MOVIE REVIEW: Die Beautiful

Die Beautiful is a groundbreaking Filipino film that accurately depicts the journey and struggles of a boy named Patrick who transitions into a transgender named Tricia Echeverria. Paolo Ballesteros gives a masterful performance as Patrick/Trisha. 

Told from a series of flashbacks, the title comes from the main character's last request of dressing her in different beautiful outfits and making her look like famous celebrities while lying in state during the traditional seven day wake usually observed in Filipino culture. 

From his miserable childhood by having a conservative father who despise her until she became a mother herself after adopting a little girl, it is an eye opener to a world that we haven't seen in Philippine cinema, the real and raw life of a transgender. We are aware of the lives of the more famous ones: from Bb Gandanghari of the Philippines to Catlyn Jenner of the US. Trisha's life story though, mirrors the ordinary ones who make a living by joining gay beauty pageants organized by small towns across the country and investing the money they won by enhancing features that make them fully female.

For me, Ballesteros gives one of the best performance in Philippine cinema. The transformation from Patrick to Trisha is a complex task that he passes with flying colors. He is known in real life globally, thanks to social media as the one who can transform into different celebrities using the power of makeup. He uses that into full advantage and it works. This ain't the Paolo we usually see everyday on TV. He is Trisha!!

Credit is also due to Christian Bables, who plays Trisha's best friend and close confidante Barbs. He gives life to a best friend role that does not stereotype gays. After the movie, you will long to have a Barbs in your life.

Die Beautiful is director Jun Lana's masterpiece and one of the best films of 2016. The film, Ballesteros and Bables should not be forgotten come awards season time. Have an open mind in watching the film and it will be an eye opener to you. 

MOVIE REVIEW: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

I had low expectations about this Star Wars spin-off since the previous ones made such as 2008's The Clone Wars animated film and the 1985 made for TV movie Ewoks: The Battle for Endor were duds. I was wrong.

Set between the timeline of Episodes 3 and 4 of the original series, Rogue One refers to the spacecraft used by the rebels in the film. Led by Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and arguably the best female action lead in years Jyn Erso (played with sheer perfection by Felicity Jones whose performance is comparable to Sigourney Weaver in Aliens and Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2: Judgment Day), the team attempt to steal the plans of the Death Star - a planet like structure which aims to destroy planets and its habitats that are hostile to the Empire. Also in the film and newcomers to the franchise are Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Ben Mendelsohn and the legendary Chinese actor Donnie Yen in a scene stealing role.

As a lifelong fan of the series, I'm truly amazed by Rogue One. You will see some references to previous films yet it provides a breathe of fresh air with its new characters and settings. The vastness of the Star Wars universe provides plenty of opportunities for spin-offs. Ably directed by Gareth Edwards who made the good Godzilla reboot 2 years ago, the film dwells deeper into the series, pays homage to the past films and passes with flying colors. I saw it on a regular 2D movie theater and I would not mind watching it again on the IMAX format.

MOVIE REVIEW: Sing

2016  started with the excellent Zootopia, which in my book is one of the best animated films of all time. An excellent tale of discrimination and equality in a city populated with different animals both big and small. It's a time well spent with the entire family at the movies.The year ends with another film with talking animals that can belt out of a tune or two and unlike Zootopia, Sing is genuine feel-good crowd pleaser.

When Buster Moon, a koala bear theater owner voiced by Matthew McConaughey organizes a singing competition to save his theater which he inherited from his Dad being foreclosed, a simple typographical error from his trusted secretary, an old gecko named Miss Crawly made it more enticing for animals to join and win the top prize.

Illumination Entertainment made the right decision in getting the services of known celebrities to voice the characters. Aside from McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon voiced Rosita, a pig whose married to an ignoring husband and left to take care of her 20 plus piglets/children. Seth MacFarlane channeling his Sinatra crooner vibe plays Mike, a rat with a suave voice, that has connections to the mob. Scarlett Johansson as Ash, a teenage porcupine rock belter and The Kingsman's Taron Egerton as Johnny the gorilla with a sweet voice whose Dad is into robbing banks among others. The standout though is Tori Kelly who voiced Meena the elephant. she has one sweet voice!! Famous celebrities singing out well-known songs as shown on the trailer is fun to watch and in the film itself, doesn't disappoint.

This is one of the few animated films that is you never know what happens next. I was caught off guard and I'm sure most did to. The beginning of the second half of the film proves that. Sing is one fun animated film for the entire family this Christmas.

MOVIE REVIEW: Manchester by the Sea

Proving that his only Oscar nomination nine years ago for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford ain't a one hit wonder and coming out of the shadows of his brother Ben, Casey Affleck dominates and gives the signature performance of his career in this masterpiece.

Affleck plays Lee Chandler, a janitor in an apartment complex in Boston whose temper often gets him into trouble with the tenants and even at the local bar. You know that there's something inside that's bothering him. It begins to unravel when he gets a call that his older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) has passed away unexpectedly.

Going home to the tiny town of Manchester by the Sea (hence the film's title), Lee is surprised to find out that he has been given legal rights to be the guardian of his brother's only child Patrick (Lucas Hedges) and because of it, is forced to move back. It's not an easy task since he can easily face again his ex-wife (a magnificent Michelle Williams, on her way to a 4th Oscar nomination for this film) with whom he shares a tragic bond.

On the surface, this is not an easy film to watch. The circumstances that plagued Lee are too much for a person to bear that you would not even wish to happen to your enemies. But Manchester by the Sea proves that in tragedy, there is redemption. This is a film of self-discovery and second chances. An amazing cast plus top-notch writing and direction by Kenneth Lonergan make this film one of 2016's best.