New Breed: Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino
Directed By: Lemuel C. Lorca
Writer: Jerry Gracio based on a short story by
Eros Atalia
Main Cast: JM de Guzman, LJ
Reyes, Joross Gamboa
Awards: Best Production Design – Benjamin Payumo, Best Performance of a Supporting Actor – Joross Gamboa
Setting/ Time: Sangley Point,
Cavite/ Present Time
Theme: Love/Friendship
Summary:
Originally an award-winning novel
by Eros S. Atalia, This film is about Intoy, a 17 year-old mussel diver/farmer
who faces life’s obstacles in his hometown, Kalye Marino in Cavite. He dealt
with the death of his father, where he was first called “Intoy Syokoy” when he
drowned himself (knowing that he’s an experienced diver), the abandonment of his unfaithful mother and the consequences of living alone.
Featured also in the film are his
5 childhood friends, as they struggle with loss, suffering and poverty that is
rampant in Kalye Marino. Their strong bond as close friends was shown in a very
effective way by giving attention to each one’s stories: e.g. Berto, his
closest friend who has problems with his uncle and has acquired STD from a
prostitute gets constant advices and comfort from Intoy and his friends. Their
other friend (played by Arnold Reyes) was put into jail because of snatching a
phone, and soon found light inside and was converted into a Christian. And his
friend who has a big dream of being a seaman, tried to pursue it, but stopped and
became a drug addict when his father (a seaman also) died in the hands of
Somalian pirates. He changed after a while of realization and after reflecting
on his friends’ advices.
And Lastly, Doray, Intoy’s childhood
love, who struggled everyday to find a living to respond to her two siblings’
needs. Intoy’s pursuance of Doray became the core of the story, because he
spent more than half of the movie trying to confess his love to her. While he
showed his care for her, Doray tried working as
a GRO but she doesn’t really earn anything much so she resorted to offering her
body to fishermen in exchange for fish that she then sells in the local flea
market. Her focus in life is to make a living for her sisters until one
day, Intoy finally had the guts to ask her to leave Kalye Marino. She agreed but with a condition that he must
have money in order for them to live.
Intoy used his passion, mussel
farming, to earn money. But unfortunately, nature decided to play a joke on
him. There was a white tide which ate all his mussels up. He did raise money but only half of what he
had expected. After that, he came running to Doray’s house only to find out
that she left for good with his other friend. Well, that’s what he knows. But
the truth is that Doray seeked their friend’s help because she found out that
she had caught an STD.
The last scene was in Doray’s
bedroom, Intoy was there and Doray, as
well. They talked about their own confessions: Doray that she has a disease
that she will suffer for a lifetime, and Intoy that Doray shouldn’t worry
because he’ll be with her to take care and to love her no matter what.
From Intoy Syokoy
"In my eyes.."
First, the reasons why I chose
this movie is because 1) I live in Cavite and I know the background of living
in the setting; and 2) I have trust in the cast’s acting, even if they are
always seen in the mainstream. Seeing
the trailer of the film also made me decide to watch it, and made me feel excited,
as well.
The plot of the story, for me, is
great. The love story’s obstacles revolved around poverty, which made a deep
connection to the reality we’re facing nowadays. The struggles that the characters faced also
made a big impact to me, since they are relatable. Honestly, I have to say that
I can relate to Intoy’s friend whose father died, because I can see myself in
him, while he was worrying about his father after getting the news that he’s
hostaged, like I was worrying about my dad who was in Libya during the midst of
the riot there.
The scene where Intoy's mother left him really struck me, especially when his eyes opened, meaning, he's only pretending to sleep. He's aware of everything and I saw the pain in his eyes.
The actors also did a good job
for portraying the roles very well. JM de Guzman acted as if his eyes were
transparent: you can see what he feels inside just by looking at his eyes. His
appearance also suited the role and I thought he was a very good choice for the
film. Meanwhile, Joross Gamboa (who won Best Supporting Actor for the New Breed
category) also amazed me. He acted very natural, without forcing it. I can say
that he really deserved the award. For her 1st indie film, I have to
praise also LJ Reyes, because she did a good job of portraying Doray, and she
also acted professional (for the
sensitive scenes).
All in all, I liked the film for
we can associate it to our daily life. And
I rate it 8 (over 10) for the love story’s versatility and for it’s effective
direction and cast.
Director's Showcase: Kamera Obskura
Directed
by: Raymond Red
Main Cast: Pen Medina, Joel Torre, Nanding
Josef, Abe Pagtama, Suzette Ranillo,
Ping Medina, Irene Gabriel
Awards: Special Jury Prize, Best Director, Best Musical Score
Setting/ Time: Philippines, late 1920s to early 1930s
Theme: Politics, retro-futuristic world
Summary:
Juan, a man stucked in a dark
chamber for 20 years finally had a change of view after discovering a hole where where a single ray of light reveals inverted
images of the world outside: with a tall building, flying machines that look
like bikes, and people. Curious, he later finds himself lost outside
after digging into the hole. He came
across a camera store, namely “Kamera Obskura” which replaced his right hand. He then plunged back into the society in the
mysterious building. The different floors represented the different social levels
in our society, where he met people and unfolded secrets. Every people in each
of the building floor made him realize little by little the dangers and greed
lurking in the society. When politicians discovered the power of the camera in
his right hand, (which is to “zap” people who’ve done evil deeds) he became the
apple of their eyes. They persuaded him to run for councilor so that they could
benefit from the power of the camera and to gain followers as well. Juan then
finds out that either of the politicians who tries to “own” him are corrupt and
betrayers. He realized the truth that they are only deceiving and using him for
power and fame. Disappointed, Juan tried to escape from all this by deciding to
cut off the camera from his arm, but it was only just a dream. Instead of the 2
rival politicians, Juan was declared as the new president of the country.
From Kamera Obskura
“In my eyes..”
At first, I was really undecided on what I would watch for the director’s
showcase category, so I flipped through the brochure and made up my mind. KO enticed me not only because of the sneak preview I've read but also because I heard it was a silent film. I'm not very "experienced" about silent films so I thought I have to watch one so I can familiarize. So long story short, I ended up taking a nap almost every 3 minutes during the start and end of the movie. Though I can't help it, I hate myself for doing that because I think I missed a few points especially during the mini discussion of archivists Teddy Co, Cesar Hernando, and Ricky Orellana. It's kinda boring but i'm glad I overheard a few parts like when they discussed about the Philippine Film history and about what should be it's scope. The last part of the movie was the same: the three scholars discussing about the film, but this time, they tried to guess the possible conclusions and ending of the movie, along with their opinions. They likened it to the Philippine cinema, which is always full of controversies and issues thrown by people.
To be honest, I did not really appreciated the movie the way I did with Intoy Syokoy because I admit I did not really get some scenes. Especially the very last part (which is part of the final reel) because i'm not sure if my conclusion is right or what, plus the purpose of the girl who keeps on showing up in certain parts of the film. But i'm happy that I chose this movie to watch, one thing is because it had won awards. Pen Medina is a great actor, as he was, and he proved again to the viewers that he's also very good in acting without words, which is a tricky challenge for artists. I learned a lot of things and opened my eyes to the "reality" that the director wanted us to discover. The film was full of hints about how the politics in our country is doing. Mentioned also were “boksingero ng bayan” and “tuwid na daan”, which is an obvious hint to the politicians we have in this country. It was a fearless move for the director to do. And that shows us clearly what Cinemalaya is all about. So, 7 out of 10 stars for this film.
To be honest, I did not really appreciated the movie the way I did with Intoy Syokoy because I admit I did not really get some scenes. Especially the very last part (which is part of the final reel) because i'm not sure if my conclusion is right or what, plus the purpose of the girl who keeps on showing up in certain parts of the film. But i'm happy that I chose this movie to watch, one thing is because it had won awards. Pen Medina is a great actor, as he was, and he proved again to the viewers that he's also very good in acting without words, which is a tricky challenge for artists. I learned a lot of things and opened my eyes to the "reality" that the director wanted us to discover. The film was full of hints about how the politics in our country is doing. Mentioned also were “boksingero ng bayan” and “tuwid na daan”, which is an obvious hint to the politicians we have in this country. It was a fearless move for the director to do. And that shows us clearly what Cinemalaya is all about. So, 7 out of 10 stars for this film.
These tickets are totally worth it!
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