Synopsis:
A desperate family from the northern Philippines finds that city living has its share of dangers after moving to Manila. With life in the rice fields looking particularly grim, Oscar Ramirez decides to raise his children in Manila. When Oscar lands a job with an armored truck company, it appears he has made the right move. But a high mortality rate among his coworkers and some shady business dealings at work soon lead Oscar to wonder if his family would have been better off in the country. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Story:
From the first shot of this movie, it was already interesting, at first I thought it was just some random shots but later on it is revealed to be an important part of the film. I loved the story of this movie because it shows why people from province goes to Manila because basically they see this place as paradise or as a last hope which turns out to be an act of desperation. The story is very well fleshed out in this movie because as I see it, each scene was well-explained and each scene transitioned well with the next one.
What I liked most about this aspect is that as the story goes on in this movie, the plot of the movie, the intention of the characters is slowly being unfolded and the story becomes clearer and more connected. It has a some twists which in this movie I really liked because it was executed properly even though it was very simple, it played a vital part in the movie and resonated very well with the story of the film. In some ways this film reminded me of Scorsese's Taxi Driver (my all time favorite movie) and that is just a good thing.
In addition, one of the strongest points of the story is that it felt two movies in one, with the former serving as the introduction of the characters and was a good way to serve character development while the latter serves as the desperation act of these characters thus showing a different side of the character while still attaining the core representation of the character.
Performance:
Both of the leading actors, Jake Macapagal and John Arcilla did a very good job with their roles. First let's have Macapagal, he plays Oscar who was a farmboy that went to Metro Manila to find luck. This is the first time I've seen the guy act and he just shocked me at how good this guy is. He was natural in the role and you will empathize with the character and just wish that let the character have some break from all the hardships he is experiencing. Macapagal showed this aspect of the character pretty well because he really embodied the role, he was able to channel different emotions, if I have any problem with his performance, it's his voice, there was one time where to me he just wasn't able to show a bit of angst needed in the scene.
Next is John Arcilla, firstly I will say this, I love this guy's work. He's very natural in every roles he is being given and is able to show his talent even in a small amount of time. This movie is no exception, he was outstanding in this movie, my favorite performance to be honest. He was powerful in the role and just delivers all the right emotions and just nails every mark. I like his interpretation of the character because at first he looks like an honest to God employee even though he already had some illegal doings but as we get to know more of this character, it just shows the true nature of the character.
Lastly is the leading actress in the movie which was played by Althea Vega, in my opinion, she was the weakest link in the performance aspect of the film, granted the character was well developed, the problem though is that at times Vega just shows a blank expression on her face. Having said this though, I think she still did a pretty decent job. As for the rest of the actors and actress, I thought they did a pretty fine job despite the short screen they were given.
Violence:
This film is NOT an action-packed film but it is very bloody. However it is not that over-the-top action film that most audiences are used too. In fact the violence in this movie is quite realistic although there are some shots that was a bit questionable if they were computer generated or practical effects, this is only a very minor problem though.
Music:
The score of the film is simply gorgeous, it helped the movie to set the right emotion in the following scene and it also helped to set the tone of the scene. At times it was beautiful to listen to because it was relaxing and just gives off a good vibe, then next it will become exhilarating which was very good in my opinion because it gives out the proper tension that the characters are experiencing and you can't help but to also grab tightly on your seat. Lastly the score also at times becomes sad and that was just lovely because not only does this help for you to sympathize with the characters but will also help you to sympathize with the events that our happening in Metro Manila.
What really caught my attention regarding the score of this movie is how complex it is and how different it is with each other and I loved that because every tune was used with in the proper way and it just resonated well with the scenes.
Cinematography:
I normally dislike close-up shots but in this movie even though it was much more zoomed in than what I'm used to, I liked it because it showed the emotions of the actors at the full extent. Each emotion was shown great and served as a big part in the performance of the actors. But this is not my favorite part of the cinematography of the movie, much like 'OTJ' this film was not afraid to show what Philippines truly looks like, it showed the slums in a gritty way which made the film look more authentic to me because it was grim to look at and just shows off a vibe that is negative and helps the movie to have the proper tone for each scene.
Direction:
This is the first film I've seen from Sean Ellis and honestly I fell in love with his direction in this movie. He was able to tell a story (which he wrote) that really shows how far a desperate man can go, he was also able to direct his actors in a wonderful way because they were able to showcase different emotions while remaining true to the characters he wrote. I also liked the way he made the shots because like I said it was gritty and showed Philippines in a different but honest way.
Upon seeing this film, I can't wait to watch Ellis' past films and also looking forward to his next projects. I just hope that his work in the future will be as good if not better than what he did in this movie.
Overall:
'Metro Manila' is an incredible edge of your seat crime/thriller with wonderful direction, great performances, eye catching visuals and ear satisfying music. This is perhaps one of the best crime films I've ever seen in my life because of all the thrills it gives out and just managed to shock and satisfy you in every way. Admittedly it started out slow but it allows you to get to know the characters more and allows you to let the story slowly sink in.
'Metro Manila' and 'OTJ' are definitely the type of movies I've been waiting to see from the Philippines because firstly this isn't the usual that you get to see in this country and to watch both these films was just a breath of fresh air in Philippine mainstream cinema.
Grade:
Favorite quote:
I won't be able to add the full quote on here as I forgot what it was but I loved John Arcilla's quote about the election in the Philippines. It was just an eye-opener and honestly a captivating monologue.
Here's the trailer for foreign audiences:
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