Concerto Reviews

I am really amazed at the amount of feedback online for the Cinemalaya Festival. I hope this interest for independent films will continue and really empower an independent film scene in Manila.

Re-posting some selected reviews on Concerto:

http://cbcpcinema.blogspot.com/2008/08/concerto.html

Concerto
Cast: Jay Aquitania, Meryll Soriano, Shamaine Buencamino, Nonoy Froilan, Elijah Castillo, Alyssa Lascano, Yna Asistio; Director: Paul Alexander Morales; Producer: Digital Spirit Production; Screenplay: Paul Alexander Morales; Cinematography: Regiban Romana; Editor: Laz'andre; Music: Jed Balsamo;

Running Time: 90 minutes; Location: Davao; Genre: Drama
Technical Assessment: 4
Moral Assessment: 4
Rating: For viewers 13 and above

Sa pagtatapos ng Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig, may isang pamilyang lumikas at napilitang mamundok sa Davao. Malapit ito sa kampo ng mga Hapon. Si Ricardo (Nonoy Froilan), ang padre de pamilya, ay dating puno ng militar na pinahirapan ng mga Hapon. Upang makapamuhay nang mapayapa, kinaibigan ng kanyang asawang si Julia (Shamaine Buencamino) ang ilang mga Hapon na nasa malapit na kampo. Ang kanilang anak na lalaki na si Joselito (Jay Aquitania) ay marunong magsalita ng Hapon kung kaya't naging madali sa kanya ang pakikipag-kaibigan sa mga ito. Sapagkat may likas na angking talino sa musika, naging labis ang kasiyahan ng pamilya nang muli nilang makuha ang naiwan nilang piano. Ang mga anak na babae na sina Nina (Yna Asistio) at Maria (Meryll Soriano) ang siyang nagsilbing taga-aliw sa mga Hapon bilang mga pianista. Isang concerto ang ginanap sa kanilang tahanan para sa mga kaibigang Hapon bago tuluyang pumutok at matapos ang digmaan.

Maayos at malinis ang pagkakagawa ng Concerto. Tunay sa pamagat nito, talagang para kang nanonood ng konsiyerto sa pelikula. Nakakaaliw ang musika na talaga namang nagpatingkad sa isang kuwentong-digmaan. Mahusay ang pagkakalahad ng kuwento. Payak ngunit malaman at punong-puno ng damdamin. Pawang walang itulak kabigin sa galing at husay ang mga nagsiganap. Natural ang kilos ng lahat at pawang mukhang mga hindi umaarte. Totoong-totoo pati ang mga karakter na Hapon. Maliit man o malaking eksena ay nagawang kapani-paniwala ng direktor. Sana'y mas marami pa ang makapanood nito sa mga sinehan at maging isang instrumento upang buhayin ang naghihingalong pelikulang Pilipino.

Ipinakita sa Concerto ang kahalagahan ng pagkakaroon ng isang buo at nagkakaisang pamilya sa gitna ng unos at giyera. Maraming pagsubok ang maaring pagdaanan sa iba't-ibang panahon pero ang wagas na damdamin at matibay na paniniwala sa Diyos ang mga subok na sandata upang maalpasan anumang hirap at pasakit. Kapuri-puri ang isang pamilyang sabay-sabay na nagdarasal sa gitna ng kaguluhan ng paligid. Kitang-kita sa pelikula kung paanong ang pakikipag-kapwa at pananampalataya ay nakatulong ng labis sa pagpapanatili ng kapayapaan sa gitna ng digmaan. Tunay na walang mabuting naidudulot ang giyera. Ngunit gaya ng ipinakita sa pelikula, ang digmaan ay isang pagkakataong nagpapalabas ng pinakamabuti o pinakamasama sa tao. Maaaring maging instrumento ang giyera upang mas mapabuti at mapatibay ang isang pamilya, ang pagkakaibigan. At isa rin ang sining at musika sa maaaring magtawid sa tao sa anumang paghihirap. Ang sining at musika ay biyaya ng Diyos na marapat lamang gamitin sa kabutihan at maging simbolo ng Kanyang kadalikaan sa panahon man ng digmaan o kapayapaan.


http://noholdsbarred.multiply.com/reviews/item/9


Category:Movies
Genre: Drama
Title: CONCERTOGenre: Historical/ Biographical DramaRating: Five out of Five
Among the six competing films that I have seen, this is the best.

“Concerto” is based on the story of director’s (Paul Alexander Morales) family.The setting is World War II at Davao city, which was also greatly affected. This was where the rich family goes to living in simplicity and fighting to survive the Japanese occupation, their father (Nonoy Froilan) being a rebel against the Japanese, and their older sister married to an escaped guerilla. One of the children (Jay Aquitana) befriends the occupants and somehow puts the family, and the community’s status at extremes–either for the good or for the bad. The older sister (Meryl Soriano) tries to teach her younger sister (Yna Asistio) about ‘befriending’ young male foreign soldiers. And the mother (Shamaine Buencamino), trying to be as compassionate as ever to the unrestful neighbors even to the Japanese occupants despite the fact that they had caused her leg injuries.How does the war end for them when all the things they do don’t give them of being safe after the war ends?

This film actually comes to me as a local counterpart of “The Sound Music”, but not in a negative way, knowing that such story really happened in 1940s.I was extremely touched and awakened by the movie. Just the fact that the world still does not know what happened to Davao the day that the Pearl Harbor got attacked was already surprising.The film simply showed that life must go on, even on the toughest of adversities or the risk of losing the people and things you loved the most. One must be strong for the other, so he or she could be the anchor of strength for the family.Through the course of the film, there were times I was actually worried for their life, forgetting that it was all in the past. In the moments when they were praying, I also was praying inside my head and it was really a fascinating experience, to get carried away.

If there was an award in the Cinemalaya 2008 for the best ensemble cast, I would nominate this film. The entire cast actually felt like a real and convincing family to me.Jay Aquitana was really good at speaking Niponggo, as if he spoke the language for a very long time. It shows that he actually understood every Japanese word that he said.I really appreciate the fact that Meryl Soriano actually plays the piano and that she plays it well. This talent of hers were put to good use in the film.It was also a moving moment when Shamaine Buencamino and Yna Asistio sang together a Kundiman song for the Japanese. Both actually have good singing voice quality. On a personal note, this song that they used was actually my competing piece when I participated in Kundiman competition in High School.I found it cute and touching that young Alyssa Mae Lescano sang beautifully “Pilipinas Kong Hirang” in English version. Garry Lim managed to be the annoying and suck-up-to-the-Japanese neighbor.The execution of the film was very well done. The choice of music, cinematography, effects and casting were all topnotch. If there was one thing in the film that felt like an ingrown nail on a well-pedicured feet, I would say it was the inconsistency in the use of the language in the film. At the beginning of the film, Shamaine Buencamino and the neighbors were speaking partly in Bisaya and tagalog, with matching accents. But towards the end of the film, language became purely tagalog and the accent was lost.

Altogether, it really is a great film. If these were distributed in DVDs and VCDs, I would definitely get a copy. It’s shelf life would be nearly immortal, and I’m sure it’s something we would truly pass on to the subsequent generations. This film rightfully complies with the theme of Cinemalaya 2008, “Anong kwento mo?” It is truthful to the history and to its audience.I give it a two-thumbs-up.(Watched Fri., 18th July 2008, CCP TNA 9:00PM Gala)

http://pinoyparazzi.com/100/carballo.html

Concerto, magandang talunan!

By RONALD C. CARBALLO

Matagumpay na namang nagwakas ang Cinemalaya Film Festival 2008 sa pamamagitan ng simple, ngunit credible namang awards night. Deserving naman ang mga nagwagi, lalo na ang mga ni-review rin naming Jay ni Francis Pasion na siyang nag-Best Picture na nagbigay rin Best Actor trophy kay Baron Geisler; si Chris Martinez bilang Best Director at Best Screenplay para sa kanyang 100, kung saan tumama rin ang choice namin at nagwagi si Mylene Dizon ng Best Actress at si Eugene Domingo naman ang Best Supporting Actress.

May isa pang magandang pelikulang gustung-gusto namin, ngunit wala ni isa mang napanalunan. Well, iginagalang naman namin ang desisyon ng mga hurado... ito ang pelikulang Concerto ni Paul Alexander Morales, na kanyang first film directorial job.

Ang Concerto ay tungkol sa isang pamilya sa Davao na naipit sa gitna ng digmaan ng Hapon at Amerikano nung 1941. Pinagbuklod sila ng kanilang pagmamahal at pananalig sa Diyos, habang nalagpasan ang pagmamalupit at pagtatraydor ng mga Hapon sa pamamagitan ng tunay na pagpapatawad, na naging daan ang kanilang husay sa pagtugtog ng piano at pag-awit.

Sa biglang tingin, may mga nagsabing parang Oro, Plata, Mata ni Peque Gallaga nung early 80's ang pelikula, ngunit tahasan naming masasabing di hamak na mas maganda at mas pelikulang-peikulang ang Concerto ni Morales. Maraming mga makatotohanang elemento ang Concerto na wala sa Oro, Plata, Mata, tulad ‘yung ipinakita rito na may isang eskwelahang tinuturuan ng mga Hapones ang mga batang Pinoy ng Japanese Language, kaya dalang-dala ni Jay Aquitania ang papel ng nag-iisang lalaking anak sa piling ng mga babaeng kapatid. Nagawa niyang makipagkaibigan sa mga Hapon dahil marunong siya ng wika, kahit sabihing pinahirapan pa ng mga Hapon ang kanyang ama at buong pamilya.

Well-researched at well-written ang pelikula na puno ng puso na kulang din sa Oro, Plata, Mata, kaya kahit hindi nagpapaiyak, maiiyak ka lalo sa mga eksenang nabubuo na ang friendship nila sa mga Japanese soldiers dahil itinuro ng ina na "pakainin at mahalin ang kaaway". Mahusay na naitawid ng writer-director ang mga makatotohanang eksena dahil base ito sa mga tunay na pangyayaring dinanas ng kanyang angkan nung digmaan. Mahusay ang production design ni Gerry Santos at Musical Score ni Joel Balsamo. Hindi matatawaran ang husay ng pagganap nina Sharmaime Centenera bilang nanay; Merryl Soriano at Inah Asistio na introducing dito, bilang magkapatid; at siyempre, si Jay Aquitania. Nakatulong din ng malaki na mga tunay na Japanese ang mga gumanap na sundalo. Kahit hindi mo naiintindihan ang kanilang sinasabi, naitawid ng writer-director ang tamang emosyon sa bawat eksena sa isang hindi masalitang pelikula.