Rave reviews for Nora, ‘Taklub’ at Cannes

THE PHILIPPINE contingent, led by Brillante Ma. Mendoza (fourth from left) and Loren Legarda (fifth from left) on the red carpet during the premiere, minus the film’s lead star Nora Aunor (inset) who was praised by critics. Photo courtesy of Albert Almendralejo

Sometimes critics see different things even if they watch the same film.

When Brillante Ma. Mendoza’s “Taklub” premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes International Film Festival on Tuesday night, the film reportedly received a standing ovation from some audience members, producer Albert Almendralejo told the Inquirer.

“Taklub,” which tackles the intersecting lives of three Supertyphoon “Yolanda” survivors, is veritably critic-proof. Only the most stone-hearted of reviewers would be unmoved by a film based on a real-life tragedy that claimed thousands of lives two years ago.

Still, The Hollywood Reporter’s Clarence Tsui and Variety’s Maggie Lee seem to differ in their opinions about the film’s prospects, post-Cannes.

Said Lee: “Without the provocative content of [Mendoza’s previous] films like ‘Serbis’ or ‘Kinatay,’ it will be hard for this quiet work to make a dent in European art-house circles.”

Tsui disagreed: “‘Taklub’ could very well head onwards for a long festival run after its Cannes premiere.”

Relevance

In any case, Tsui and Lee were united in raving about the performance of lead star, Nora Aunor, who was not able to attend the premiere due to a production snafu, a “miscommunication,” according to an insider.

Lee asserted: “Domestic response will be much warmer, given its relevance, but mostly thanks to the reverence that… Aunor commands.”

Tsui noted that the film is “driven by yet another remarkably restrained turn from Philippine cinema grande dame… Aunor.”

“Taklub” marks Aunor and Mendoza’s second collaboration since 2012’s “Thy Womb,” which competed at the Venice fest and yielded a bumper crop of awards for both artists.

Lee hailed Aunor for playing her role as a “provincial Mater Dolorosa with the same serene stoicism” as her part in “Thy Womb.” “However her role [in ‘Taklub’] allows her moments of greater emotional heft… in expertly restrained scenes.”

Tsui concurred: “It’s the overall controlled performances from the cast… from veterans like Aunor and Julio Diaz… which propel the film.”

Tsui pointed out that, although the Philippine government (through the efforts of main proponent Sen. Loren Legarda, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Presidential Communications Operations Office-Philippine Information Agency) funded the film, Mendoza refrained from “peddling propaganda… [and it bears] the director’s trademark vision of the world as a bleak, imperfect… hopeless place.”

Lee remarked: “While there are references to government red tape… the film avoids a moralizing political stance. Shot in real disaster zones after months of field research, the film puts the consequences of devastation and the sluggish pace of reconstruction all up on the screen, and they speak for themselves.”

The film, said Lee, is at once “intimate and detached in its dramatic economy, though the finale will leave many viewers saddened and humbled.”

Moviecitynews.com’s David Poland said: “Wonderful, understated performance by… Aunor. Slow. Painful. Real.”

In an SMS message to the Inquirer, Aunor expressed elation that the film garnered good reviews from international critics. “I am happy not because they praised the restrained performance of actors, but because these reviews could inspire other young filmmakers to persevere and make beautiful, well-crafted and socially relevant films.”

She said that Filipino films can very well be showcased alongside the world’s best. “We can even exceed foreign movies if we are given the right amount of support by the government. If the government now gives 60 to 80 percent to the movie industry, why not make it 100 percent? I hope the salaries of everyone, from the producers to the crew, will be increased as well. We need more assistance and maybe an increase in the production budget, so that we can make truly high-quality films that will expand our market abroad.”

“Taklub” is set to make its Philippine premiere as the opening movie of the French Film Festival in Manila next month.