'Asiong Salonga' brings action back… well, almost

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines — Controversies aside, “Manila Kingpin: The Untold Story of Asiong Salonga” has its merits especially the attempt to bring back the glory days of action movies.

Making a period film is not easy even with abundant and top-of-the-line resources at one’s disposal. “Asiong” nevertheless works thanks to its neatly shot scenes that were made more elegant—amid the gore—by the black and white finish. Applying sepia tones in some parts of the film also rendered a more nostalgic feel for “Asiong,” which follows the life of the feisty “Robin Hood” of Tondo, Nicasio “Asiong” Salonga—from his rise as the “Hitler” or “Hito” of Tondo to his fall by the hands of one of his confidantes. And although the film was visually monochromatic, every frame was sharp and crisp, as if the ‘40s and ‘50s eras were revived in 2011.

The production design worked almost flawlessly with the cinematography, with places like the Luisa and Sons Restaurant in Recto, Manila gracing the screen for a particular scene. (Well, Gov. ER Ejercito did reveal in an interview that production cost amounted to P75 million. Now that’s a whole lot of money.)

Younger folks might not be too familiar with Asiong’s story, although his life had already been made into films thrice, with former actor and president Joseph “Erap” Estrada (1961), the late Rudy Fernandez (1978), and guess what, Ejercito himself (1990) playing the title character. The remake would’ve been an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into Asiong’s character, his real aspirations and intentions behind going after criminal gangs and secretly donating robbed riches to his “kababayans” in Tondo. However, it felt that the action was given more priority than the backbone that could’ve further solidified the entire film.

It’s also pretty ironic that, considering that “Asiong” is an action film, there were slow-paced action sequences. The excitement gets suspended in some scenes, like when Asiong and his gang raided a rival’s headquarters. He looked so ready to attack, yet his opponent’s minions merely showed up one by one, like minor foes in an adventure first-person shooter video game. The slow motion editing applied in these scenes, although aiding the film to look stylish and relatively innovative, sometimes marred the thrill and the climactic feel.

“Asiong” also had problems in continuity. Indications as to how much time has elapsed from scene to scene were not very clear. And it didn’t help that we saw the belly of Fidela (Ejercito’s leading lady Carla Abellana) grow one moment and then look flat the next.

Ejercito’s action star presence was all over “Asiong.” His supposed dramatic moments are a different story, though. At some points, his expressions were confounding—we couldn’t make from his face whether he was scared or was fearless and ready to fight more.

His support cast, nevertheless, turned in solid performances, especially Regala and Geisler. The former need not overdo his acting; his heartlessness was so believable, it was almost real. Boys, don’t look up to Totoy Golem (his character), he ain’t a good role model.

Musical scoring for the film filled the dramatic gaps in “Asiong,” although we can’t help but note how strange it was to hear an instrumental version of Tears For Fears’ 1982 hit “Mad World” played in an important scene. The international classic somehow took away the focus on the scene instead of enhancing it.

In a way, “Asiong” stands out among the other entries in the 37th Metro Manila Film Festival; not only for the genre in which it belongs (it is the only action movie entry), but also in applying elements not usually seen in present-day mainstream films. Filmmakers and producers can take a cue from this one.

Given the downsides in “Asiong,” we’re curious as to how Direk Tikoy Aguiluz handled the film, with his way and his vision. Will a director’s cut be released at all?

The 37th Metro Manila Film Festival runs until Jan. 7, 2012.

source: mb.com.ph