8 films to see on the week of November 25-December 2, 2016
The Age Of Shadows
SET IN 1920s Korea during the Japanese Occupation, a Korean police captain in the Japanese police force is assigned to infiltrate the resistance fighting for Korean independence. Written and directed by Kim Jee-Woon, it stars Byung-hun Lee, Kang-ho Song, and Yoo Gong. “Kim sometimes loses the rhythm of his spy thriller, but he’s such a confident filmmaker — and his leading man such a magnetic presence — that he quickly gets its back,” writes Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com.
MTRCB Rating: R-16
Life On The Line
A CREW OF MEN who do the high-wire work of fixing the electrical grid are hit by a sudden deadly storm. Directed by David Hack, it stars Devon Sawa, John Travolta, and Kate Bosworth. “This is one of those ‘based on true events’ movies that give you the distinct feeling that the true events deserved better,” writes Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com.
MTRCB Rating: PG
Allied
IN 1942, an intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. When they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. The Critics Consensus of Rotten Tomatoes goes: “Allied has its moments, but doesn’t quite achieve epic wartime romance status — a disappointment made more profound by the dazzling talent assembled on either side of the camera.”
MTRCB Rating: R-16
Toto
A HOTEL EMPLOYEE dreams of migrating to the US, and is determined to get a visa by any means, even when his schemes endanger his loved ones. Directed by John Paul Su, it stars Sid Lucero, Mara Lopez and Bembol Roco. “Toto was deservedly given an A rating by the Cinema Evaluation Board. For those who complain about the formulaic Filipino films we are bombarded with, this film is one example of why engrossing storytelling in Filipino cinema is not a lost cause,” writes The Philippine Star’s Philip Cu-Unjieng about the entry at last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival’s New Wave category.
MTRCB Rating: R-13
Blood Father
AN EX-CON reunites with his estranged wayward 17-year-old daughter to protect her from drug dealers who are trying to kill her. Directed by Jean-François Richet, it stars Diego Luna, Erin Moriarty, and Mel Gibson. Popular with the critics on Rotten Tomatoes review aggregate site (it got a score of 89%), the Critics Consensus is that “Blood Father meets every expectation a film fan could have for a latter-day Mel Gibson action thriller with its title — and even, in some respects, handily exceeds them.”
MTRCB Rating: R-13
The Warrior’s Gate
A TEENAGER is magically transported to China and learns to convert his video game skills into those of a Kung Fu warrior. Directed by Matthias Hoene and writen by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, it stars Dave Bautista, Sienna Guillory, and Uriah Shelton. “In the end, the fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously is essentially why this potential misfire turns out a pleasant surprise by being mildly winning,” writes Gabriel Chong of Moviexclusive.com.
MTRCB Rating: PG
Hangman
A FAMILY that has just returned from vacation to find that their home broken into is terrorized by the intruder. Written and directed by Adam Mason, it stars Jeremy Sisto, Kate Ashfield, and Ryan Simpkins. “Hangman doesn’t rewrite found footage history, but it plays to enough of the genre’s strengths in this creepy little home invasion tale,” writes Matt Donato of We Got This Covered.
MTRCB Rating: R-16
Working Beks
THIS VIVA FILMS PRODUCTION, written and directed by Chris Martinez, follows five gay men from different walks of life who are confronted with important choices that could change everything for them. It stars Edgar Allan Guzman, John Lapus, TJ Trinidad, and Joey Paras.
MTRCB Rating: R-13
