Why 35mm?

Ploning is a movie that was shot on 35mm film. In the age wherein indie films are shot on handycams and digital media to save costs, why would an independent film outfit, an upstart in an industry of giants, want to experiment with shooting on such an expensive medium, when its more established peers are already all flocking to digital media (High-Definition) to save costs?

Ploning the Movie’s end product was processed by Optima Digital, which is the same post-production company that had processed the movies Crying Ladies and Santa Santita. These two movies were known for their excellence and substance, but most relevant to this article, the vivid colors of the film.

In the press premiere of Ploning last Friday, Miss Marilen Magsaysay* had talked about how the 35mm film can be processed to make the colors of the film turn out however they want. As I quickly scanned through this Wikipedia article on 35mm films, I was able to confirm what Miss Marilen said at the press premiere: that the color is easier to manipulate when the 35mm medium is used. The 35mm film can be processed in such a manner as to have certain shades dominate the picture. According to her, it all depends on the chemicals, as I inferred from the Wikipedia article. Because of this Optima was able to produce films of the caliber of Crying Ladies’ and Santa Santita’s.

Indeed, throughout my watching of Ploning, it was a larger-than-life experience. Because of the film quality, I was moving through several emotions all at once:

• I was amazed at how an apparently ordinary veranda and weed-overgrown lawn could look like paradise.
• I was skeptical about being able to really experience this vividness in real life, and wondered whether Cuyo was that beautiful or the warm colors just made it so.
• I was in tears in the back of my mind because such beauty just moves me.
• I was in tears also because I wondered when I would ever experience colors that vivid.
• I was amazed that we, Filipinos, who so belittle ourselves constantly, could make this excellent film.
• I was irritated that we belittle ourselves.
• I was glad that we are being vindicated by labors of love and excellence such as Ploning the Movie.
• I was also telling myself in wonderment, “So THAT is why they used 35mm instead of digital!”

While I was doing the “research” for this post, I was wondering to myself, partly because of this article: “You can edit the color “temperature” on digital media anyway, so why not use that instead of costly 35mm?

But as I recall the movie, it was so different from the other movies I’ve seen. It was like a Hollywood film with its crispness, but the colors were so warm, bright and vivid that watching Ploning the Movie was a surreal experience.

With the meat of Ploning’s story, the superb acting, and the amazing vividness and crispness of the film’s quality, it is no wonder it received the approval of the Cinema Evaluation Board: The highest rating of “A”.

Watch Ploning today!

Highlights of Ploning the Movie

If you ask me what was the highlights of Ploning the Movie were, I will say these:

• Juday’s amazing acting. Here, she was absolutely fluid, absolutely seamless. This is her transition from the old Mara Clara and Wowie de Guzman-era persona to the amazing woman that she is. I was entranced, amazed, floored, riveted to her allure, her subtle allure and beauty that unfolded in her fluid movements, in the generosity that her character displayed, in this regal bearing that made you feel that whom Juday was playing there was analogous to her real-life character.
• The cinematography was just divine. Made possible by the same company who were part of Crying Ladies and Santa Santita, I need not wonder anymore. I have yet to watch Crying Ladies, but Santa Santita surely was phenomenal for me. But more phenomenal than Santa Santita was Ploning, in my personal opinion.
• The acting of Cedric Amit, the boy who plays Digo, Ploning(Juday)’s adorable foster son. I may not like normal-weight kids that much, but Digo was just a darling!
• Ms. Gina Pareño still manages to get you to grab the edge of your armrest. She is still ever so riveting, with a screen performance that is unparalleled.
• The beauty of Cuyo is just... It makes you realize there arel patches of paradise in the Philippines, indeed.
• Meryll Soriano was superb as the simpleton Alma.
• Mylene Dizon’s role as a jaded city girl on her journey to reformation was pulled off with such excellence that I actually hated her for... Er, five seconds. Then as she started showing her inner need of being accepted, and as she grew into a real relationship with Ploning, I started... Liking her. For a viewer to be moved to feel real emotions about a movie character, you’d know the actress is GOOD!
• Tessie Tomas is lovely as the old Celeste: light-hearted, engaging, retaining the younger Celeste’s flirtatiousness and feistiness, yet her character is underscored with the gentleness that comes from being tempered with time.
• Eugene Domingo and Ces Quesada also gave wonderful performances, excellent actresses as they are.
• Ketchup Eusebio is endearingly irritating.
• Amazing talent discoveries!
• Boodge Fernandez as Muo Sei was the most remarkable breakout star in the bunch (and I’m not talking about the washboard abs, okay?!). He had this ironic quirkiness and adorability at the same time. To me, he was like Forrest Gump with a mild Colin Farrell undertone.
• Ogoy Agustin, who plays Veling (Digo’s brother), gave an intense performance worthy of an acting award. Seriously. I actually wondered if he had a theater background!
• Tony Mabesa gave a moving performance. And his scene is the biggest reason I deem that Ploning the movie was AMAZING.

I pray you would understand the significance of that scene. I believe that if you would truly understand that scene, all my gushing about the movie would be so worth it.

***

Indeed, throughout the movie, there is only one word I could use to describe my state of mind and heart:

Amazed.

I am amazed still.

The Secret of "Krispy Kreme"

Why on earth did I talk about “Krispy Kreme” last time?

Well, this is the story.

While waiting for the movie to roll, Guia Gonzales, Direk Dante, and even Jourdan Sebastian tried to entertain us and appease our seemingly ruffled feathers. There had been a delay in the showing of the movie, because transporting the film hit a snag. I am not really clear what happened, but all I know was that I was sitting there wondering why on earth Direk Dante was jittery, and they all were just talking and talking and the movie screen was colored BLUE.

So I was just sitting there, just trying to ignore how the microphone was so loud to my ears, and how I was longing to see the movie already, and then...

Someone in the team had the insight and generosity to buy boxes of sugarcoated Krispy Kreme (The kind I love best! Better than the cheesecake variant even!) and passed it around.

I truly appreciate Direk Dante and Executive Producer Guia Gonzales for trying to keep our attention occupied. I truly appreciate God for keeping me peaceful enough so as not to grumble to the point of particularly loud snide, because by the end of their efforts to keep us from throwing tomatoes, some people were so rude as to say something very curt that everyone heard. I just didn’t understand what it was.

I have to admit that there were moments that I had complained “tama na ina!” which is Ilonggo for “enough of it already.” I just hope that none of the prod team heard me. Well, they know now. After the movie, and after getting home to realizing that my eyeballs still hurt from crying, I feel chastised that I could even think to say that.

I am amazed at how the core group: Guia, Direk Dante, Jourdan, and even BJ were so eager to keep us “calm” and entertained. I am amazed that, upon meeting Guia, and blabbering how I bawled and how I finally understood why they were experiencing such setbacks, she had hugged me when I asked her if I could wangle a hug out of her. :p

It was her birthday, by the way! Happy birthday Guia!

I was amazed that Guia had even heard me sniffling through the scenes.

I was amazed that they all were humble enough to talk to me, a nobody in their world.

I was amazed that sometime that afternoon, I had been planning to buy Krispy Kreme, but decided against passing by Megamall on my way to The Podium, because I thought I was running late, and in the end got... Not one, but TWO Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

I was amazed that I was handed a press kit of Ploning.

But best of all...

I was amazed that God has taken care of His people to the point that despite how important this movie may be, BJ, Guia, and Jourdan were all gracious enough to interact with me. :)

I am just amazed at how they all are humble. And I pray that God would just let them stay in the spirit of humility all throughout their days, even as more “crazy dreams” get birthed from within them.

And just as a birthday gift to Guia, it’s not that you are not so good at prioritizing the Kingdom of God. THIS MOVIE, is a great victory for Jesus, and soon, those whose hearts will be opened will testify to that.

I believe that this movie indeed has the hand of God upon it. And as I bit into my second Krispy Kreme just relishing and marveling at that moment in my life, I knew the angels were agreeing with how I’m rejoicing. :)

Ploning the Movie: The Aftershocks

It seemed to me that this week was a week of silence for me, regarding Ploning the Movie. Much like a calm before a storm, to me, this week was just a week of coasting regarding blogging about the movie here. I didn't know what else to write on, I thought that whatever I would say would be useless, as premiere night was just days away anyway. So I chose to just coast. Let everyone else be busy, I shall wait till I see the movie till I have my say.

Though there were things that we planned to do, but as people’s schedules were just crazy, I was content to wait for tonight. The night that I would finally behold the movie I was speculating so intently about.

And you know what?

For everything I had gone through behind the scenes of this movie, for everything that led up to the moment that I watched even the final credits roll, all those were well worth my so-called troubles.

On the day that I had written a word of encouragement for the Ploning cast and crew, half-praying what I wrote, I knew that this film was significant to God, that’s why mountains were placed at its path. Tonight, as I bawled my way through the last scenes... I finally understood why.

It was not just the hauntingly beautiful acting of Juday. It was not her serenity. It was not her radiant face. Not her eyes that communicated even through the mere lowering of the eyelids.

It was not even Gina Pareño’s tour de force scene to end all scenes that paralleled “Walang Himala” of Nora Aunor that would have you praising God for creating minds like Direk Dante Nico Garcia’s, BJ Lingan’s, Jourdan Sebastian’s, or Guia Gonzales’. Or even creating an actress like Ms. Gina Pareño.

It’s a quiet scene that had me bawling through to the end.

Hint: It involves a red blouse on Ploning, and a white dress that she once wore.

As I watched that scene, I cannot help but feel like her. I cannot help but feel like I had shortchanged myself all those years, by doing as she did, all through the movie...

What did she do? Why did I feel like her?

Watch the movie.

I know that all of us would realize that we are much like her, too.

But I’ll wait till it shows nationwide till I give away the full annotations of the symbolisms and even the Cliff’s Notes of Ploning the Movie.

But I'll have mercy and I'll give another hint: It involves her father's faithful and devoted washing of a white dress that she once wore, and his wish to have her wear it at his death.

Why had I bawled?

Sigh. I shall have to wait till a significant number of yous watch the film and we discuss what it's all about. The comments are now open for lively discussion, for those who had attended the press premiere. :p When it premieres in theaters nationwide on the 30th, y'allz can post comments here and I'll try to keep up with yous. :p

...And even if I gave that factoid away, I will never do justice to the movie with my feeble attempts at capturing it verbally, because a written synopsis would never do justice to a movie with the glory of Ploning. It was magical to see Cuyo in such vibrance. There are some digitally-manipulated scenes that were a wonder to watch. Meryll Soriano, Mylene Dizon, Ces Quesada, Eugene Domingo, Tessie Tomas, even Ketchup Eusebio and Boodge Fernandez were all amazing too. Even if a writer wrote everything that happened in the movie, it will never be the same as watching "Ploning" unfold before you.



And yet, through the glory of the sceneries, through the amazing performances of the cast, and even though Ms. Gina has her "big moment," truly, the star of this film is Juday.

You will be amazed at her subtlety, her finesse, her... Entrancing gentleness.

Indeed, Juday has grown up. After watching the film, I would love to meet her more than ever. And yet, I am content that even for an hour and a half or so, I had beheld her, encapsulated in a memorial that truly brings glory to God, in more ways than one.


To watch out for:

Ketchup Eusebio’s hilarious performance
Boodge Fernandez’s washboard abs
Cedric Amit’s endearing acting as Digo
Philippine Cinema’s greats in cameo performances
Jourdan Sebastian, and even Direk Dante Garcia’s cameo appearances


Go, grab your honey, your hubby, or your wifey, your best friend, your mom, your tita, your ninang, grab a Krispy Kreme *wink*, and you’ll see what I mean. :p