Shame (2011)

Michael Fassbender’s eyes are intense. Give him a non-speaking role and he could still affect you in many ways. You can see through his eyes layers upon layers of emotions.  Hell, you can even see through his soul. In 2011’s Shame, artist-turned-director Steve McQueen cast Fassbender in a role of a sex addict named Brandon, which won Fassbender numerous acting awards including the BAFTA. 

Brandon keeps a shameful secret. He is a sex addict. Living alone in his sterile, immaculately clean New York apartment, his secret addiction to joyless sex with strangers is suddenly disrupted by his sister Sissy (Academy Award nominee Carey Mulligan) who shows up unannounced to come live him. His privacy ruined, Brandon's frustration to get his next fix slowly eats him up until his sex addiction spirals out of control. 

Fassbender has once again given a powerful performance, giving credence to his character's helplessness, loneliness, and despair, earning not your disgust but your sympathy. And McQueen has effectively portrayed Brandon’s heightening frustration and addiction, taking the viewer along with the increasingly dangerous frequency of Brandon’s sexual indulgences until he is out of control, made even more intense by the dramatic film score. 

However, what is actually more shameful in this movie is not Brandon’s addiction, but the movie’s dialogue. Literally shocking. Not vulgar or obscene, but painfully cliché-ish, unbelievably shallow and trite that the lines do not match the gravity of the drama, and totally affecting the credibility of the scenes. If the dialogue were improvised, it did not work. At all. If McQueen wrote this, then he should never touch a pen or type a word for a movie ever again. If the script were written even by the likes of Rachael Ray, maybe it would have been better.

Carey Mulligan will surprise you in this film. In fact, the most memorable and compelling scenes in this film are with her in it; her performance raw and natural, mesmerizing in her emotional outbursts that she actually rivals Fassbender’s gift of acting. What a shame that she didn’t get nominated.  It also helped that Brandon and Sissy’s most intimate arguments and conversations are shot from behind, the camera parked behind their backs, so that you become a voyeur, only catching that fleeting pained look from their side views, the quiet screaming between them, and that split second fall of tears. Ingenius.

Overall, Shame is a provocative story, a sad tale of a man controlled by something dangerous. It’s not a movie to sell sex nor an excuse for porn, but it's a painful and sincere portrayal of the tragic world of sex addicts. It’s just really a shame with the dialogue.

3 out of 5 stars

Rated NC-17 for explicit sexual scenes.

The Lucky One (2012)

Sappy romance set in suburban North Carolina, with breathtaking pink skies; sunsets glinting against blades of grass; roses and carnations in full bloom and rustling in the wind; a charming, rustic house complete with a story-book porch...Then a ruggedly handsome soldier, quiet and strong, suddenly comes into the life of a beautiful blonde single mom. Isn't it romantic? Isn't it sooo...Nicholas Sparks?

Based on  Sparks' novel, The Lucky One tells the story of a marine, Logan (Zac Efron), and his superstitious belief that a photo of a woman he found while on duty in Iraq is what kept him alive during the war. After finishing his third tour, he sets out to find the woman in the photo to thank her. I mean, she saved his life and all. He finally finds her in North Carolina. Her name is Beth (Taylor Schilling), a divorcee who lives with her genius son and her very young and perky grandmother (Blythe Danner). They happily run a kennel and are occasionally harassed by the town sheriff, Beth's bully ex-husband Keith (Jay Ferguson). The  next thing Logan knows, he's a hired help in the kennel. And the story of the photo does not come up...temporarily buried a secret for later conflict.

Efron in a serious and matured role.

Star of TV series 'Mercy', Taylor Schilling gets the lead in a Sparks movie.

For the next forty-five minutes, nothing happens except for Logan walking his equally--if not more--handsome German shepherd, with a backdrop of woodsy, natural beauty; working hard, all sweaty and muscular, while Nana eyes him giddily for her granddaughter Beth. But Beth barely notices the brooding soldier--until a brief verbal jousting sparks between them (finally, she notices him!), followed by an explosion of drama in the garden that finally closes the physical space between them.

The Lucky One starts off with a weak and predictable premise of a man searching for a woman because of...er...her photo that made him lucky. With that kind of a beginning to a story, it would be crazy to expect a richly woven plot and a shocking ending.

Listen to Nana, she can tell a good husband from afar.

Directed by Scott Hicks (Snow Falling on Cedars), the movie sometimes feels like it's lost and panicking, stalling, wasting time, uncertain how to bring the two "destined" lovers together. So it goes marinating in cutesy son antics, pretty flowers and handsome dogs, and tranquil shots of nature, punctuated with cliche moments. No building tension between the two before they got together, so the romantic anticipation is lost somewhere and I found myself getting restless, the familiar coldness of boredom creeping into my limbs (but, amazingly, it did not get into my nerves). It's like a slow, flat line, a long stretch of nothingness, not enough displays of brewing attraction...then suddenly, out of the blue, WHAM!, they're already kissing.

The predictable conflict, when it came, is embarrassingly shallow that you just turn your eyes away and pretend you never saw and heard it. And the predictable conclusion was so convenient that you've come to accept it before it even happened. Besides, what more can you expect from a Star Cine-- I mean, a Nicholas Sparks love story?

Two physically fit people sure look good together.

All the actors are good and pleasant to watch; Efron has transformed into a manly buff and Schilling looks enviably fit and pretty, with a terribly cute wardrobe that I fantasized I owned. Since the story  and the characters lack depth, there's nothing to expect more from their performances, so Efron only has an understandably singular facial expression: trying to maintain that matured countenance, silently fighting off that High School Musical image-- which actually worked. The little boy is adorable and Danner is lovely to look at. However, it was Ferguson who stood out among them, effectively frightening as the bully and jealous ex-husband, the only character in the movie with palpable issues.

Who pissed off the sheriff? I'm scared.

The Lucky One is a painterly beautiful picture to look at, but beyond the sunsets and whispering winds and the rustling grass and pretty floral dresses, there is nothing to hold on to. But if you're in the mood for a tranquil nature-rich backdrop in a motion picture, or you have a crush on Efron, or you love cute and hip suburban mom fashion, then The Lucky One might be your kind of Friday night movie at the cinema. To hell with the story! What's more important are beautiful lovers in beautiful places!

If you're a fan of the Nicholas Sparks brand of romance, then nothing should stop you from watching this.

In Philippine theaters on April 18, 2012

2 out of 5 stars

Naci Comfort Food and Dessert Bar

Conveniently a short walk from Greenhills Shopping Center, along Connecticut Avenue and tucked in one of the floors of a small building, is a fairly new restaurant, only 6 months old, with a bold promise hanging on the wall even before you reach its double glass doors: "No appetite will be left unsatisfied." The words were surrounded with images of artfully arranged food.

Upon entering Naci Comfort Food and Dessert Bar, more words are plastered on the walls. One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. Virginia Woolf. Food is our common ground, our universal experience. James Beard. 

The words were a tease, a lure, a hint, a confident statement. As if what you are about to experience in this restaurant is what inspired these literary greats to blurt out these words.

Walking across the dimly lit restaurant, softly glowing from the overhead pinlights, my sister and I were welcomed by a very young lady with a long, silky hair, bright eyes, and a sweet, warm smile. You'd think she's a student. An intern perhaps. But she was Nadine Nocom, the 23-year-old owner of Naci. The brains behind the restaurant.

The Food

Think home. Think adventure. Think of your mom's most delicious home-cooked meal and think of that exotic Peking duck you had in China. That's what Naci is all about. 

The inspired Nadine and her chefs offer a passionate fusion of your favorite comfort food...from around the world. They have created a long list of creative dishes, the combination bold, inspired and playful. Whatever your comfort food is--adobo, pizza, fried chicken, macaroni salad, fries--Naci hands it to you, with a taste of exotic and adventure. And the whopping 17-course diverse and multi-cultural dishes served to us were all, without exaggeration, eye-popping and wonderfully palatable, like a new breed of comfort food. 

My favorites are the following:

For starters, the Chorizo and Brie Puffs (baked cream puffs filled with Spanish chorizo and banana) ranked first as my favorite. It's light and rich, and the combination of the sweet cream puffs contrasted with Spanish chorizo is simply divine. Second favorite were the Beef Taco Spring Rolls (crispy spring rolls stuffed with beef taco filling  and tomato salsa served with sour cream), like munching on soft and un-messy tacos.

Chorizo and Brie Puffs (PHP 380)

Beef Taco Spring Rolls (P210)

For the salad, the Kani Mango Crunch (layers of assorted greens, kani, ripe mangoes, cucumber with crispy wonton and vermicelli, drizzled with wasabi mayo) topped my list. I hate wasabi, but for this salad, I loved the nasal-clearing spiciness of it mixed with sweet mangoes and the crunch of the greens, followed by Fried Chicken Macaroni Salad (marinated crispy chicken cutlets topped with macaroni salad and crisp lettuce) that brings to mind my grandma's macaroni salad, and the chicken was tender and juicy.

Kani Mango Crunch  (PHP 200)

Fried Macaroni Salad (PHP 250)

The main entree Chef Ed's Pork Shank (French-cut pork shank braised in onion soup topped with melted cheese and served with petite bread basket) melts heavenly in your mouth.

Chef Ed's Pork Shank (PHP480)

Bistek Lechon Kawali (double-fried crispy pork belly served with classic Bistek sauce and garlic rice) is astoundingly tender and rich, and the garlic rice was devastatingly good.

Bistek Lechon Kawali (PHP280)

Nate's Steak and Eggs (a stack of seared beef patty over parsely rice topped with eggs and onion rings served with chunky mushroom gravy, named after Nadine's brother and a bestseller, is absolutely something you'd order again and again.

Nate's Steak and Eggs (PHP385)

For dessert, we were served a mini sampler of 12 cupcakes, and a bite of the heavenly Pistachio Chocolate Cupcake (PHP 70; luxurious butter cream made with French pistachio paste and a dark chocolate base) has made me gasp, followed by the unbelievable Red Velvet Cupcake (PHP 60, American cream cheese frosting on top of a dense red cupcake with a hint of cocoa) that on the way home, we bought some to take home. (Sorry, no good photos of each).

Almost everything we ate that night was glorious to the taste buds. 

The food, amazingly, lived up to the words plastered on the walls.

The Ambiance

Furnished to look like a home, Naci Bar is cozy and comfortable. It could have been more aesthetically sophisticated, but then the food is distractingly good that the surroundings no longer matter. 

Rectangular tables and comfy chairs and soft, yellow overhead pinlights, clean and a bit intimate, you will quickly ease into the luxurious comfort of dining. Look to your left and you will see chefs at work, baking their glorious selection of cakes, cookies, cupcakes...all a blur of Belgian chocolate, pistachio, cream, nuts, and dried fruits...*drools*

The Service

Impeccable. The service crew respectful, efficient, and well-trained, anticipating your needs and quick to address your requests. 

Nadine, who was so enthusiastic and sweetly down-to-earth, dined with us and happily answered our questions and beamed, whispering modest thank you's, whenever we sing our praises with every bite.

Overall Verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Naci Comfort Food and Dessert Bar is a must-visit. A sanctuary of comfort food and exotic delights that would definitely make you come back...again and again. 

For the complete photos of  all 17 dishes with my rank of deliciousness, CLICK HERE.

Naci Comfort Food and Dessert Bar

2/F Fox Square Bldg. Connecticut St. Greenhills, San Juan City Metro Manila, 1500 San Juan, Philippines

Hours:

Mon to Thu: 11:00 - 01:00

Fri to Sat: 11:00 - 02:00

Sun: 11:00 - 22:00

Naci also offers group, parties, and events services.

Naci Comfort Food and Dessert Bar Facebook Page


UPDATE!
**NACI'S NEW ADDRESS!**

Two Parkade, 7th Avenue corner 30th Street, Bonifacio Global City

_____________________________________________________________________________

I would like to thank OpenRice.com, Asia-Pacific's Premier Dining Guide, for the invitation and Nadine Nocom, owner of Naci, for her gracious hospitality and for the extremely pleasant dining experience.

Every Breath You Take (2012)

In the latest Star Cinema romantic comedy, this time The Police's 1983 song "Every Breath You Take" for its title as if randomly picked from a karaoke song book without any relevance to the plot, we are presented with Majoy (Angelica Panganiban), a religious and superstitious family oriented virginal sweetums who has an ovarian disorder. The problem seems to speed up her biological clock, pressuring her to find a husband quick and bear a child before it's too late. But Majoy firmly believes that it's foolish to be hasty, and relies on a series of crazy and fantastical signs and wonders that will tell her if she has already found Mr. Right. (Note: her superstitious nature and conservatism is her charming factor that will make Mr. Right fall in love with her).

Enter Mr. Right: Leo Dimalanta (Piolo Pascual), a commitment-phobe womanizer who happens to be a—omigosh, this is so NEW in the Star Cinema world of corporate careers—real estate salesman, who one day crosses paths with Majoy. A strong physical attraction immediately explodes between the two, but Leo experiences all the wrong and dangerous signs when he's with Majoy. So we have our conflict: Majoy, a superstitious biological timebomb itching to procreate and settle down, is in love with the skeptic and ambitious player Leo. Will Leo realize that the conservative Missus-wannabe Majoy is really the right girl for him? 

Every Breath You Take (I get goosebumps whenever my mind speaks the title) surprisingly offers an engaging and fast-paced narrative that will bring you right until the end credits (I am usually incapable of finishing a Star Cinema flick). Directed by Mae Czarina Cruz, whose previous directorial works are in television, it's no surprise that it has a strong feminine perception on romance, with scenes that are giddy-inducing to the ladies. Since I am not a follower of the Star Cinema franchise, I have no idea when they started becoming...er...more liberated in their rom-coms, injecting a lot of lengthy makeout scenes, but it looks like the Filipino dating scene has finally evolved in the Star Cinema world. 

Of course, this chick flick is not without a goofy supporting cast and subplots to provide the audience more comedic experience—which includes the famed Korean "I Lilly Lilly Like You" Ryan Bang as Majoy's heartbroken suitor and a trio of idiot siblings (Smokey Manoloto, Carlos Agassi, and Joross Gamboa) out to get Leo. Offering silly, oftentimes senseless but funny humor, the subplots cleverly do not divert us from the main story, but instead are essential to the narrative structure. 

Panganiban offers her sole comedic performance in this movie— a parody of Kris Aquino's manner of speech, and Pascual will make you doubt the rumors that he's gay. Both have strong onscreen presence and chemistry and are fairly absorbing to watch. They can act. And out of the supporting cast, it's Ryan Bang and Smokey Manoloto who manage to elicit LOLs, providing us with strong personality-based humor. 

The stubbornly unnatural sing-songy scripted tone of voice is still present in this film but the characters are interesting enough that you get used to it. The writing is not yet as strong, fresh, and as witty as one would hope would finally happen in our local cinema, but despite spurts of weak dialogue, the screenplay succeeded in providing a solid comedic narrative. There is one scene, though, that looks like it was copied from Anne Hathaway's character in One Day, when Majoy was giving her contact numbers to Leo, which makes you wonder how many of the scenes were original or "inspired." Also, the movie has too much elements of fantasy and comedy that Leo and Majoy's love story is barely felt. 

Overall, Every Breath You Take is more of a comedy than a romantic comedy. What with the bad trailer, the movie turns out to be surprisingly engaging and does not take itself too seriously. It's relaxed, fast-paced, funny, playful, and with a likeable cast ensemble. So, if you're looking for a light and silly local entertainment—on top of being a Piolo fan—this is worth your time and consideration.

3 out of 5 stars

Titanic 3D (2012)

The plot that film snobs (and those who have never given Titanic a chance) scoff at: Poor boy meets rich girl. On-board a luxurious and gigantic ship on its maiden voyage destined to sink. Celine Dion singing the theme song. Pretty sunsets. Heartthrob of the '90s Leonardo DiCaprio yelling, "I'm the king of the world! Wohooo!" A love story so cliche it hurts. 

But why did 95 percent of the world fall in love with Titanic when it premiered in 1997? And people never asking "Have you seen Titanic?" but "How many times have you seen Titanic?"  And why is it that, today, it is still one of our most favorite movies of all time? 

It's the way James Cameron told the story.

Fifteen years later, re-released in 3D on the big screen to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the sailing of the RMS Titanic on April 10th, you ask, How is the movie different today on the big screen? And in 3D? Do not expect to feel as if you're drowning, nor expect to duck when Grandma Rose throws into the bottomless sea the "Heart of the Ocean" with a small yelp. But the movie was cleanly converted into 3D, clear and crisp. You can almost wade through the icy, bottomless North Atlantic Ocean, Jack or Rose's face so close to you, and you can almost touch the handrails of the ship as it tilts to its horrific fate.

The 3D has minimal effect, but it doesn't bother you because it's the power of the story that will once again sweep you off your feet. Yes, Titanic is still perfect. It doesn't matter if you now realize how cheesy all the lines are that you find yourself chuckling inside the movie house. But no matter how corny the lines are, they are the lines that you know by heart and are fond of. And besides, the movie's beauty is not in the words, but in the story itself. Cameron may not be a writer, but he's a darn good visual storyteller.

Watching it again on the big screen more than a decade later, you realize once again why this movie has earned a deep spot in your heart and why it bagged 11 Oscar awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Cameron used a fantastic real-life tragedy as backdrop of a simple love story. He chose the kind of film score where a single note already evokes a multitude of emotions, intensifying the story's sense of drama, romance, and tragedy. And he inserted the music in appropriate scenes, the timing so perfect that you are rendered speechless or in tears. Cameron's genius clearly lies in his precision; he is a master manipulator of emotions, gifted with the tools to dictate our emotions through a motion picture.

Titanic was and still is a cinematic masterpiece. Fifteen years later, you will find yourself still rooting for the underdog (DiCaprio), still amazed and heartbroken by the forensic analysis of the tragedy, still wiping away tears as Jack kisses Rose while scolding her in a cracked voice, "You're so stupid, Rose! Why'd you do that? Huh? You're so stupid!" and still watching with shocked silence as the Titanic sinks with a heartbreaking and frightening knowledge that it happened in real life... more than a thousand souls drowning and freezing in the Atlantic Ocean.

Yes, the magic is still there.

Are you ready to go back to Titanic?

Watch this 2012 trailer and tell me if you're not yet convinced to see it on the big screen for the nth time...and for the first time in 3D:

4.5 out of 5 stars

Showing in Philippine Cinemas on April 7, 2012