Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

1) Bayaning Third World (2000). Mike de Leon, one of local cinema’s most respected auteurs, impressed audiences yet again with this film about two filmmakers (Ricky Davao and Cris Villanueva) offering several scenarios, often whimsical, of what ifs? in Jose Rizal’s life. With Clodualdo del Mundo’s splendidly written script, the film took us to different possible angles and opened endless topics for debate. It may have been considered irreverence by some who highly regard Rizal as a hero (he is the country’s national hero, after all) but Rizal portrayed as a flawed and struggling human being resonated with modern-thinking viewers. Joel Torre as Rizal is another one of the film’s many highlights

2) 100 (2008). A film focusing on a person afflicted with cancer does not exactly attract heaps and heaps of moviegoers but "100" proved otherwise. This film stars Mylene Dizon as Joyce (probably the best performance of her young career), a woman dealing with cancer and coming to terms with her death. Instead of falling into deep depression, Joyce accepts her fate (though scared as hell as anyone would probably be) and becomes determined to complete her "wish list" with the help of her loved ones and family. Many moments in the film are sentimental without going overboard, and the end result is definitely life-affirming. The outstanding performances of Eugene Domingo as Ruby, Joyce’s best friend, and Tessie Tomas as Eloisa, Joyce’s mom, make this film even more worthwhile.

3) Magnifico (2003). The film tells the story of Magnifico and his grandmother who is dying of cancer and his family is too poor to do anything about it. It’s a grim situation but the boy, naïve and innocent, decides that he can do something about it. He starts by making his grandmother a coffin. Yes, it’s a melodrama of the highest order but a good melodrama nonetheless. Director Maryo J. Delos Reyes literally puts his viewers from the point of view of the child (the camera shots were aimed at a child’s eye level, giving us a visual clue as to how the filmmaker treats them—with respect not with condescension). Suffice to say that Magnifico’s pure heart changes not only his immediate family members but of the entire town as well.

4) Kimmy Dora (2009). More than making moviegoers laugh their tummies out to the point of indigestion, Kimmy Dora validated Eugene Domingo’s status as a lead star. Here, she plays twin sisters Kimmy and Dora who are in each other’s throats to win their father’s affection and eventually business. The stars definitely aligned for this film—with Piolo Pascual’s production outfit, Eugene’s awesome comedic talent, Chris Martinez’s witty script and Joyce Bernal’s phenomenal direction, it was no surprise this film was a box office smash. More importantly, the film proved that Filipino comedies do not have to resort to toilet humor for a laugh.

5) Tanging Yaman (2000). A land dispute brings together siblings (played by the late Johnny Delgado, Edu Manzano and Dina Bonnevie) as their mother (played by the ever-luminous Gloria Romero) suffers from a debilitating disease. As the disagreement of how the land should be divided becomes stronger and stronger, old issues resurface and the fact that the siblings have distant relationships with each other becomes even more obvious. Still, though separated by emotional walls, the siblings are bound by their mother’s infinite capacity to love—flawed and imperfect as they may be. Directed by the masterful Laurice Guillen, this is one family drama which could warm even the coldest of hearts.