Opening Today
1st Ko si 3rd
Directed by Real S. Florido; stars Nova Villa, Dante Rivero, Freddie Webb, Ruby Ruiz
Bored retiree reconnects with her first love on FB. Rivero as Villa’s blasé husband won best actor in the New Breed section of this year’s Cinemalaya. Inquirer.net describes the movie as an “unconventional love story.” Only in Ayala Cinemas.
Relax, It’s Just Pag-Ibig
Directed by Antoinette Jadaone, Irene Villamor; stars Sofia Andres, Iñigo Pascual, Julian Estrada, Smokey Manaloto
Girl goes on a road trip to Leyte with campus cutie and childhood sweetheart to find the writer of a love letter and bask in the magic of a blue moon. Jadaone says Pascual and Estrada didn’t act like kids of celebrities on the set. “They love to perform; it’s in their genes.”
Nightcrawler
Directed by Dan Gilroy; stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed
Crime reporter goes over the edge in pursuit of a story. Screen International’s Tom Grierson finds this “not entirely satisfying.” Los Angeles Times’ Kenneth Turan: “Melodrama grounded in disturbing reality.”
God’s Not Dead
Directed by Harold Cronk; stars Shane Harper, Kevin Sorbo, Dean Cain, David AR White
Student butts heads with philosophy prof who challenges him to prove God’s existence. The Hollywood Reporter’s Stephen Farber: “Slickly produced … competent cast.” USA Today’s Claudia Puig differs: “Despite campus setting, little about the story is intelligently designed.”
The Drop
Directed by Michael R. Roskam; stars Tom Hardy, James Gandolfini, Noomi Rapace
Lonely bartender gets embroiled in a robbery gone awry. Time magazine’s Richard Corliss: “You have to sit through the slow parts to savor the cool parts.” Washington Post’s Ann Hornaday raves: “Convincingly conceived, so detailed and acutely observed.”
White Bird in a Blizzard
Directed by Gregg Araki; stars Shailene Woodley, Christopher Meloni, Eva Green
Young woman comes to terms with the sudden disappearance of her “perfect” mother. Philadelphia Inquirer’s Tirdad Derakhshani calls it “an enjoyable, if uneven, adaptation of Laura Kasischke’s novel.” New York Magazine’s Bilge Ebiri: “Evocative, gorgeous, occasionally maddening.”
Horns
Directed by Alexandre Aja; stars Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple, Max Minghella, Kelli Garner
Horns sprout on the head of a man whose girlfriend is murdered. Entertainment Weekly’s Chris Nashwaty: “Made by people who couldn’t decide if it was a horror flick, a whodunit or a ‘Hellboy’ knockoff.” Daily Express’ Allan Hunter agrees: “Wacky … coarse black comedy, gory thriller.”
The Devil’s Pact
Directed by Dallas Richard Hallam, Patrick Horvath; stars Caity Lotz, Camilla Luddington
Haunted by a dead serial killer, a woman teams up with the murderer’s niece to catch a copycat. New York Times’ Andy Webster sums it up: “Wispy, subtext-free material.” Variety’s Dennis Harvey: “Simply stretches out rather than elaborating on its predecessor’s already thin premise.”
