kinatay

that sourgraping dude must have a personal vendetta against brillante ma. mendoza.

he has attacked the film director again today. he has a valid point this time - well, somewhat, that is. i myself don't think mendoza to be particularly "brilliant" but he is not bad either. his films may suck but he has a directorial style that is a little bit different, unconventional, if you will, from the rest of the filipino directors that are churning out films these days.

but to personally attack the director and lift the profile of the screenwriter (to get the two feuding, i suppose) leaves such bad taste in the mouth. this person, surely is living up to his name - chief agitator. lol. what is agitator? duh!

let's just hope he knows what he is talking about. he is the same person who questioned the selection process at cannes and in so doing, practically dismissed the works of noted filmmakers like pedro almodovar, ang lee, ken loach, quentin tarantino, jane campion, lars von trier, etc.

if it is just me, i would think this guy is merely courting controversy to make himself famous, too. oh well, if he wants it that bad, i guess he'll have it somehow... lol!

what fame couldn't lure a person hungry for... whatever - haha.

***
here's his latest attack. typos and other errors are his.

Without Bing Lao, there’s no Brillante
by: Edgar O. Cruz STIR Editor (Chief Agitator)18 May 2009 10:34 AM

Brillante Ma. Mendoza is Dante Mendoza’s new name. From his hero–sounding moniker, he gave himself a diamond-glossy title. Now he has adapted the name of the great South American writers to mark his ascension from hero to diamond to greatness!

With Celso Ad. Castillo flopped claim of being “Mrssiaf of Philippine Movies,” Dante can do the same without making any claim just by improving his name. Just like the evolution of his movies. He conveniently picked up the real-time mode of Jeffrey Jeturian’s “Kubrador” as written by Armando “Bing” Lao in “Foster Child,” a script by Bing with Bing acting as his creative director.

No change takes place in Bing’s scripts without his approval. Dante started to get noticed in the international film circuit but his movies stayed as bombs at the local box office. The same thing happened in his Cannes movies “Serbis” and “Kinatay (The Execution of P).” Without Bing Lao, there’s no Brillante Ma. Mendoza.

All the perceived glory go to Brillante while Bing keeps proud, noble and quiet at the cinema’s back seats. When the true history of Philippine cinema is finally writte, Brillante’s real worth as a filmmaker will be exposed and real glory will go to Bing.

***

what do you think?

and here's an early report (grabbed from earthtimes.org) from cannes. seems like critisc have universally thrashed kinatay. too bad, mendoza seems to be intent on creating this particularly irritating style. hopefully, he gets his rhythm soon enough to prove to his detractors that he is of particular worth.

Boos--a different sort; what you might call a consensus boo, without any lines of defense to make things interesting--filled the air the night before following Philippine director Brillante Mendoza's grim slong "Kinatay."

Here is a filmmaker heading in the wrong direction. The story written by Armando Lao of a newlywed policeman in training undergoing a long night involving the abduction, rape and dismemberment of a prostitute indicates a complete (temporary, one hopes) absence of instinct. Mendoza's earlier feature "Slingshot," an excellent film about Manila pickpockets virtually no one saw, was followed by "Serbis," worthy if less assured.

'Kinatay" combines 10-ton metaphoric obviousness (life as a slaughterhouse of corruption) with raggedy visual repetitions like you're never seen, followed by raggedy visual repetitions like you've never seen, followed by raggedy visual repetitions like you've never seen.

:( uhhh