THANK YOU GIRLS: Ang Pelikulang Baklang-Bakla...Pero Astig

This indie is so...NAKAKALOKA! Catch it and all your worries will wither away!

Tired of losing all the beauty competitions in their hometown Davao, six dysfunctional gay beauty pageant veterans travel north to Cagayan De Oro with a single mission: to conquer the grandest competition of beauty and brains in the whole province. They figure the small town gays will never stand a chance against big city boys like them.

As they travel through the breathtaking landscape and cultural vignettes of rural Mindanao, each character struggles to win just a single title, while also battling their own inner demons.

Blinded by their belief of in the power of their so-called "beauty", they still have to prove to themselves that whether on or off the stage, beauty doesn't come in packages wrapped in foundation, mascara, eyeliners and witty beauty pageant answers. Their travels will bring them back to the basic of themselves and of each other. And what they will discover about themselves may just teach them that being a run-away loser is not ugly after all.

THANK YOU GIRLS is a deviation from how Filipinos define a gay film: it is not tragic, it is not sad, it is not centered on sex. In fact, I think this film captures what Filipino gay culture is all about...it is all about being funny, being funnier and being funniest.

Humor is the discriminator of Filipino gay life. Yes, their lives may be sad (just like Europeans and Americans depict gayness in their films), but Filipino gay men learned to ground those sorrows by putting a layer of humor above their foundation creams. Plastic as they may appeat...but no one can deny that they are fun to be with.

The execution of the film is not bad either. Charliebebs Gohetia crafted the nono-linear story telling flawlessly. For PULP FICTION enthusiasts, you'll get nostalgic while watching THANK YOU GIRLS. The cinematography was good as well. The color-grading was almost perfect, giving the film a hint of "orange" to depict Mindanao's humid weather. But since the film is queer, splashes of colors were evident as well (like the tela hanging from their "gay" jeepney named Char...how gay can it get!).

The success of the film, I think, was with the screenplay. Kudos to the writer for capturing the "gayest of the gayest" moments in a beauty pageant. The Q&A's were hilarious...it made me spew Coke through my nostrils. The screenplay was also able to splice in real gay issues and dramas to the grandeur and extravagance of each gay beauty pageant. And that proves my point...Filipino gay life is the most colorful and "plastic" in the world.

If you want to laugh...watch all of these:

DAYBREAK: Respectable Gay Flick

Cinemanyak Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Rating: N/A
Tomatometer: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Rating: N/A
What's your rating? Post a comment below.

Seldom do I see a Filipino indie gay film that carries a solid storyline, bears fantastic acting and shows stunning cinematography. DAYBREAK by Adolfo Alix Jr. proved that "gay-topic'ed" films can go beyond sex and can go deeper.

Known for his picturesque approach to films (watch Donsol, Kadin and Batanes), Adolfo's awesome camera treatment was in DAYBREAK (see the trailer below). A Cinemalaya regular, Adolfo was able to create another film which defies formula. The screenplay is simple, but very powerful. It is not pretentious. Very subtle, but it will hit you hard in the end. Coco Martin is an indie expert. Few actors can do such a role, bold yet respectable.

DAYBREAK is definitely one of the best Filipino gay oriented film I've seen in years.

DAYBREAK happens entirely in one place: a rest house in Taal, Batangas. In a single narrative time, we discover what happens to two men spending one night contemplating whether to break up or continue their relationship. William and JP allow us to know their biggest lies. Memories and dreams, truths and lies, fears and desires, betrayal and honesty, love and hate are all closely entwined in this night. Will the light of the sunrise bring this intimacy to an end?

Adolfo always treats the screen as his canvas, and he is not afraid putting colors over it. I once thought that this approach will not work commercially (after Donsol and Kadin in Cinemalaya). But after Batanes and Daybreak, I could fearlessly say that Adolfo Alix Jr. will be one of the biggest names in Philippines cinema.

Cinemanyak Visits Art Houses in South East Asia

A lot are asking where I view the films I feature in the site. I do 3 things: catch the latest film festival, buy dvds and watch at home, and go to the nearest art house in town.

During my recent trip around South East Asia, I visited some of the best are houses in the region. I hope we could have more of these in Manila.

SCREENING ROOM in Singapore

Restaurant, bar, studio and a film theatre in one. This high end art house offers themed dinner which suits aptly to the film to be screened (I was able to attend a wine and cheese party prior their "Sideways" screening).

HOUSE in Bangkok
A typical cineplex with modern interiors, and art films on the screen. A bit hard to find though; no connection to the BTS or MRT.

SIAM MULTIPLEX in Bangkok

Old cinemas refurbished into its old grandeur, fit to the art films they flash to their screen. It's like watching a movie in old Escolta and Avenida, but in digital sound.

DREAM THEATER, Manila

The official art house of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. This small viewing room screens award winning film (both local and international) for free!

Other Art Houses:

- Instituto Cervantes, Manila (screens free Spanish films every Saturday, 6PM)

- Indiesine, Robinon's Galleria Manila (Filipino Indie all year long. Mostly not subtitled)

- Cinekatipunan, Magnet Cafe Katipunan Manila (Filipino Indie, normally school works. Screenings start at 5PM)

Here are some useful links:

http://www.screeningroom.com.sg/

http://www.houserama.com/

http://www.magnet.com.ph/

http://manila.cervantes.es/

Cinemalaya @ Indiesine

For those who missed the screenings at the CCP, Cinemalaya films are currently running at Indiesine (Robinson's Galleria).

In the line up are: TRIBU (Best Picture, Best Actor), ENDO (Jury Prize, Best Actress), GULONG, LIGAW LIHAM, SINUNGALING NA BUWAN (disqualified during the festival) and TUKSO (Best Screenplay)

Lalake Sa Parola: Tell me what went wrong?

Cinemanyak Rating: 1.0/10
IMDB Rating: Not Available
Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Rating: Not Available

This is a disappointing film. Very disappointing.

Unconventional story telling which confused us in the start, bad acting until the end, pixelized cinematography, an ending with unclear character-conflict resolution...and a lot of homoerotic scenes badly done.

Don't watch this film. Period.

But in case you want to, it is still running in Indiesine, Robinson's Galleria