Comedy is no laughing matter for Josh Gad
You don’t always find Judi Dench spoken in the same sentence as Disney’s “Frozen” or the laugh-out-loud musical-theater comedy, “The Book of Mormon.” But Josh Gad wasn’t just fortunate enough to have...
View ArticleZombie flick with extraordinary prescience goes for the jugular
It’s fascinating to see how Mikhail Red’s filmmaking gumption and tale-spinning skill continue to unravel in the zombie flick, “Block Z.” There’s no other way to see it: The kid is on a roll—and we’re...
View Article‘1917’: Sam Mendes’ immersive war drama puts viewers on the front lines of war
Sam Mendes’ groundbreaking war film “1917,” which opens in Philippine theaters tomorrow, is instructive for lazy, self-important actors who prefer to paraphrase dialogue and think rehearsing scenes is...
View Article‘Little Women’: Gerwig’s family drama shows feminism in a flattering light
What happens to our childhood memories and aspirations when the rigors of adult life kick in? Greta Gerwig’s delectable coming-of-age drama “Little Women” finds a middle ground that makes its musings...
View ArticleFeisty, fabulous femmes steer the crime-busting wheel in ‘Birds of Prey’
Walking the fine line between good and evil has its advantages. And this couldn’t be truer in the case of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie in another deliciously wicked turn), who immediately avoids the...
View ArticleMissy: From ‘Stop Kiss’ to ‘Stage Kiss’
It’s been ages since we fought to cast Missy Maramara in Eve Ensler’s groundbreaking play, “The Vagina Monologues” (TVM). Her task was to cover all three principal actresses in the first and second...
View ArticleAnd the Oscar goes to…
The movie-binging runup to the 92nd edition of the Academy Awards began long before the December race for box-office domination heated up between MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival) crowd favorite...
View Article‘To All the Boys’ sequel: Loving in half measures
The novel coronavirus has prevented Noah Centineo and Lana Condor, the stars of Susan Johnson’s rom-com “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and its sequel “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You,” from...
View ArticleLove without time
Wrong song, you’ll probably say. But as we celebrate Valentine’s Day today, we couldn’t think of a more fitting tune to describe Odette Quesada and Bodjie Dasig’s love story than Willy Cruz’s sweeping...
View ArticleRed alert!
You only have to watch “Eerie” and “Block Z” to realize how their young director, Mikhail Red, utilizes his indie roots to turn formulaic filmmaking on its head. But Mik’s envelope-pushing “maindie”...
View ArticleA woman in dire straits
Charm, vulnerability and strong presence have always been part of Gong Yoo’s appeal as an actor—from the striking resistance figure he plays in “The Age of Shadows” and the agent on the run he portrays...
View ArticleRom-com spinoff puts road to romantic recovery in peril
Theodore Boborol’s followup to his charming MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival) rom-com “Vince & Kath & James,” which starred Joshua Garcia, Julia Barretto and Ronnie Alonte, is more a spinoff...
View ArticleCatching up with Noah Centineo and Lana Condor
Not even the global outbreak of the new coronavirus can stop Noah Centineo and Lana Condor’s love affair with their Filipino followers. The popular stars of Netflix’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved...
View ArticleMore chuckles and snickers than laugh-out-loud guffaws
Who knew an existential crisis could be so funny? But that’s exactly what viewers get when they tune in to “Miracle Workers: Dark Ages,” the stand-alone Season 2 of the slick satirical series on Warner...
View Article‘UnTrue’: Twisted romance puts Cristine and Xian through the wringer
Xian Lim’s vanishing act in Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s twisted romantic thriller “UnTrue” deserves all the accolades it’s getting—after all, it is indubitably the 30-year-old actor’s finest performance...
View ArticleWhat fascinates Henry Cavill about The Witcher
Henry Cavill has been a gaming enthusiast and a “Witcher” fan long before he was cast as monster slayer Geralt of Rivia. But what does the gorgeous Man of Steel really like about Geralt? “I find...
View ArticleWhy Noah wishes to ‘move beyond just being a heartthrob’
Noah Centineo is appreciative of his success as Netflix’s “heartthrob of the moment.” His body of work on the streaming network speaks for itself: “The Perfect Date,” “Swiped,” “Sierra Burgess is a...
View ArticleKakie forges her own path
We’ve grown to admire Frankie “Kakie” Pangilinan’s spunk and indomitability ever since we read her outspoken views on different issues on social media, some of them in direct response to trolls and her...
View Article‘The Invisible Man’: Domestic abuse at its creepiest
We said it before, and we’re only too happy to say it again: If Elisabeth Moss were nominated at the Oscars for her portrayal of a brilliant but self-destructive rock star in Alex Ross Perry’s “Her...
View ArticleWith no magic wand in sight, Daniel Radcliffe fights for his life
We have to tip our collective hats to Daniel Radcliffe. The 30-year-old actor, who rose to fame as the fresh-faced boy wizard in the immensely successful “Harry Potter” films, is among Tinseltown’s...
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