Rosario (spoiler alert!)
Finally! After bugging several people, I finally got to watch Rosario tonight with my mom.
(Photo from Wikipedia)
Allow me to comment on the following aspects of the film: script, acting, cinematography, editing, production design, makeup, scoring, and sound design. (As I comment, I will tend to give out spoilers. You have been warned.)
First, the script. Considering that it was based on a true story, it seemed real enough for me. I actually have no issues with the script. It wasn't mind-blowing or anything, but for a biopic, it was a good script.
The acting was good too. I now join the people who are in protest of Jennylyn Mercado's name not being included in the list of best actress nominees. She did very well in her first title role, and that effort and talent should have been recognized.
Conversely, with all due respect, I don't understand how Dolphy won the best supporting actor award for his role in Rosario. Sabi nga ng nanay ko kanina, "Yan na yun? Best supporting actor na yan?" And I have to say I agree with her.
Rosario's men were portrayed well by Yul Servo, Dennis Trillo and Sid Lucero. Though I found some minor issues with Sid Lucero's accent (or maybe that's just my imagination, pero parang may nakakalusot na "slang" accent), I can say that overall, Rosario's casting director did a good job.
I actually liked (most of) the visual aspect of the movie. Props to the cinematographer/DOP. I think my visual issues are more with the editing. Again, I don't know if it's just me, but I didn't like how the movie transition from one scene to another using fade to black and fade from black. Ang tagal pa nung black screen lang, more than 3 seconds (yes I counted). It annoyed me na maya't maya nagiging empty yung screen.
Then there was the scene wherein Rosario (Jennylyn Mercado) and Alberto (Dennis Trillo) were boarding the ship to Hong Kong. Did they want a Titanic feel to that scene? Because what I got was a failed Titanic attempt. But more than that, hindi ko na-gets kung bakit kailangang nag-iba yung kulay (coloring) dun sa scene na yun. I can't describe what happened to the color, basta it was different. Hindi ko na-gets yung significance ng pagpalit ng kulay dun. Unlike in the earlier scene where Rosario was shown in their house, and they were depicting how the family was growing through different colors (like one part was sepia, the next part was like in normal color). That change in color, I got.
Now, how Rosario got Best Production Design, I understand. Being a period film, PD for the movie was definitely taxing, but they pulled it off quite well, I think. The PD is a big part in being able to truly transport your audience back to the 1920's. I personally loved the vintage cars and the cobblestone streets. It made me want to be in that time period, even for just a few minutes, just so I could experience riding (or even driving!) those vintage cars.
I don't know much about the fashion and whatnot in the 1920's, so I can't really comment on the costumes. To me, they looked 1920's enough, and I will give them a thumbs up for it. But the makeup is an entirely different issue. Most of the time through the movie, I felt like I was watching girls who'd been up by Queen Amidala's makeup artist. The pale white skin, the dark lipstick that doesn't fill the entire lip. Again, I don't know if this was the fad in the 1920's, not to fill the entire lip with the lipstick, but if it was, I don't understand why Rosario never seemed to have that problem. Jennylyn Mercado's makeup was I think the most flawless and consistent of all the female characters. The most inconsistent for me was Isabel Oli's. In the first part, she had a barely-there look, which suited her probinsyana character, fine. Then she came to Manila and became liberal and shit and her makeup was like Queen Amidala. Then during the courtroom scene, her eyes were so dark they were a few notches lower than Taylor Momsen's signature raccoon look. And what about Ara Mina, huh? Those eyes were crazy! She looked like a zombie! And Sid Lucero. Poor Side Lucero. In the scene where he (almost) kills his uncle, his foundation and grey eyeshadow were so conspicuous to the point of being ridiculous. With everything in the movie, sa makeup talaga ako pinakana-bother. (Oh, and did I mention Philip Salvador's mustache? Ridiculous!)
Sound design could have been better. (But then again, sound design generally in the Philippines can be better.) There were a number of scenes that had ambient sound that you had no idea where it was coming from because the visuals didn't have any of those. For example, during the scene where Rosario enters an empty office. As Rosario enters the office, you can hear sounds of a typewriter. But take note, this is an empty office. Rosario closes the door to go to her desk, but the ambient noise that you assume that's coming form outside the office is just as loud as ever. Dapat na-muffle na yung sound pagkasara ng pinto, or at the very least, humina. Pero walang difference eh. So where's it coming from, then?
The scoring, however, is an entirely different story. I really liked how the movie was scored. Music in all the right places - and the right music, at that! Bow ako sa musical scorer.
Overall, I have to say that Rosario is one of the better Filipino movies out there. Even though it was MVP's vanity project (hello he practically wrote it, TV 5 produced it, he had a cameo role in it), it was executed quite well. And like I said, being a period film, it was successful in transporting the audience back to the 1920's.
The mainstream Filipino film industry still has a lot to work on, but I think Rosario was a step in the right direction. Good job, Albert Martinez et al! :)
(Photo from Wikipedia)
Allow me to comment on the following aspects of the film: script, acting, cinematography, editing, production design, makeup, scoring, and sound design. (As I comment, I will tend to give out spoilers. You have been warned.)
First, the script. Considering that it was based on a true story, it seemed real enough for me. I actually have no issues with the script. It wasn't mind-blowing or anything, but for a biopic, it was a good script.
The acting was good too. I now join the people who are in protest of Jennylyn Mercado's name not being included in the list of best actress nominees. She did very well in her first title role, and that effort and talent should have been recognized.
Conversely, with all due respect, I don't understand how Dolphy won the best supporting actor award for his role in Rosario. Sabi nga ng nanay ko kanina, "Yan na yun? Best supporting actor na yan?" And I have to say I agree with her.
Rosario's men were portrayed well by Yul Servo, Dennis Trillo and Sid Lucero. Though I found some minor issues with Sid Lucero's accent (or maybe that's just my imagination, pero parang may nakakalusot na "slang" accent), I can say that overall, Rosario's casting director did a good job.
I actually liked (most of) the visual aspect of the movie. Props to the cinematographer/DOP. I think my visual issues are more with the editing. Again, I don't know if it's just me, but I didn't like how the movie transition from one scene to another using fade to black and fade from black. Ang tagal pa nung black screen lang, more than 3 seconds (yes I counted). It annoyed me na maya't maya nagiging empty yung screen.
Then there was the scene wherein Rosario (Jennylyn Mercado) and Alberto (Dennis Trillo) were boarding the ship to Hong Kong. Did they want a Titanic feel to that scene? Because what I got was a failed Titanic attempt. But more than that, hindi ko na-gets kung bakit kailangang nag-iba yung kulay (coloring) dun sa scene na yun. I can't describe what happened to the color, basta it was different. Hindi ko na-gets yung significance ng pagpalit ng kulay dun. Unlike in the earlier scene where Rosario was shown in their house, and they were depicting how the family was growing through different colors (like one part was sepia, the next part was like in normal color). That change in color, I got.
Now, how Rosario got Best Production Design, I understand. Being a period film, PD for the movie was definitely taxing, but they pulled it off quite well, I think. The PD is a big part in being able to truly transport your audience back to the 1920's. I personally loved the vintage cars and the cobblestone streets. It made me want to be in that time period, even for just a few minutes, just so I could experience riding (or even driving!) those vintage cars.
I don't know much about the fashion and whatnot in the 1920's, so I can't really comment on the costumes. To me, they looked 1920's enough, and I will give them a thumbs up for it. But the makeup is an entirely different issue. Most of the time through the movie, I felt like I was watching girls who'd been up by Queen Amidala's makeup artist. The pale white skin, the dark lipstick that doesn't fill the entire lip. Again, I don't know if this was the fad in the 1920's, not to fill the entire lip with the lipstick, but if it was, I don't understand why Rosario never seemed to have that problem. Jennylyn Mercado's makeup was I think the most flawless and consistent of all the female characters. The most inconsistent for me was Isabel Oli's. In the first part, she had a barely-there look, which suited her probinsyana character, fine. Then she came to Manila and became liberal and shit and her makeup was like Queen Amidala. Then during the courtroom scene, her eyes were so dark they were a few notches lower than Taylor Momsen's signature raccoon look. And what about Ara Mina, huh? Those eyes were crazy! She looked like a zombie! And Sid Lucero. Poor Side Lucero. In the scene where he (almost) kills his uncle, his foundation and grey eyeshadow were so conspicuous to the point of being ridiculous. With everything in the movie, sa makeup talaga ako pinakana-bother. (Oh, and did I mention Philip Salvador's mustache? Ridiculous!)
Sound design could have been better. (But then again, sound design generally in the Philippines can be better.) There were a number of scenes that had ambient sound that you had no idea where it was coming from because the visuals didn't have any of those. For example, during the scene where Rosario enters an empty office. As Rosario enters the office, you can hear sounds of a typewriter. But take note, this is an empty office. Rosario closes the door to go to her desk, but the ambient noise that you assume that's coming form outside the office is just as loud as ever. Dapat na-muffle na yung sound pagkasara ng pinto, or at the very least, humina. Pero walang difference eh. So where's it coming from, then?
The scoring, however, is an entirely different story. I really liked how the movie was scored. Music in all the right places - and the right music, at that! Bow ako sa musical scorer.
Overall, I have to say that Rosario is one of the better Filipino movies out there. Even though it was MVP's vanity project (hello he practically wrote it, TV 5 produced it, he had a cameo role in it), it was executed quite well. And like I said, being a period film, it was successful in transporting the audience back to the 1920's.
The mainstream Filipino film industry still has a lot to work on, but I think Rosario was a step in the right direction. Good job, Albert Martinez et al! :)