Review: On The Job

On the Job (OTJ) is a local film directed by Erik Matti. Matti's last outing that I watched was Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles and while the film was entertaining and served as a good horror film in Philippine cinema, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed with the movie. I guess there's something that I want to see more in that movie. But is Matti's follow-up to Tiktik be as good or even better? Find out my thoughts below.

Synopsis:
Two prisoners, pulled from the population to carry out high-profile assassinations in exchange for reduced sentences. Two cops, baffled by the rising body count but hot on their trail. Four men, caught in a web of deceit and corruption, on a collision course with the government officials who will do anything to silence them - and no one is safe. 

Story:
I'm gonna say this upfront, the story was compelling. The story slowly sucks you in and it's hard to not pay attention to it because if you stopped paying attention, you might lose track with it. Every moment of this movie is momentous and every second of it is important and as if your life depended on it.

The writing in this movie is pure genius because the lines are well thought-out and almost every scene are very detailed and like I said every scene is important. What I also liked about this one is that even though this film is dead serious, it still injected some small humor to it so as to have a short break from all the drama this movie is giving.

What really took me in in this movie though is the acts in the movie. The first up to the last act was perfect in sync and it just keeps on building the suspense over and over and I almost felt like my heart was going to fall out of place. My heart was beating out of my chest as each scene progresses and in the final shot, I held up my hand and am glad that there was a closure to this magnificent movie.

Acting:
Basically, this is about the veterans taking the rookies to acting school. Whenever these veteran actors appear on screen, they just steal the spotlight in these rookies especially Joel Torre and Joey Marquez. Torre's performance was just powerful and you can really think that this guy spend his time behind bars as his performance was just authentic, same thing goes with Marquez' performance, he basically sinks in to his role and gives out what I think is his best performance yet.

As for the "rookies" Gerald Anderson and Piolo Pascual was good in their roles but as for Anderson, there was something missing in his performance, I think it's angst, it's just that he looks too much of a pretty boy but thanks to his performance, it kind of overshadowed that. When it comes to Pascual, this is the first time that I actually liked his acting, he was believable as a person who just wants to do the good thing and not become this crooked agent. Props to him for that as I usually find him a wooden actor.

But amidst the great performances of these leads, there was one actor who really stood out for me and it was Leo Martinez, even though with a short screen time, he just disappears into the role of a corrupt general, it was perfect.

Violence:
This film was not as violent as I thought it would be and that's a plus for me because it somehow dialed back the violence and did not border in on too much violence. That being said, if you're not used to blood in gunfights or knife fights, this will be very violent to you because this film has that.

What this film contains more though is the profanity, almost every line in this movie has cussing and I really liked that because to me, showing that in a Philippine mainstream film is basically having balls.

Music:
I loved the music in this film, it was pitch perfect in the scene and it helps the audience to get pumped up to the upcoming scene and it helped to set the tone and mood for the next scene. The banging of the drums kept my heart beating nonstop and literally made me bite my nails.

While I liked the music though, the sound mixing was a bit iffy. Some of them sounded a little fake and not as strong or sharp enough to actually feel it. Still, it's only a minor problem.

Cinematography:
Like everything I've said, I also loved the cinematography in this movie, it was gritty and dirty which really fits the movie because it shows the grim nature of Filipino lifestyle. Every shot of this movie was basically a work of art.

I think my only complaint in this aspect is that some of the fights were shot too closely and the shaky cam was a bit too much but again, these are minor problems.

In addition, the other thing that I liked in this one is that it was shot on real location and not on green screen or sets because it will or might take you out of the reality they are setting in this movie and which is in my opinion the biggest problem with 'Tiktik'.

Direction:
This is definitely one of Matti's best films because you can really feel his dedication in this project and he was able to let his cast burst into great and unforgettable performances. Aside from that, he was also able to tell a great story that you can actually believe in and actually feel a bit paranoid after watching it.

Overall:
'OTJ' is an unforgettable film that is truly magnificent with a tour-de-force performance from it's stellar cast. This film managed to balance substance and style that the mainstream films need nowadays. This is surely to be a part of the top films I have seen this year.

'OTJ' definitely restored my faith on Philippine mainstream film and I truly hope that upcoming films would be taken with more care like they did with this film.

Grade:

Favorite lines: (english transcription is from the trailer)

Tatang: Ayusin mo trabaho mo! (You f*cked up!)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Daniel: TANGINA! (Son of a b*tch)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Here's the trailer for the foreign audiences: