Caption That

 You Vote For The Clowns ... Expect a Circus!

Maid In Malacanang" Review

I was able to see Maid in Malacañang (MiM) last Saturday with some friends. Biases aside, the film felt like it was made by an amateur second-year college student — and this is coming from someone who didn’t like and even lambasted the “award-winning” Katips.

It is rather disappointing that Imee Marcos who was the head of ECP (Experimental Cinema of the Philippines) — responsible for making iconic films such as Himala and Oro Plata Mata — allowed this hodgepodge of cinematic clichés and hammy acting. The most tragic (and unintentionally funny) was Ruffa Gutierrez who seemed like she lost her keys whenever she tries to convey an emotion. She should have taken notes from Tessie Tomas’ portrayal of Imelda Marcos in A Dangerous Life for Tomas was exemplary in that film. The performance of the rest of the cast who played the other Marcoses was underwhelming despite some of them being award-winning actors. It didn’t feel like they studied their characters — from the mannerisms to the tone of their voice, which could only be blamed to one thing: the director of the film is an amateur. The only saving graces were the three maids who had some hilarious scenes and showed good chemistry. But they still couldn’t save this camp of monstrosity

Storytelling-wise, MiM was too disorganized. For example, Imee Marcos returned from Singapore to the Philippines to heed her father’s request and upon arriving in the Palace, she discovered that they were already running out of basic necessities because they couldn’t go outside for days already due to the strident rallyists. Then how in the world did Imee enter the Palace? The film heavily used real-life footage to probably mask the inability of the director to execute them. The movie could have been given more grit if they acted out the iconic inauguration of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. with his wife singing in the balcony or even the discovery of the assassination plot against the first family by Ricardo Morales instead of relying on historical footage and hollow scriptwriting.

Yap tried to impress by doing a one-take continuous shot with Dutch tilt in the confrontation scene between Bongbong and FEM, but the script was just too weak and a clear attempt to answer the issues thrown against Bongbong (FEM describing him as problematic in his diary, his lack of achievements, and him being a party animal) — it felt like it was written by a loyalist obsessed in winning an argument against the anti-Marcos forces on social media.

The film tried to “have a heart” by making it seem like the story was really about the struggles of the maids and other workers in Malacañang, but they were just used as tools to deodorize the image of the Marcoses (“Uy! Mabait silang amo!”) who shoved it into our face how they feel so entitled to remain in the PEOPLE’s Palace via this film (that cringe scene where Imelda repeatedly utters the line, “Hindi na tayo makakabalik!” still haunts my ears).

A world where an abhorrent film like Maid in Malacañang exists only reminds me of the other contemptible acts performed by politicians to the minds of our poor voters. Be careful of this deceptive pariah of cinema. It deserves to be awarded 0.5/5. It earned it.

- Paolo Miguel Quimbo

Caption That

"Express, express, express, that is the best way to heal. grieve if you need to, yell and scream if you need to, cry, laugh, be outward, let things out if keeping them to yourself will hurt you. you don’t have to be apathetic, you can be as expressive as you need to be for as long as you need."

Q and A's Best

Hiyas sa Kadayawan 2022 candidate from Obu Manuvu tribe, Lady Ray Banggaan caught the audience attention when she answered in jest after the host asked about how she felt being on stage representing her tribe.

Her response: " I'm nervous.  But I think it is natural because we have a nervous system."

Are You Boring?

I was on a shuttle bus in San Francisco going to the airport when the shuttle picked up two of the most BORING people 

at the Intercontinental San Francisco Hotel. They were sitting in front of me, and they were talking too loud; they don't 

need a megaphone. 

They are just too BORING. their conversation, despite being dull and mundane, made my neck crane as if it was one of 

the most riveting conversational pieces ever. I was even most eager, so I listened for more as I was intrigued by how 

they would end a boring conversation!

First Person:  That was a big balikbayan box you have there.

Second Person:  That is really BIG.

First Person: I am sure that is heavy too, to think how BIG it was.

Second Person: Yes, I bought a lot from the dollar store. I fill it in, and there is still enough space.

First Person: A dollar store?

Second Person. You bet. Even my son said I could get another round of purchases in the dollar store to fill up the space.

Second Person: Your son said that?

And they continue their repetitious exchange, feeling like they own the shuttle bus. The problem is that some people are 

oblivious that they sound too monotonous and stale. Boring people don't realize they are boring. In fact, no offense intended ... even YOU can be boring.

Have there been instances when you are in the mood to talk, and you see people who are too uncomfortable - they want to rush to the next available exit? Do your friends cover up and feign excuses just to get away from your stories? And did you feel this is happening while riding in a lift going to the 12th floor and people want the nearest door on their way out?

But even if friends are wide-eyed with their mouths open, giving you the illusion that they are engrossed and involved, 

it is not 100% sure that you are not BORING. Have you heard of the word pretense?

When BBM made his first SONA address, some people bluffed him by putting a brave face that they were enthralled, even 

though he had not said anything compelling. Even though you are not BBM, people can always pretend you are engaging and interesting because they want to sell something to you afterward, or they have a mutual understanding connection with you, or maybe because you have some bargaining power over them.

If you feel you make people doze to sleep, one rule of thumb is to ward off the conversation from BORING TOPICS. Although nobody knows what topics click and what conversation piece ticks, there should be a conscious effort to stay away from 

"downers".  Although it sounds like a myopic view, some topics can be boring to some ... but definitely very interesting to others.

"History is like tsismis" is boring but not to the trolls out there who can give you an " eye for an eye" retaliatory and retributive vengeful justice. Historical revisionism and historical denial are boring, and so is Marcoleta's nearsighted view of ABS CBN's franchise and operations.

Pinoy Idol is a nursery for budding singers in the Philippines, but singers elbowing each other to give the much-needed "kulot" or the dangerous "bali" is putting the much-needed tranquilizers on my beer.  

Darryl Yap's political lovefest with the powers-that-be is making headlines, but his quick transition from a neophyte director to a petulant and testy wannabee made his critics recoil to deep sleep.

The State of the Nation address is important but boring.  And so are the daily pronouncements that Maid in Malacanang really made a killing at the box office?  The fact that your child made it to the honor roll is boring, so don't you dare bring that topic up.

The car chase in movies is boring, except maybe when the car is flying at the speed of 150 miles per hour and is headed in your direction. 

Going fishing is tedious ... unless, of course, you catch Dyesebel for lunch.

Debates and elections are boring except maybe when Robin Padilla holds tight to his position as the number one senator ... or when candidates jump ship like Marcoleta running out of gas at the finish line.

Women love Korean movies, especially if it is a marathon four-hour movie with subtitles to squint their eyes. Women love romance, but men abhor that. Men have limited endurance for a four-hour yearning. and as such, they want everybody to disrobe right away. And, of course, they want to spice up the movie with gory scenes to keep them on the edge of their seat.

I still have a lot of examples to make, BUT I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THIS TOPIC. I am out of here!

In The News

 

Write a comment…

• Kairo Worrel

  Kung may mga natural calamities like flood bagyo and volcanic eruptions sino ba ang sina-SAGIP ng Sagip rep na si Marcoleta? Wala. Tahimik siya kasi wala siyang pakialam. Pero ang ABS CBN 24-7 yan sa pagtulong.  And have you heard Marcoleta creating jobs? He was in the House to destroy jobs! But ABS CBN  is always doing its share by going jobs to people. Yan ang dapat isaisip ng  mga Marcoleta apologists!
• Johndex Omolon

  Our Philippine legislators should help on creating jobs not destroying jobs. Some just can’t move on and are pervaded by hate.

  

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• Remedios Moscoso

  God bless ABS CBN. Dont mind Marcoleta so stupid naga hingabot bisan wala ti utang abs cbn why not run sa mga tawo nga wara bayad taxes are they exempted

  

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  • 21h
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• Florita Dizon

  BIR has already announced that ABS has no more debt obligations to the gov't.This has been aired on national tv when the issue was brought up

  

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  • 21h
  359 Replies
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• Rowena Quita

  I'm sure the 2 networks with the assistance of their legal experts have thoroughly thought about the merging bakit si marc ang hindi makatulog ?

  

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  • 22h
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• Michelle Padilla Bernardo

  Gusto yatang mag artista hindi kinuha nang ABS CBN kaya sobra ang galit.Ang tanda mo n dapat s yo nag papahinga n s bahay nyo.Enjoy life.

  

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• Lali Cueto

  Marcoleta hoy gising. Hd ka ga maka move on

  Tulog na ikaw..kawawa ka naman .

  

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  43 Replies
• Mhi Leth

  Bakit galit parang hndi nya makuha maging masaya sa buhay dapat mapag bigay ka sa kapwa mo kc dmi nawalan trabaho nuon dahil mg sira ng abscn marami nghirap na pamilya lalo na may mga anak

  

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• Bertin Tocong

  Mas maige pa kung dayaan sa botohan nung may 9 2022 ang inimbestigahan mo bumilib pa ko sau

  

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• Top fan

  Aman Rojas

  Dko alam kung sagip buhay ka o kontra hanap buhay ka eh... Masya ata sya PG mrming nwwln Ng trabaho!

  

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• Ate Ram

  Etong si Marcoleta malamang pinaglihi to sa sama ng loob

  

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• Jose Luis Peralta

  Siya ang imbestigahan

  

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  6 Replies
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• Top fan

  Mayette Germino Sarinas

  Bakit di nia buksan ang di nagbabayad ng tax at mga kurakot na politiko

  

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• Belle Camacho

  Sir, kindly pay close attention on how to collect the 203 billion tax of Mr. President. Why not file a case if there something went wrong about ABS CBN.

  

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  • 16h
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• Stacy Ala Maravilla

  ABS CBN has no problem on BIR taxes as announced by BIR...

  God bless and protect ABS CBN

  

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• Lorenzo Jacinto Jacinto

  Marko beta hinihintay kana ni taneng malapet kana

  

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• Kristian Koh

  Investigate PhilHealth, DepEd 

  

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• Manny Perez

  As I was telling before or during the committee hearing in last 18th Congress, NTCs chief should be immediately sacked for incompetence and maybe in the good graces of abs CBN...can our beloved PBBM could even take a minute to look in this matter...

  

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