The year's best films and performances

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/entertainment/showbiz-news/42225-the-years-best-films-and-performances


HERE’S the list of local movies shown from January to December 2012:

JANUARY – A Mother’s Story, Daklot, My Cactus Heart, Idnal Mapusok, and entries to SM Big Shot Filmfest: Salo, Suntok sa Buwan, Tahanan and Balang Araw. Total of 8 films.

FEBRUARY – Hitman, Hiram na Ama, Bola, Kasalo, Unofficially Yours. Total of 5 films.

MARCH – My Kontrabida Girl, Corazon Unang Aswang, Mestizo, Huling Halik. Total of 4 films.

APRIL – Moron 5 and the Crying Lady, My Naughty Kid Huwag Kang Pasaway, Frontal. Total of 3 films.

MAY – The Mommy Returns, Every Breath You Take, Born To Love You, Hawla. Total of 4 films.

JUNE – Boy Pick Up The Movie, Kimmy Dora and the Temple of Kiyeme, Hubo, Masukista. Total of 4 films.

JULY – Butas, The Healing, Bikini King, Kapa, Migrante and 13 entries in the annual Cinemalaya Filmfest: Posas, Mga Mumunting Lihim, Kamera Obskura, Kalayaan and Bwakaw in the Director’s Showcase category, and in the New Wave category: Ang Katiwala, Requieme, Ang Nawawala, Oros, Aparisyon, The Animals, Santa Nina, Mga Dayo, Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino and Diablo. A total of 21 films.

AUGUST – The Reunion, Just One Summer, Adam’s Apple Kakagat Ka Ba?, Guniguni, I Do Bidoo Bidoo, Amorosa The Revenge. A total of 6 films.

SEPTEMBER – Captive, The Mistress, Pridyider, Biktima, Of All the Things, Jowa, Hardinero, Graceland, Wanted Boarders: Male Only, Bagito.

A total of 10 films.

OCTOBER – This Guy’s In Love with You Mare, Yakman, Dama, Patol, For Adults Only, A Secret Affair, Suddenly It’s Magic, Dormboys, Madaling Araw Mahabang Gabi. A total of 9 films.

NOVEMBER -24/7 in Love, D’Kilabots Pogi Brothers, Rigodon, Ang Supremo, entries to Cinema One Originals: Baybayin, Mater Dolorosa, Mariposa, Palitan, Pascalina, Edsa XXX, Slumber Party, Mamay Umeng, Paglalakbay ng Mga Bituin, Catnip, Aberya, Melodrama Negra, Alagwa. Entries to the Cinemanila Filmfest: Taglish, Collosal, Obscured Histories and Silent Longings. Total of 20 films.

DECEMBER – Flames of Love, My Amiga Girl, MNL143, Uhaw sa Piling Mo, entries to the Metro-Manila Filmfest:

Thy Womb, El Presidente, One More Try, Sisteraka, Sosy Problems, Shake Rattle & Roll 14, The Strangers, Si Enteng Si Agimat at si Ako, plus entries in their New Wave Category: Gayak, The Grave Bandits, In Nomine Matris, Ad Ignorantiam and Paglagot sa Tanikala. A total of 17 films.

All in all, that’s a total of 111 local films shown this year. Most of them are indie films shown in limited venues. And here’s our personal list of 2012’s best films and performances. Remember, this is our personal list. If you don’t agree with our choices, you can make your own list.

“I Do Bidoo Bidoo” – We love musicals and writer-director Chris Martinez did a great job of adapting the APO songs for this film. It’s entertaining from beginning to end and offers great performances from the entire cast.

“Bwakaw” – The heartwarming story of a gay man who comes out of the closet in his twilight years, written and directed by Jun Lana.

“Mga Mumunting Lihim – A story about friendship with four different women and how they accept each other’s differences, written and directed by Joey Reyes.

“Supremo” – A searing biopic on the life and death of Andres Bonifacio, helmed by Richard Somes.

“Santa Nina” – A story of love, faith and superstition told amidst Pinatubo’s lahar infested surroundings, directorial debut of Manny Palo.

“Of All the Things” – A touching film about the positive influence of love on having second chances, directed by Joyce Bernal.

“Posas” – A procedural movie about our corrupt justice system and how hardened criminals are born, directed by Lawrence Fajardo.

For best supporting actor: Art Acuña as the ruthless police chief in Posas, Ronaldo Valdez as the two-timing dad in The Mistress, Neil Coleta as the young man secretly in love with his best friend in I Do Bidoo, Cesar Montano as Andres Bonifacio and Christopher de Leon as Antonio Luna in “El Presidente.”

For supporting actress, Anita Linda as the senile grandma and Irma Adlawan as the unforgiving mother in Santa Nina, Sweet Plantado and Fenchie Dy as the supportive best friends in I Do Bidoo, Dina Bonnevie as the bitter wronged wife in Flames of Love, Mylene Dizon as the noveau riche scene stealer in Sosy Problems, and Janice de Belen who’s uniformly good in her various roles in the horror flicks Tiktik, The Strangers, The Healing, Pridyider and Shake Rattle & Roll 14.

Best actor – Eddie Garcia as the late blooming septuagenarian gay in Bwakaw, Sam Concepcion, Ogie Alcasid and Gary Valenciano in their song and dance roles in I Do Bidoo, Aga Muhlach as the underachieving bar flunker in Of All the Things, Jericho Rosales as the father searching for his kidnapped son in Alagwa, Coco Martin as the man who finds the remains of his dead daughter intact after ten years in Santa Nina, Alfred Vargas in his impassioned title role portrayal of Ang Supremo, Anthony Falcon as the gay dressmaker with a heart of gold in Requieme, JM de Guzman as the tahong farmer hopelessly in love with a prostitute in Intoy Syokoy, Dominic Roco as the young man who refuses to talk in Ang Nawawala.

For best actress, Eugene Domingo and Zsa Zsa Padilla as the mothers in I Do Bidoo, Janice de Belen, Iza Calzado, Agot Isidro and Judy Ann Santos as the four friends who have scores to settle with each other in Mga Mumunting Lihim, Nora Aunor as the barren midwife in search of a new wife for her husband in Thy Womb, LJ Reyes as the young woman who prostitutes herself for her younger siblings in Intoy Syokoy, Bea Alonzo as the title-roler in The Mistress, Shamaine Buencamino as the barangay captain who can’t accept her gay son in Requieme, Alessandra de Rossi as the mother of the dead infant in Sta. Nina, and Valerie Concepcion as the abused victim in search of love in the wrong places in Flames of Love.

Here’s looking forward to better and more satisfying films and performances in 2013.