Lola

NOTED WHILE SEEING THIS FILM:

Direk Brillante Mendoza is fond of long silent sequences, a tap into the introspective instinct of the audience, a potent rabid demonstration without a single word. He does this with Lola (2009), Kinatay (2009), Masahista (2005), and a slew of films he spearheaded. Mainstream blockbusters avoid silence as much as they could, where 10 seconds of silence means death. Direk Mendoza risks this death, and hoards accolades in return. Blankly staring into space is a smart thing, apparently. Who knew?

Anita Linda and Rustica Carpio are two of the most believable veteran actresses today. Ms Linda evokes a long list of emotions with a single facial expression. Ms Carpio on the other hand elicits audience reactions with her semi-antagonist role, which only means she's good in what she does.

The Philippines is miserable. There I said it. It's what poverty films are about, anyway: a nation comprising a weak justice system, poor sanitation and hygiene in current living conditions, expensive commercialized funerary services, a worrisome degree of desensitization to crime, and growing apathy especially in the big cities; and that's not even half of it. Deplorable, yes, but hopeless, not yet. Knowing our faults as a country, through Lola and many Filipino films of late, is the first step towards addressing social ills.

I would like to see happy films ten years from now. Who wouldn't?




Lola (Grandmother)(2009)
a Brillante Mendoza film, screenplay by Linda Casimiro
Cast: Anita Linda, Rustica Carpio, Tanya Gomez, Jhong Hilario, Ketchup Eusebio

Won, MuhrAsiaAfrica Best Film  Award, 2009 Dubai International Film Festival
Won, 2 Best Actress Citations, 2011 Fajr Film Festival
Won, Best Film, 2011 Fajr Film Festival
Won, Don Quixote Award, 2010 Fribourg International Film Festival
Won, Ecumenical Jury Award, 2010 Fribourg International Film Festival
Won, Best Actress, 2010 Gawad Urian Award
Won, Best Production Design, 2010 Gawad Urian Award PHL
Won, Best Screenplay, 2010 Gawad Urian Award PHL
Won, Best Cinematography, 2010 Golden Screen Award PHL
Won, 2 Best Actress Citations, 2010 Las Palmas Film Festival
Won, Best Cinematography, 2010 Las Palmas Film Festival
Won, Golden Lady Harimaguada, 2010 Las Palmas Film Festival
Won, Grand Jury Prize, 2010 Miami Film Festival
Won, Digital Movie Production Designer of the Year, 2010 Star Awards PHL
Won, Digital Movie Cinematographer of the Year, 2010 Star Award PHL
     plus 18 other nominations here and abroad