CINEMALAYA 2014 - Briefly Judging SHORTS

I have high expectations on short films because I cordially believe that it is really difficult yet remarkable to tell a very good story in a limited amount of time. Sadly, there were still misses and meh's for me. Below are my brief critics on every flick. 

Shorts A  

Asan si Lolo Mê?  - 4/5 - Acting was on the spot. Storytelling was witty as it presented a different kind of conflict with the usage of a goat and magic realism.
 

Mga Ligaw na Paruparo - 2.5/5 - The film had nice editing but it became predictable as it progressed. The acting, nonetheless, was also good. 

Tiya Bening - 2/5 - The acting was just OK. The story was OK. The black and white appeal of the film was the only saving grace.

The Ordinary Things We Do - 5/5 - A film that made a great impression on me as it presented itself intelligently. Even without dialogues, it left a strong message to its viewers and discussed many things. Bravo!

Padulong sa Pinuy-Anan (Going Home) - 4/5 - The foreign actor was excellent. A film that would touch the hearts of the audience despite being presented in a brief period of time. The story was nice and the cinematography was on the spot. 

Shorts B  

Indayog ng Nayatamak - 4.5/5 - Another home run as it is delivered emotions and tensions without having dialogues. The only interaction was the choreography amongst the actors that foretold a nice story. More so, the editing was amazing.

Lola - 1/5 - Walking dead meets Warm Bodies. That pretty much summarizes it. Not a fan.

Nakabibinging Kadiliman (Deafening Darkness) - 3/5 - The material was good but the conflict it presented was quite disappointing. The actress pretending to be blind was not believable. Perhaps, it just did not meet the expectations I have set since it delivered a promising trailer.

  
Ina-Tay - 1/5 - Another big disappointment. I have set high expectations as the material is similar to the one tackled already by the great Lino Brocka in "Ang Tatay kong Nanay". I remember how a filmmaker told us in a lecture that a short film is not a summarized version of a full length film. Sadly, the film committed that mistake. It presented a lot of conflicts and the storyline was a 'meh'. The saving grace was its entertainment value because it was fun to watch (Comedy eh!)

Eyeball - 5/5 - Two words: NICO ANTONIO. His acting was superb that it contributed to the brilliance of the storyline. Even if it was the shortest among the entries, it delivered a very solid narrative.