The Supreme 2010 rundown
Movie of the Year: Inception
Though the past months have seen theaters get overrun by talking toys, vampires, and vagabond wizards, this cerebral masterpiece by director Christopher Nolan trumped them all by engraving itself into our subconscious long enough to make it the most talked-about movie of the year. Inception unveiled the world of the dream — an intricate labyrinth where streets and buildings fold in themselves, gravity is relative, and totems do the impossible. Its heavyweight cast and flurry of visual effects aside, its story, divided into complicated levels, left viewers with varied lasting impressions that still inspire occasional debates.
Album of the Year: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
It takes a certain kind of insanity to transform a cornucopia of conflicting sounds into a fluid set of powerful tracks that subtly meld self-depreciation with cocky optimism. Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a strong comeback, but moreover it’s an in-your-face confessional. Tracks such as Power and Monster supply a roaring rampage of ideas and pent-up emotions that effortlessly segue into equally loaded mellow cuts like Blame Game. Backed by an array of cameos from the likes of KiD CuDi, Bon Iver, and Jay-Z, the album is elevated from audio pastiche into a work of pure genius.
Pinoy Import of the Year: Charice
First, she basically transformed into the country’s diplomat as she crossed borders with her booming pre-junkie Whitney Houston voice. She then rocked the chart-topper Pyramid with R&B singer Iyaz. Next, she belted out for the newly-installed President Noynoy Aquino as part of a historical inauguration. She landed herself a role on the ultra-mainstream TV series Glee. This month, she sang the holiday cheers on a Christmas show for NBC. Then, she even got herself linked to the American Idol runner-up David Archuleta. All of these, of course, she managed to pull off with her ludicrous Elvis Costello glasses.
Book of the Year: Miguel Syjuco’s Ilustrado
When 33-year-old Miguel Syjuco’s novel Ilustrado was released, literally everybody wanted to read it. Before the novel was even published, it had already won a Palanca in 2008 as well as the Man Asian Literary Prize in the same year. Incorporating 150 years of Philippine history, the novel follows the death of Crispin Salvador, a Filipino writer based in New York who allegedly wrote a controversial book about the corruption of the Philippine upper-crust world. Through the novel, Syjuco tries to reveal the mysteries surrounding his mentor’s death.
In its article about the book, CNN says that Ilustrado blurs the lines between reality and fiction as it makes for an intriguing read. A Swedish version of Ilustrado has been launched in Stockholm this month in addition to previously-released Spanish and Dutch versions, while the New York Times included it in its roster of 100 Notable Books of 2010. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, get in on the action. Syjuco, who is based in Montreal, reportedly has a second book in the works.
Queen of the Year: Venus Raj
It’s been quite a year for Venus Raj, from being a small-town half-Indian, half-Filipino girl living in a nipa hut in Camarines Sur to being regarded as one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her fourth-runner up Miss Universe title didn’t come without some hurdles, though, as she was briefly dethroned when Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. reportedly found inconsistencies in her birth certificate. She was eventually reinstated and allowed to compete in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant where she made a name for herself as one of the most favored to win and the only Asian to place in the competition. And the only beauty queen to win a Chicken Wing eating competition.
Of course, not to be missed is her major major claim to fame which spread like wildfire and became a household catchphrase, also making it to the Twitter trending topics. Some may call it a major major mistake, but she will certainly be remembered for it. Venus Raj has, without a doubt, brought pride to the Filipino people as she is proud of her own Filipino heritage.
Breakthrough Teleserye of the Year: Magkaribal
In 2010, La Gretta’s style, sarcasm and banter resonated from the tailor shops of Divisoria to the runways of Philippine fashion and beyond. ABS-CBN’s Magkaribal raked in the ratings and the dresses, awarding the greats of the local fashion industry some masa media mileage. Bea Alonzo played the equally talented lost sister to Gretta, her karibal in career and romance, who in the end, reconciles with her in the name of filial love. Angel Aquino should be named Best Villain, with her performance as cruel Vera Cruz, her best and bitchiest so far. Robert Arevalo, Arlene Muhlach, and Bianca Manalo also gave commendable performances, and the Kapamilya station proved its production prowess via the serye. Wilma Galvante wants a network war, and Charo Santos will give her that — in red stilletos.
Grandstand of the Year: The Quirino Grandstand
This year, Elpidio Quirino’s iron bust witnessed one too many events unfold before it: P-Noy’s inauguration at noon in June; the August 23 hostage-taking incident; and of course, the less-publicized grandstanding of Krista Kleiner right after the crisis. In June, we saw the martyr’s son in yellow ascend to power, only to see him fall down in humiliation after the fiasco of August 23. Rolando Mendoza may have long started his process of decomposition underground, but the effects of his actions, and the authorities’ decision, are still very much alive today.
