eccentricity.  Skeeter is still single and pursuing a career, on a society where women are just housewives.  Hilly is the leader of the housewives and she had pursue to pass a law wherein black maids were not allowed to use the bathroom of their masters because of diseases.

In an era of racial emancipation, the story focuses on the life of the maids, especially Aibileen and Minny.  The story is both dramatic, heart wrenching and funny at the same time.  The cast are superb on their acting, especially the three main characters.  The story is intelligent.  Minny, as the tough maid has funny scenes especially when after being fired from her job by Hilly, she had baked a chocolate pie to say sorry to Hilly.  As Hilly is eating the pie, she told her " Eat my shit" on which Hilly eventually understands that the pie she is eating is made of Minny's shit.  Hilly as the evil queen bee is effective, you gonna hate her manipulations and what she did to her mother.  She put her mom in a nursing home because the mom had the decency to laugh on her reactions when she learned what she had eaten.  And then, there is the lovable and meek Aibileen.  Her story of having taken care of lots of children but was not able to take care of his own son is so heart wrenching that you will feel a mother's love and longing for the things that she was not able to do. My heart also cried out for her when she told Skeeter about his own son's death.  But my bucket of tears really happened on the exchange of Aibileen and her little 2 yr. old ward, always telling the girl "You are kind, you are smart, you are wanted" especially when the child would not have the affection of Elizabeth, a mother who shouldn't become one.

I even love the minor character of Celia, a woman not from Jackson whom Johnny married.  Johnny is Hilly ex-boyfriend and Celia was blamed for the break up.  She is considered a trash by the perfect housewives club on which Hilly is the leader.  Her character as the funny and naive Celia who wanted to be accepted by the housewives club is kind of poignant and heartwarming.  Her friendship with Minny is also delightful.

Emma as Skeeter is brilliant.  I loved her in Zombieland, I admired her in Easy A but I praised her in this movie.  Her acting is superb and she really make Skeeter the best love liberated woman in the society where women are just taught to become girlfriends and housewives and to never have a brain but be a shadow of their men.  The mother daughter revelation after the release of the book is another tear jerking episode.  The mother thanking her daughter for bringing courage into the family, courage her mom wasn't able to do (The mother had fire their maid who worked for them for 29 yrs. for the society's acceptance).

All in all, this is a movie I would definitely recommend to my sister and all men and women out there.  I maybe not a black nor a white but I know that in the end, it's not the color of our skin that matters but who are we as a person, as a son/daughter, a husband/wife and as a human being.  Full of compassion to our fellowmen and treating them equals.  This movie may not be as remarkable as "the color purple" or "the great debaters" but it is an eye opening that in men are created equal and should not be divided by race or social inequality.  In our society where the gap between the rich and the poor is very wide, in the end, let us always remember that our life is not measured by what we have but who we wanted to be. And I hope that in the end, we will choose to be someone we can be proud to be.

Miss World 2011 winners

Congratulations to the Philippines representative on the Miss World 2011 pageant in London for winning 1st runner up.  The 21 yr. old filipino-french Gwendolyn Ruais is the 2nd to win the 1st runner up in the Miss World, after Ruffa Guttierez.  She is amazing and was pretty on her red gown when the winners were announced. Although the Miss World 2011 was crowned to Miss Venezuela, who is equally deserving and pretty.  Miss Puerto Rico was named 2nd runner-up.  To complete  the 7 finalist are Miss Korea, Miss Scotland, Miss South Africa and Miss England. 

2011 is a winner for beauties to Philippines as in Miss Universe 2011, Shamcey Supsup placed 3rd runner up and in Miss International 2011, Dianne Necio was included in the top 15 finalist.

Congratulations to the filipino beauties in the world...)

In the name of love movie review

I have watched this movie over the weekend and I really love it.  The execution is good, the story is your typical telenovela with romance and drama at its helm but nevertheless, what is outstanding are the characters.  Yes, Aga Mulach as the hip dancer and hosto Emman is kind of awkward considering his age but he delivers the character as believable.  Angel Locsin as Mercedes, the dancer and later the girlfriend is also superb.  She is one of the best actresses of her generation.  She just needs some speech therapy in order to deliver her lines clearly but yes, I did cried on the scene when Mercedes reveals to Emman the things that she had to do and sacrificed in the name of her love and so that Emman can get out from the prison.  Jake Cuenca as the third wheel Dylan is ok.  Just ok as his role as the son of the evil governor.  I could say that his character was redeemed at the end because of what he can also do in the name of love.

But the actress I would applaud is Carmi Martin.  Her role as Dylan's mother is very touching especially when you will see how much she loves her son.

All in all, in the name of love is great film to watch.  The cinematography is excellent and the characters are humane, they are not perfect and they have flaws.  The two main characters Mercedes and Emman are two people with imperfections and that's what makes the characterization different from other films on which the protagonist are either perfect or just beyond human.  But like other films, the movie also caters villains that are evil and the villains are even public officials.  Now that is something.  Watching the movie makes you depressed thinking that your public officials are that evil that they aren't only corrupt but also kills people.  The same people that they have sworn to protect.  Which gives you the feeling of sadness since the truth is really out there in your eyes.

And then, there is the ending.  I think that is the downfall of the movie.  The happy ending. The unbelievable ending just to make people happy.  How can a person who had been shot twice still lives in the end?  And in the end, the corrupt and evil public officials were taken into custody.  Well, could happen but rarely. Because if this happens, I believe that the world is a better place to live in.  But who am I to complain, isn't it movies are fiction and the real world is different. Yet, somehow, there is still hope right.  And the hope that in the end, fiction can become truth. 

No other woman movie review

I just recently watched the movie "No other woman" which stars Anne Curtis, Derek Ramsay and Christine Reyes.  Since the movie had been talked of the town and became the highest grossing film of all time, just like everyone, I was curious about it.

At first, I am reluctant to watch the movie because I admit I enjoy foreign films rather than filipino films.  All the movies are the same, with the same plot, same stories, same actors and actresses and same ending.

For this movie, all I can say is that this is not what I expected it to be.  Since it became the highest grossing film of all time, I expect it to have an exceptional plot, intriguing story and a big bang ending.  But "No other woman" fails me.  Why?  Maybe because I already know the ending before I watched the movie.  I know that the wife will prevail in the end and the mistress will give way. But for the most part, I enjoyed the witty lines especially those uttered by Carmi Martin.  I would say that when you get out from the cinema and continue your life, you will forget the movie but you will remember Carmi's words.  The scene with her daughter crying when she learned that her husband was cheating on her, and her advice is phenomenal.  She told her daughter Sharmaine (played by Christine Reyes).." “Ang mundo ay isang malaking Quiapo, maraming snatcher, maagawan ka, lumaban ka!" (The world is a big Quiapo, there's a lot of snatcher, someone will snatch something from you, fight back!).  By using Quiapo, a place that is renowned for snatching and other petty crimes and comparing it to loving someone and fighting for your love is some other woman ruined that relationship is really unique.  And I guess that's what the movie had a lot while it lacks in plot.


Another good quality of the movie is the characterization of the main characters.  The other woman is portrayed as someone rich, beautiful and intelligent.  The wife as someone who is a trophy wife, a good catch, simple, loving and also rich, intelligent and beautiful.  The husband is portrayed as someone who is good looking, had a hot body and someone who is a smooth talker. 

But these characterization is an anti-thesis of the common mistress, either a materialistic young woman who needs money to support her family and lifestyle, a woman who has self pity and believes in a narrow view that a married man will chose her over his wife or a naive woman who genuinely doesn't know that his boyfriend is a married man.  The common wife who is just a shadow of his husband and doesn't have a career, although in this movie, I think this was tackled especially on the bikini confrontation scene in the pool between the wife and the other woman on which Kara (other woman) said to the wife " You may call me a snake, a bitch or other woman but you can never call me a pathetic, boring housewife".  But nevertheless, the characterization on the movie is good.  It genuinely gives the characters a humane existence.  That being an other woman is not only limited to those women who are lacking in something but even to those who seems to have everything.  That the wife being cheated by their husbands are not only limited to those who are "losyang" but also to those who seems to be a perfect wife. And cheating husbands are not limited to those who are players but even to those who seems loyal to their wives.

And again, that was the strength of the movie, not the story, not the plot nor the cinematography ( I feel asleep during the middle of the movie) and not even the cliche ending.  Although I could also commend the performance of the actors especially Anne Curtis who really stand out as the other woman.  She owned her role and again, we see her in a character that she played best.  A bitch and a classy one at that.  Not the kampanerang kuba who is maltreated or a poor girl who is really an heiress.  I remembered her best character in the televesion as Celine in "Maging sino ka man".  Her memorable lines being " I maybe a slut but I am the best slut in town".  I love that and I hope she had projects like these which can really showcase her strength as an actress.  Christine and Derek had an ok performance.  Not outstanding but can believable because their characters had spoken for themselves and not them as actors. 

Will I recommend this movie to my friends, yes of course.  Here I even found a link to watch it in the internet.  Happy viewing.  http://www.newpinoymovies.com/

Malparida - an honest review

Don't read coz these may contain spoilers!!!

I just recently watched a show aired by ABS CBN titled "Malparida".  Based on the synopsis from wiki, the story revolves around a beautiful woman named Renata who would like to take revenge to a man named Lorenzo Uribe.  Lorenzo fall in love with Maria, Renata's mom.  But Lorenzo is already married to Nina, with a young son named Lautaro.  Unknown to Lorenzo, Maria had already a daughter from her previous relationship which is Renata.  Lorenzo loved Maria but choose his real family in the end.  He abandoned Maria and unknown to him, they had a son named Manuel who became autistic.  Maria hanged herself because of her depression and heartbreak and Renata vowed on her mother's grave that she will make Lorenzo pay for what he did to her mom and their family.  She had made a trap for Lorenzo to fall in love with her but what she did not foreseen is she also feel in love with his son Lautaro and later on the end, a brother of Lorenzo which is the Admiral came in to the picture and make matters worst.

I would admit that I love the storyline at first.  The characters are thoroughly characterized and I love anti-heroine characters where the hero is not a naive young woman who feel in love with a rich man and later learned that she is really a daughter of a rich person.  Lautaro, played by the handsome Gonzalo Heredia and Renata, played by the beautiful Juana Viale, are both equally talented performers and not to mention that they are oozing with sex appeal and chemistry.  Yes, I did love these show because of these two actors.  Sometimes, when I watched teleserye and love stories, the first thing I always look for is the chemistry.  And these two have that in the show.  But then, I am a curious person so I would not wait for the tagalized version of the series.  I checked with the web and watched the show in Spanish.  I have watched shows before in different languages especially the TV50 Espana channel in the cable.

The 1st 15 episodes are exiting and titillating especially watching Renata and Lautaro fight.  It's also exciting to think what will happen next, if Lautaro will eventually fall in love with Renata and what will Renata do if she feel in love with Lautaro even though her revenge is not yet culminated.  There are many things to look for and get excited with.  You will be hooked to the series if you really love it.

But then, like all series which has no end yet when it was started filming, Malparida became dragging in the later part of the series.  Why I said dragging is because a lot of things had happened and the revenge is not even culminated.  Yes, Renata and Lautaro did fall in love with each other but why did Nina have to die?  So that Renata and Lorenzo will eventually have a relationship together?  Yes, they had a relationship and that is on the same period when Renata and Lautaro did have a relationship.  Now, that is what we call a father and son sharing the same woman.  I don't know if these will be shown in the ABS because I know that the show is aired in the lunch hour, which the children are usually at home with their parents. 

Another disappointment for me is the way the story was executed.  Yes, the main plot is very good.  Revenge and Love are the two of the most interesting topics in a love story.  Coupled with a drop of romeo and juliet's theme, such as you both love each other but there are many opposition on both sides and you cannot love someone which is your enemy's son, the story will surely be a hit.  But then, how about the characterization of other characters?  I don't like the way Lautaro married his girlfriend Martina and then eventually, have a long series of sexual relationship with Renata.  And then, there is Renata who already had a relationship with both father and son.  Yes, the relationship with Lautaro is maybe intense and very romantic but still, it is done out of illicit affairs.

Another thing is how the story ended.  Yes, Lorenzo has to die to pave way to the relationship of his son and Renata.  But what about the past, how could Lautaro erase on his mind that the woman he is with has been his father's wife and lover.  Now, that is what we call true love.  But alas, in the real world we live in, true love exists but not to that extent.  Yes, you may become a friend of your ex-husband/wife, such as the case of Ogie and Michelle, Regine and Michelle's husband.  But that is entirely different matter.  That ex-husband/wife is not your father or son.

And then, there is the story of Manuel.  In the first place, Renata's intention is to make Lorenzo suffer, fall in love with her and to die in depression wanting her but will never have her.  But in the end, it seems shifted as she became Lorenzo's wife after the death of Nina.  The story shifts from revenge to illicit affairs between her and Lautaro.  Also, isn;t it kind of revolting being sexually involved with the man who fathers your brother and had a relationship with your mother.  I don't know if these episodes will be shown or cut.  Let's just wait and see.

Overall, Malparida is a good show, but nevertheless, it fails to bring what other anti-heroine shows has bring.  And that is justice.  Look at the end of Rubi, yes, I am talking about the mexican series.  It maybe had a weird ending but at least, Rubi did suffer in the end.  With a burnt face she clearly adores.  She did not get the man that she loves.  In Irene, a korean series shown in GMA, which is also a story about revenge, the ending is quite beautiful.  Yes, she did manage to get her sister's fiancee but that was before the marriage of her sister and Joshua.  The sister was equally given justice in the end by giving her a prince charming.  In Allondra, these is the 1st spanish teleserye which I have watched and tackes about illicit affairs, the ending is also good.  Pedro and Allondra did not have a happy ending, which is usually the case in illicit affairs.

In Malparida, yes, a lot of viewers maybe clamoring for Renata's and Lautaro's love in the end.  But, a lot of things had happened between these two that a happy ending is not possible.  So, in order to give in to the viewers insistence, Lorenzo will have to die.  I don't know what happened to Martina because I did not watched that dutifully in the end.  I just know that she had a child with Lautaro but the child died.  Then, there is the admiral which is inserted at the end of the story just to have a new antagonist after the fake Lorenzo's death.  Yes, the 1st death is fake but the 2nd one is real. And all of these are done not to give justice to the story but just to make them long.

Now, these is what I called an honest review.  I just hope that some teleserye will learn that having a good plot is enough, but to twist it into things that it should not dwell upon to make the story very long is equally dragging and suicide.