What's the best Filipino movie you've seen?

[kinky]

I think the movie May Minamahal should also be taken notice because the film was also quite good. Aga was so himself and Aiko was such a beauty there. not to mention Ogie Diaz, of course!!! i really like the movie!

[Gilbey]

Most films by carlos siguon reyna are good. I like them but right now, if there is one film i would buy - DAHIL MAY ISANG IKAW, the one with regine and aga. its light comedy and drama. medyo typical in certain ways like the beach scene and the like. but i like most is when the whol family talked to regine and the line of gloria diaz, kaya nilang magmahal dahil handa silang masaktan!

Its nice.....

[steph]

yung mga star cinema films, esp. pag drama, mostly ok yan (viva not bad din yung drama..mga sharon flicks like madrasta, minsan minahal kita...

pero ok ngay yung mga drama flicks: aga with regine(limot ko na title!), aga with aiko(may minamanhal), aga with lea(sana maulit muli)...naku!! puro aga!! hehehe

[meowmeow]

Mike de Leon has made several good movies, all of which would successfully put current makers of so called quality films to shame. Batch '81, Itim and Soltera are all good movies.

[watermelon]

too many to mention.

[Tope]

napakarami na no!

[frenzy]

Maynila: Sa Kuko ng Liwanag
Oro Plata Mata
Muro-Ami
Anak
José Rizal

[Noel Vera]

Did an article on the thirteen greatest Filipino films...

13. "Scorpio Nights" (Peque Gallaga, 1985)

12. "Init sa Magdamag" (Midnight Passion, Laurice Guillen, 1983)

11. "Pagdating sa Dulo" (At the Top; Ishmael Bernal, 1972)

10. "Bagong Bayani" (The Last Wish; Tikoy Aguiluz, 1995)

9. "Babae sa Bubungang Lata" (Woman on a Tin Roof; Mario O'Hara, 1998)

8. "Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak" (When the Crow Turns White, When the Heron Turns Black; Celso Ad. Castillo, 1978)

7. "Manila By Night" (Ishmael Bernal, 1980)

6. "Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag" (Manila in the Claws of Neon; Lino Brocka, 1975)

5. "Bagong Hari" (The New King; Mario O'Hara, 1986)

4. "Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang" (You Were Judged and Found Wanting; Lino Brocka, 1974)

3. "Kisapmata" (Blink of an Eye; Mike De Leon, 1982)

2. "Insiang" (Lino Brocka, 1976)

1. "Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos" (Three Years Without God; Mario O'Hara, 1976)

For details, or to read the article, click here:
http://www.egroups.com/message/noelmoviereviews/130

There are more, much more. But these thirteen are a good place to start.

[cathybee]

Read my lips: MARAMING MARAMI! siguro, nadisappoint lang ang marami because of the proliferation of the cheapy films pero when i have nothing to watch, i usually switch to pinoy channel and see if there's something good worth watching. AT MERON HA! Usually, the drama and politically-inclined films are really great! The teenboppers---hmm...marami din if you want to feel good ba! hehehehehe....siguro, madidisappoint ka lang sa comedy at action dahil weak lagi ang plot at timing.

[naturallybeautiful]

i loved minsan minahal kita! and may minamahal. those are the only ones i can think of...hmmm...

[DELISYUS]

sa panahon ko........hmmm....

sibak!

inagaw mong lahat sa akin (?) tama ba?

[Expat]

A part of me finds this question a little insulting at first, but then I thought that you actually meant well in asking this question.

I agree with the movies that are included in the succeeding replies. I am not a critic but I know that I enjoyed most of the movies that have been mentioned here. There are a lot of worthwhile Filipino films out there. Just keep an open mind and watch as much Filipino movies as you can (esp. from directors who you consistently read as excellent directors like Brocka, de Leon, Bernal, Lav Diaz, O'Hara, etc. because, in all likelihood, their works are very good).

To Noel, this may be a stupid question but what is the movie "Bagong Hari?" I could only think about a movie made by Dante Varona pero I might be wrong because I think you are the first person I have come across to have mentioned this as one of the nicest Filipino films ever made.

[Expat]

or is Bagong Hari the Dan Alvaro starrer? If so, I am really surprised to see this movie in your list. I haven't seen it but I also haven't heard much about it (including from any Best Filipino Films list of any critic). I am just surprised, that's all. Do you have a more detailed synopsis of this movie?

[kryptonian78]

muro-ami and jose rizal.

[MJ]

- eskapo
- pusong mamon (kaya lang medyo kadiri yung love scene ni eric quizon and ni albert martinez)

[Hot Pants]

ewan ko tinamad na akong manood ng pinoy movies. pare pareho tema eh. pag love stroy love triangle, pag action, revenge, and etc.

[Noel Vera]

You just missed a good one, Mario O'Hara's Pangarap ng Puso. The title (yech) was changed from "Bulong ng Balakyot," (Whispers of the Demon), maybe because even Regal didn't know what the film is--love story, political expose, horror movie, magic realism. I say it's all of the above, and an incredibly imaginative film. O'Hara gets into areas Brocka never really went into, and I think he can operate on more levels of meaning than Bernal.

Expat, two films stood out during the latter days of Marcos--Scorpio Nights, which expressed its nihilism and despair through sex, and Bagong Hari, which did the same through violence.

The film opened and closed almost on the same day (I made it a point to see it on the first day). I think it failed commercially because it was so dark and violent, and because no one was in the mood to watch a film.

Yes, 'Bagong Hari' is the Dan Alvaro film. Check out Mel Tobias' 100 Best Filipino films, or if you can dig up Manny Reyes' review, they both rate it very highly.

The story is very simple--Dan is pushed too far, and he takes revenge on his enemies. Typical FPJ or Erap film, except the texture of the movie--the corruption, which reaches from the highest government offices to the filthiest street gutters, the violence, which can be extreme and baroque at the same time--enables it to transcend the genre.

What O'Hara and Rivera were expressing was an utter and complete rejection of Philippine society at this time--remember, the film came out in 1986, the last days of the Marcos regime--and the need for a new leader, a new kind of hero. A new king, so to speak. In its own quiet, unhysterical (yet darkly noirish) way, I think it's an even more extreme condemnation of the society than, say, Brocka's 'Bayan Ko'--except that since it's an action film, a genre film, it got even less respect than Bayan Ko.

Hope that answers your question.

[Expat]

Expat, thanks for the reply. How did "Bulong ng Balakyot" (I think this is the better title) do in the box office? I hope it did good.

[maxinegirl]

Sad to say, but i think there are very few Filipino films worth watching. Most are cheesy, low-budget films...or films with melodramatic, predictable themes with cheesy lines and dialogue that you hear only...in the movies! Or bold movies without any plots, or movies with plots obviously copied from foreign (usually American) films.

But I did get to see some Filipino films worth watching:
1. May Minamahal - it has none of the makabagbag-damdaming dialogue that most filipino films use; very natural acting, very realistic film

2. Eskapo - good because it has a theme, a plot...nice release from Star Cinema

3. Sorry but I forgot the title ...anyway, it's Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta's movie with breathtaking cinematography, directed by Carlitos Siguion-Reyna. This is a classic, I think.

4. I think the old Sharon-Gabby movies are kinda cute...Dear Heart, PS I Love You...for entertainment value lang naman.

[liarenskie]

SAKAY
Maynila: Sa Kuko ng Liwanag
Rizal