Contemporary Philippine Cinema at MoMA: Thy Womb

It is hard to believe we are talking about ancient practices like polygamy and dowries with respect to a nation as worldly and Roman Catholic as the Philippines, but this is Tawi-Tawi under discussion, the southern-most archipelago province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Don’t worry, polygamy is only legal for Muslims and polyandry is safely verboten for everyone. An aging barren first-wife will try to make the best of circumstances by taking an active role in the selection of her husband’s second wife, but it is a bitter pill for her to swallow in Brillante Mendoza’s Thy Womb (trailer here) which screens during MoMA’s film series, A New Golden Age: Contemporary Philippine Cinema.

To add irony to injury, the infertile Shaleha often serves as a midwife to the pregnant island women. After years of trying to conceive, Bengas-An is determined to try with a younger, healthier second wife. Sadly, his prejudices against adoption preclude that option. Given the importance of children as a source of support to the aged, Shaleha relents, but she assumes the primary responsibility for screening potential brides. She will also find herself scrimping and borrowing alongside Bangas-An to raise the necessary dowry.

During the course of Thy Womb (talk about a heavy-handed title), we see Shaleha care for Bangas-An when he is sick, toil like a yoked mule on his behalf, and even face a pirate attack while they are fishing in the open ocean. And how do you think Islam rewards such faithfulness?

Dear, of dear, this is a difficult film to watch, because it is so inevitably tragic. (Tellingly, Mendoza apparently couldn’t bring himself to administer the final indignity, but it is unambiguously implied.) Of course, Mendoza is culturally sensitive to a fault. He takes great pains to show how the islanders live in concert with nature and the seas. He also captures the color of their ceremonies with an ethnographer’s eye. That still doesn’t change the fact you clearly do not want to be an old disposable wife in the ARMM.

Nora Aunor is considered a Philippine national treasure—and it is easy to see why in Thy Womb, even though she completely disappears into the role of Shaleha. It is a courageous, openly vulnerable performance, with nothing that would appeal to a thesp’s vanity. Viewers will want to slap Bembol Roco’s Bangas-An, precisely because he is so believable. They really feel like a couple with decades of hardscrabble history together. It should also be noted Lovi Poe makes quite an entrance as Mersila, the prospective #2, who threatens to de-stabilize the equilibrium.

Thy Womb is often striking to look at—perhaps even too much so. There are considerable interludes in which Mendoza soaks up the local color and traditions rather than develop character or advance the narrative. However, the power of his intimate but extreme marital drama is undeniable. Recommended for those who are genuinely concerned about women’s rights internationally, Thy Womb screens tomorrow (6/13) and Thursday the 22^nd, as part of MoMA’s Philippine film series.

Contemporary Philippine Cinema at MoMA: Clash

So, you think Donnie Trump is an authoritarian? Well then, what do you make of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte? This would be the former Davao City mayor who made of practice of reading lists of alleged criminals over the radio, many of whom were subsequently murdered by extralegal death squads. To be fair, the alleged vigilante killings predated the anti-American demagogue’s term as mayor, as did this searing dramatic expose. Timelier than ever, Pepe Diokno’s Clash (trailer here) screens during MoMA’s ongoing film series, A New Golden Age: Contemporary Philippine Cinema.

Richard is the older teen brother who wants out of the gangster life. Raymond is his younger teen brother, who wants in. Frankly, Richard may have waited too long. His gang has been decimated by their rivals and the death squad has publicly targeted him. The plan is to catch a boat to Manila with his prostitute girlfriend Jenny-Jane. However, he will have to raise 1,000 pesos for their fare. He would also like to set Raymond back on the straight-and-narrow before leaving, but his brother has already fallen under the sway of his nemesis, Tomas. All the while, Mayor Danilo Dularte Suarez’s blustery propaganda speeches blare out from every radio, like a veritable Big Brother.

Barely reaching the one-hour mark (including every last closing credit), Clash should still be considered a fully developed feature. Arguably, Diokno combines the social conscience of Brillante Mendoza with the snarling grit of Erik Matti’s noirs (such as On the Job, also included in MoMA’s series). Restless in the extreme, Diokno’s disorienting handheld hops from person to person like Linklater’s Slacker, but in need of a tetanus shot and some serious deodorant. Sometimes the shaky-cam is just too much, but the sense of urgency is always palpable.

This is a violent, predatory world, where anything could happen to anyone at any time, especially someone like Richard, who arguably has it coming. The conflict between brothers takes on almost Biblical symbolism, but they are based on real life siblings Diokno met while conducting research. Indeed, Clash is the sort of film where there does not seem to be any acting going on. Yet, that is rather a tribute to Felix Roco and Daniel Medrana, who are utterly convincing as Richard and Raymond, respectively. Eda Nolan similarly gives a brave yet completely natural and unaffected performance as Jenny-Jane.

We sort of know where Clash is headed, but not quite. There is an inescapable logic to the finale, but it still will turn your guts to ice. This is a powerful, pungent film that expresses Diokno’s rage at the dysfunctional political and legal systems that have continued unchecked since the film’s initial release in 2009. In fact, they have produced the nation’s president. Intense and unforgiving, Clash screens with the prison documentary Bunso this Thursday (6/8) and Friday the 23^rd, as part of MoMA’s Philippine film series.

Contemporary Philippine Cinema at MoMA: Gemini

If Tennessee Williams had the opportunity to write a Philippine horror movie, it might have gone something like this. Julia and Judith were always like the Corsican Brothers. If one suffered from some sort of pain, so did the other. Unfortunately, Judith is bold and curious about the world, whereas Julia is sickly and allergic to nearly everything. Due to her frail health, both sisters must live sequestered lives. As a result, Judith harbors a great deal of resentment for her sister. That bitterness and sexual repression leads to violence in Ato Bautista’s Gemini (trailer here), which screens during MoMA’s new film series, A New Golden Age: Contemporary Philippine Cinema.

As Manuel’s interrogation begins, the detective acknowledges the slippery nature of truth, but we have to start somewhere. Julia finally wants to come clean. Her sister murdered Anton, the brother of their tutor, with whom the more forward Judith was romantically involved. When Anton eventually showed his true colors, it sparked a bloody altercation, after which Julia helped Judith dispose of the body. At least that is Julia’s story and she is sticking to it, for the time being. However, there are plenty of reasons to doubt her veracity, starting with the fact Manuel’s partner is a dead-ringer for Anton.

Gemini is filled with doubling, including the central twins, the odd doppelganger, and the frequent use of reflections. Frankly, the film is weird in just about every way. Somehow, Bautista uses techniques and motifs of experimental cinema to disorient and thoroughly creep out viewers. It is hard to say just what Gemini is, because it is probably too cerebral to be horror and too gory to be a straight psychological thriller. Regardless, it is certainly distinctive.

Sheena and Brigitte McBride are indeed identical twins, who are eerily cold and distant as Julia and Judith (or possibly Judith and Julia). Yet, we can vividly feel the fear of the former (presumably), as her constructed realities begin to collapse. However, it is Mon Confiado who really holds the film together and carries it through its twists and turns as the interrogator.

On top of all the surreal reality-problematizing, there is also a fair spot of body horror in Gemini. Yet, despite the profoundly warped perspective, there is a very human tragedy at the film’s center. Viewers have to be comfortable with all the gamesmanship, but experienced genre fans will find it is worth the effort. Recommended accordingly, Gemini screens this Sunday (6/4) and Saturday the 17^th at MoMA, as part of their upcoming Philippine film series.

Contemporary Philippine Cinema at MoMA: Expressway

If you thought it was Grinchy when terrorists took over Nakatomi Plaza during the annual holiday party in Die Hard, wait till you see how these two hitman spend their yuletide. It will be a sweaty, noir Christmas in Ato Bautista’s Expressway (trailer here), which screens during MoMA’s new film series, A New Golden Age: Contemporary Philippine Cinema.

In the murky twilight world Ben and Morris inhabit, it is difficult to tell the difference between the government and organized crime. They are assassins who work for the “Colonel,” rubbing out honest cops and especially dishonest crooks, who think they can get away with skimming a little off the top. The world-weary Ben is sick of this line of work, but the young, sadistic Morris quite enjoys it. The former intends to retire after completing their latest batch of jobs, but these assignments will be particularly messy, in a soul-killing kind of way.

The fact that the aggressively talkative Morris never shuts up further sets Ben on edge, but that is rather the idea. As they pursue their bloody business, it becomes clear the two men share a secret connection. Ben also happens to know their final target, so small world, isn’t it?

Hardboiled crime just doesn’t get much darker than Expressway. It is a lethally efficient hitman anti-buddy movie that proudly proclaims its Tarantino influences with a visual hat-tip that should have fans howling in their seats, like a pack of wild dingoes. However, sensitive viewers should be warned the third act is amorally mean even by genre standards.

Regardless, Alvin Anson and Aljur Abrenica give tour de force performances as the stylistic opposites. Anson’s brooding Ben looks like a walking existential crisis, whereas Abrenica’s Morris is so aggressively obnoxious (intentionally so), viewers will be begging Ben to kill him after the first twenty minutes. Sparks fly as they play off each other.

Bautista’s execution is super slick and ominously warped. He keeps every second taut to the breaking point. If you enjoy shadowy underworld thrillers rife with revenge and betrayal than this is your catnip. Highly recommended for genre fans, Expressway screens this Friday (6/2) and Wednesday the 21^st at MoMA, as part of their upcoming Philippine film series.