The most significant films of 2006

The annual awards race officially kicks off with the staging of the Golden Screen Awards for Film by the Entertainment Press Society (ENPRES) on March 17. The awards presentation will be produced by the group of Romnick Sarmenta and wife Harlene Bautista and will be held at the AFP Theater.

The Golden Screen Awards’ Best Picture prizes were initially divided into three categories: Best Comedy Picture, Best Drama and Best Digital Film. Last week, however, in an emergency meeting among the voting members, they have decided to abolish the Digital Film category and put all digital movies with dramatic plots under Best Drama.

Meanwhile, the other award-giving bodies have yet to come up with their list of nominees and there is a large possibility that each group will have a different set of winners.

I myself have my own list of outstanding films during the past year. Below are the films that I consider most significant for 2006:

Kaleldo — I appreciate it the way I appreciated Cesar Montano’s Panaghoy sa Suba. Voted Best Picture (along with Lav Diaz’s Ebolusyon) in the 2004 Gawad Urian, Panaghoy was daring in the sense that it used the local dialect used in its setting — quaint Bohol. Kaleldo (Summer), on the other hand, is mostly Kapampangan and this is also quite daring — considering the fact that Filipino moviegoers do not like subtitles in their films. But it went on using Kapampangan anyway and succeeds in other areas of filmmaking — from direction, script, technical all the way to the performances of its cast members: Johnny Delgado, Cherry Pie Picache, Juliana Palermo, Angel Aquino, Liza Lorena and even Criselda Volks.

Kubrador — Real life had never been captured on film as truthfully and as realistically as this movie by Jeffrey Jeturian. Made and released at a time when jueteng was very much in the news, Kubrador will always be relevant because this game of chance will never be eradicated in this country — especially since some government officials allegedly benefit from the protection money that supposedly comes from various parts of the country.

Inang Yaya — It’s the most effective tearjerker not only this year, but probably even in the last decade. The beauty of it is that it doesn’t even resort to cheap devices to make audiences cry — just a good script, inspired direction and great performances from its cast members, led by Maricel Soriano.

Donsol — It is long, languid — boring even at some point — but it is definitely the Best Environmental Film of the Year.

Batad sa Daang Palay — A very simple story about how one should never turn his back on his cultural roots. A very good film — marred only by the wrong casting of Gina Alajar and Noni Buencamino as the mestizo parents of a very good-looking boy (Alcris Galura) living among the natives.

Manoro — A movie with a very strong political statement that should be shown repeatedly especially now that the elections are coming.

Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo — Undeniably the most entertaining film of the year. Directed by Jose Javier Reyes, it will make you laugh and — at the risk of sounding like a movie promo blurb — fall in love.

Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah (Zee Mooveh) — The best musical comedy in a long, long time. I like it for its being daring and different — a gamble that didn’t exactly pay off at the box-office. And this is why we should at least honor it with a trophy or so in this year’s awards race.

Compound — Initially perceived to be a gay film, it is not — although one of the characters (Jake Macapagal who is very effective in the movie) is bisexual. The digital film by Will Fredo, however, is basically a psychological thriller that works well and intrigues the viewers no end with its exciting twists and turns.