#REALLY wanted to try do a vintage/retro screenshot vibe with them

[triona-tribblescore]

Its huskerdust week over on twitter and I dont have time to partake so this is my compensation :') <3

[enriqutierrez]

MMFF 2016- Seklusyon: A Movie Review

This year’s Metro Manila Film Festival entry, Seklusyon, dominates the Gabi ng Parangal, the MMFF Awards Night, and triumphed a seven major awards– Best Director for Dir. Erik Matti, Best Supporting Actress for Phoebe Walker, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound Design, and Best Original Theme Song.

Seklusyon, is part of the exercise, for those aspiring priest or deacon, where they will live in a secluded place for seven days. The church believes that the last day before the deacon becomes a priest, is where the devil’s call is the strongest, so to shelter them against the evil of the world they’ve sent them to holy and remote areas. While the deacons were fighting their personal demons, there was this little girl, Anghela, sent also by the church who has a miraculously powers to heal, read minds and see the past of a certain person. Anghela is said to be sent by the Lord because of the miracles made by her, but as she arrived on the secluded convent, strange things happened to the deacons that leads one of them, Miguel, asking, was Anghela really sent by the Lord or she was a servant of evil to disturb them.  As the story flow, the former priest/ caretaker of the place left as advised by Anghela and the other deacons was now on her side. On the latter part, Miguel discovered that Anghela was really a servant of evil (because of the priest assigned on the investigation about Anghela to canonized as a living saint), and as a result of this Miguel killed Anghela even though he’s on his last step to become a priest. After the seclusion, the deacons, except for Miguel, were ordained by the bishop to become officially a priest.

So, given the summary of the movie, that storyline is still the best of the best thing in this movie. I never really expect that the ending will be like, goosebumps. Because unlike on the other horror/ thriller film that also give goosebumps but in a way that they were giving a jump scares scenes only for the people to frighten. And that’s how this movie, Seklusyon, differ and stand out on other typical horror and thriller Filipino films.

It also depicts the current issues and rumors about the Catholic Church that not all the priest or people who wears sheep’s clothing is a servant of the Lord. Some of the people in cinema asking, what happened on Miguel, did he not become a priest, where did he go, where did the church sent him. For me, I don’t even know, what I just know is that that part doesn’t matter. What matters to me, is the newly ordained priest, they became on Anghela’s side when they were on the seclusion, there were also part that they accept Anghela while she was having a mass on that place. So, what these what trying to say is that, they’ve also became a servant of Anghela, a servant of evil. An evil trying to convince other people that they’ve sent by God but they’re not. An evil inside every Catholic churches having a mass every Sunday to persuade people. And this becomes really interesting for me, as a Catholic.

But on a positive side, I still do believe that there were people who still have God on their heart, there were a Miguel on this world trying to repent on their sins and kill the evil. A Miguel that will profess our faith to God. For me, I do believe and I will still believe personally that God will not let us forsake on evil.

*screengrab from Youtube

Being carried away with that storyline, let us continue to talk about what I liked and I didn’t like about the film—Seklusyon

As discussed on the first part, the story. I love how well it thought and created that kind of story. They created different approach to frighten the audience, it touched your inner you, your beliefs rather than those typical horror film with jump scares. From the trailer, you will never really think that it wasn’t a typical horror film unless you saw it.

*screengrab from Youtube

Direction, Cinematography, Production Design— really deserve the awards indeed, especially for these three. I like the outcome of the film that was came from the direction given by the director. The artistic, vintage and evil vibes that makes you believe that there were evil on it. Through the help of other crews this wouldn’t be possible but I just admire how dir. Erick Matti visualizes the outcome of this kind of film that really differs from other same genre films. As what I have said, with the good direction plus extremely great execution of staff and crew this wouldn’t be visually pleasing.I love the cinematic shots, the soft camera movements on the beginning, the use of pattern on the walls inside the church to have an aesthetic view, the wide shots (usually top angle) with the view of the area, I really love it and I wish I have a screenshot of those shots (but there were some little shots I didn’t like, I will discuss later). The 1945/ Japanese era vibe wouldn’t be achievable without the color, some sepia-tone that really fits the setting of the story plus the production design, that give also an additional factor on the ambiance of the film. Like the structure of churches, the authentic-retro-car, the prod design on where the healing of Anghela happened, this is amazing. I like their wardrobe plus the design of the convent.

*screengrab from Youtube

Lighting— the lights coming from the window of the churches makes me wonder if that was a natural light (that’s kind of unbelievable) or an artificial light, a light box placed outside the window for them to have that ray of light coming from outside which a clever style for artistic purposes. I already saw this technic on Hollywood films to deceive the audience about the time, when they wanted to shoot a day scene but the time is already in the mid-afternoon where no sunrays will pass the window.

*screengrab from Youtube

It seems like I like all the things happened in the movie, but there’s just little things that seems quite inadequate for me, and that becomes the things I didn’t like

The Actors performance—I hope that they’ve undergo a workshop especially Ronnie, I already watched his another MMFF entry- VKJ, and on my previous review I asked if where did he put his best as an actor and I say that basically not in VKJ and I will say also that not on here. His acting skills was just the same (on both movies) and he should work out his monotone voice. Mother Cecilia, played by Phoebe Walker won as a Supporting Actress for this movie but, I don’t think it’s enough, the role being portrayed is basically a mysterious one so she doesn’t need to act at all but I think that’s not enough for her to be the supporting actress. Yes, the character is in need to support the main character, Anghela, and also yes, Phoebe done it well, but compared to other nominees for best supporting actress I think other actress deserves the award.

Dizzy shot—there was this scene in the woods where Anghela was chasing Miguel and the shots was close up to Miguel ( I think with a GoPro or something) that makes me a little dizzy. I’m sure they can make that scene as smooth as possible but maybe there were factors why they didn’t make it like time, maybe it’ll going to eat a lot of time.

*screengrab from Youtube

Overall, it was a great and I can’t wait for another different movie that offers offbeat approach for it to stand out on that genre.