A Must-Read and a Must-Spread Story of Violence

Let's try to stop this senseless violence from politicians who think so highly of themselves!

Read this: http://vicissitude-decidido.blogspot.com/2008/12/world-is-fucked-up.html

What 100 Is Not

If you are a movie fanatic, then you have heard about this little film called 100 by Chris Martinez for Cinemalaya, and have read all the praises it got from critics and viewers alike. If you have no idea about it, then go Google it and you'd read a thousand entries about it. Okay, maybe it's not a thousand. I have exaggerated a little. 999 lang siguro!

100 is about Joyce (Mylene Dizon) who learns that she is about to die from cancer and decides to prepare for it by making a list of the things she needs to do before passing on. That IS what it's about.

Assuming that you have read the reviews for the film, then you'd know how people are raving about it. How great the movie is. How awesome the acting is. How touching it is. Blah blah blah. So instead of repeating what others have written (iisa lang naman ang magiging point, iba lang ng wording!), I'd rather write what 100 IS NOT about,

100 is no Bucket List, a movie with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman with the same premise. There are no grand trips to Egypt or India and a desire to climb the Himalayas. There is, however, a trip to Paris! Via YouTube! Joyce's wish list is simple: tapusin ang lahat ng kanyang living committments (credits, debt, bank account, deeds, and whatnots) so that her family won't have anything to worry about once she's gone, including her burial preparations. Aalis siya sa mundo na handa na at wala nang iniintindi pa.

Simple din lang ang nais niya. Live a day at a time doing the things she could never do again rather than doing what she haven't done. Kaya 'wag asahang makakita ng scenes na may bungee jumping, sky diving, mountain trekking, pagtira sa mansion, at pag-inom ng mamahaling kape. Ang mayro'n ay ang paglasap sa pagkain ng ice cream, crispy pata, tuyo, at leche plan o ang simpleng pagpunta ng HK para makapag-picture kina Mickey Mouse at Brad Pitt - the simple joys of life and living simply.

100 is no Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga ni Ate Vi. Walang matinding iyakan sa pelikulang ito kung saan hahagulgol ka simula pa lang mag-break down si Ate Vi sa best friend niya at sabihing "Kung mamatay na rin lang ako, mamatay na ko ngayon, bukas o sa isang linggo. Pero di ko kaya ang walong buwan," hanggang sa tuluyan na siyang matsugi sa bisig ni Eric Quizon sa beach, at kung saan magngingitngit ka habang inaaway siya ng kanyang kapatid na ginampanan ni Dexter Doria (gugustuhin mong isampal sa kanya ang kamatayan mo para matigil siya sa bitter-bitteran niya!). Dito, Joyce died on her bed while the loves of her life surround her. Walang OA at slow-motion na pagbaksak habang isinasabay sa paglubog ng araw at paghampas ng waves ng dagat. Walang rin sampalan at sumbatan. Pero mayro'ng mga tawanan paminsan-minsan.

Mylene as Joyce did not break down even once in this film. Although I must admit that I have waited for her to just cry her heart out just once para lang maramdaman natin na hindi siya OK with dying. Na natatakot din siya mamatay. Na hindi niya kayang iwan ang mga mahal niya sa buhay. But I guess she has gone through the five stages of grief before she was introduced to us at hindi na iyon pinakita. However, wala man siyang hagulgol at lupasay moment, it was the people around her who did such. Onga naman, aanhin pa natin ang pag-iyak niya kung gayo'ng the movie is really about the people she will leave behind and how she made them accept the fact of her death. Dahil kung iyong iisipin, kung hindi ka makasariling tao, talaga namang ang mahal mo sa buhay ang mas bibigyan mong halaga kaysa sa iyong buhay. You'd worry about them more than yourself dahil sila ang maiiwang buhay at patuloy na makikipagsaparalan sa mundo. Eh ikaw na tsugi na, wala ng iintindihin. Unless siguro mapunta ka sa impiyerno o ma-miss mo ang light na tatangay sa 'yo sa kalangitan. Kapag nakakapanood nga ako ng mga burol ng namatay na artista sa TV, ang naiisip ko ay ang mga naiwan. Pa'no na sila without him? Pa'no na ang asawa na uuwi sa bahay na punong-puno ng memories at matutulog ng walang katabi? Pa'no na ang mga anak na nasanay sa aruga ng magulang? Mas mahirap ang iniiwan kaysa sa nang-iiwan.

100 is no My Life of Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman. Walang anger at sugat na dapat paghilumin. Ang mayro'n ay ka-pathetican ni Joyce kung saan may-I-hingi pa rin siya ng konti attensyon kay Emil, ang love of her life, hanggang sa malapit na ang takdang oras. Mas pathetic pa kay Jackielou Blanco sa Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit na nanghingi nang kapiranggot at tira-tirang pagmamahal kay Richard Gomez. Siguro, sa buhay, ay talagang may mga bagay tayong hindi kayang harapin kahit pa mamatay na. Kahit pa sabihing mukha tayong tanga at gago sa harap ng mga nakakaalam, hindi pa rin natin kayang magmukhang kawawa sa taong pinakamamahal natin. Pwede naman kasi niyang sabihin kay Emil na mamatay na siya para tuluyan na siyang pagbigyan ng binata, pero no! Matigas siya. Magkikita lamang sila uli sa kanyang death bed. Pero naman! Sino ang mas magiging hurt afterwards, di ba si Emil? Dahil siya ang magwi-wish na sana he could've spent more time with her nu'ng buhay pa siya. Ay, mas waging strategy 'yun to get revenge on a loved-one na nanakit sa 'yo!

Walang metaphorical roller coaster ride kung saan nag-let go na ng tuluyan ang bida sa napipinto niyang kamatayan. Walang mga panahong binabalikan para lamang maulit ang mga panahong pinagsisisihan. Ang mayro'n ay ang pag-celebrate ng maagang Pasko at birthday. More like looking forward to the future rather than reliving the past.

100 is no Last Holiday by Queen Latifah. It is a small-budgeted film so there's no lavish productions of gowns and foods. At lalong walang ending na hindi pala siya mamatay! Walang lokohang ganu'n!

But expect the film to be bigger than Queen, Ate Vi, Nicole, Michael, Jack, and Morgan combined! It is a quiet little film that would make you celebrate life rather fear death. There is comfort in knowing that you are about to die: it is appreciating the life that you'd soon leave behind.