an overdrawn, overwrought piece of cinematic cliches
for the first time in her five decades or more as an actress, nora aunor, the most talented and amply awarded living filipino actress, played against type. in hustisya (an entry to this year's cinemalaya film festival), the superstar is not your usual underdog who is a victim of oppression or injustice or circumstances. for a change, we are given a nora who is capable of doing the most vicious crime there is (human trafficking, corrupting a priest, bribing government officials), who will fight for her rightful place in the sun even if it means killing somebody. my most favourite scene in the movie is the one towards the end: showing the bejeweled and well-dressed nora aunor laughing out loud, as though telling everyone, including the government who refused to give her the national artist award that she truly deserves, to go fuck themselves. pardon the french, please. for that scene alone, she rightfully deserves the festival's best actress trophy. if you think that you...