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Memory play

By Noel Vera
Video Review
Marjorie Prime
Directed by
Michael Almereyda
Available on YouTube,
Amazon Prime, Google Play,
and iTunes
MICHAEL Almereyda’s Marjorie Prime (2017) adapts Jordan Harrison’s Pulitzer-nominated play to the big screen in a small way, and it’s marvelous. Eighty-five year old Marjorie (Lois Smith, who played the role in two previous stage productions) suffers the initial symptoms of Alzheimer’s; to help her deal with the memory loss, her daughter Tess (Geena Davis) and son-in-law Jon (Tim Robbins) have installed a “Prime” — a hologram-projected Artificial Intelligence (AI) — representing Marjorie’s husband Walter (Jon Hamm) when he was a relatively young 40.
The effect is not a little creepy: Walter seems young and imma-culately groomed — you feel as if dust would never touch him nor oil mar his skin. He sits unnaturally erect moves in tiny precise gestures, has the carefully spoken diction of an interface programmed to comfort, to reassure, the ultimate customer service.
Marjorie though is not an easy client to serve; she’s sharp (on her good days) and manipulative, and in a clever little dig at her AI husband, she changes a detail in her memory of a movie date, from watching My Best Friend’s Wedding to watching Casablanca with its far more entertaining dialogue (“I came to Casablanca for the waters.” “The waters? What waters? We’re in the desert.” “I was misinformed.”). More, her memory is full of self-told deceptions and hidden truths that in the wrong hands or with the wrong approach can drop the unwary explorer into treacherous concealed pits. Watch out for sharpened bamboo stakes.
Most of the film is set in a beach house Walter owned (Tess and Jon moved in to keep Marjorie company), a lovely residence, all picture windows and billowy sunlit curtains that match the white of Smith’s streaming mane. Would probably make an interesting double feature with Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer, another film about echoes and secrets and memories haunting another stunning beachfront property.
You wonder why Almereyda chose to do this play — no I think that’s obvious — you wonder why he chose this approach in adapting the play. I suspect he took his cue from Harrison’s minimalist approach, adding details here, there, tweaking scenes, adding minor characters (the caretaker Julie [Stephanie Andujar], the younger versions of Jon, Tess, Marjorie, and so on). Mica Levi’s music helps considerably — the strings we heard in Jackie and Under the Skin here strum relentlessly, thrillingly, draw us into the scenes and yet are so sparely arranged they’re not distracting.
As the camera wanders down this or that hallway, lingers on this or that stone terrace or charcoal-wood porch, as it gazes in long takes from various angles throughout the spacious living room, the house takes on the confined feel of the inside of someone’s mind — Marjorie’s? Tess’? Jon’s? The whole family’s perhaps? The periods when the film leaves present location and time become all the more intriguing — the saffron-tinged moment when Marjorie mourns a lost child, the darkened bedroom where Walter proposes to Marjorie, the darkened museum where Jon kisses Tess. Mysterious episodes whose reality you can’t help but question: Are they memories? Willed fantasies? Depictions of an objective reality? Some combination of all three? None of the above?
As to why — many plays explore the mourning for a lost beloved, but this may be the first, or at least one of the few, to explore the poetic potential for technology to help us do so. The Primes are witnesses and confidants, perfect repositories for testimonies and impersonal enough that you feel you can tell them the most intimate detail and they’ll keep it secret (not really true as it turns out, but you feel you can). They’re like the hole in the rock wall Tony Cheung whispered into at the end of Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love, a film I don’t quite love and yet can’t deny the power of the moment. “Backboards” Tess disparagingly calls them, and she has a point: they’re not people, they only react as programmed, you have to buy into them at some level — to believe (or deceive yourself into believing if you like) that they can help. Perhaps Harrison’s most poignant scenes have Tess, Jon, and Marjorie confronting a forgotten memory and being dismayed or moved accordingly; the art (as in Spielberg’s AI, or Kubrick’s 2001, or Ghatak’s Ajantrik) is in finding that mechanical (Digital?) gesture, either mimicked or original, that provokes the audience.
Almereyda adds a bit more, the je ne sais quoi that defies logical and narrative necessity and is just preternaturally beautiful. Like the moment when young Walter and young Marjorie are viewing a video of saffron flags billowing in winter — you recognize the image as a memory Marjorie once talked about, of pausing in the depths of her sorrow before moving on with her life. Where did the video recording come from — a random travelogue footage they just chanced upon? Why would they continue to watch it? There is desolation in Jon’s eyes; Marjorie gives him a brief tight hug. The moment fits nowhere in the timeline yet feels so sad so unaccountably right you can’t help but respond.

Fall movie preview

By Richard Roeper
LET’S SEE, how did we do with our Summer Preview?
Well, I did say Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again seemed like a particularly apt title, and it certainly held true. Here’s wishing, hoping, praying there won’t be a Mamma Mia 3: Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.
Remember Tag, based on the true story of a group of 40ish dudes who played a monthlong game of Tag every year for two decades? I noted, “This feels like one of those movies that could go either way,” and the way it went was down the tubes, out of sight and never to be heard from again.
Until we put together our list of the Worst Movies of 2018.
I was excited about seeing Sorry to Bother You, Hereditary, and Crazy Rich Asians, but I also included The Happytime Murders on my list of most anticipated movies of the summer, and for that I am truly and profoundly sorry.
Now we turn our attention to autumn, which on the movie calendar runs from Labor Day to Thanksgiving. In chronological order, the films I’m most keen to see this fall:
• A SIMPLE FAVOR

The odds against getting your novel published are long.
The odds against Hollywood buying the movie rights to your novel are huge.
The odds against the movie ever getting made are against you.
Even if the movie DOES get made, it’ll probably years or even decades after your work was published.
But not always.
Darcey Bell’s debut thriller A Simple Favor was published in March of 2017. It’s the story of a mommy blogger who picks up her best friend’s son from school one day, at which point the best friend disappears and is believed to be deceased.
The novel was such a hot property the movie rights were actually purchased before it was even published. And now, some 18 months after the book came out, here comes the movie version.
Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat) directs, and the cast includes Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, and Henry Golding, fresh off his star-making turn in Crazy Rich Asians.
• THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN

Here’s an oddity for you: Jonah Hill has more acting nominations (two, for Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street) than Robert Redford (The Sting).
No slight to Hill; he was superb in those films. But it’s ludicrous the Academy has overlooked so many Redford performances, from The Candidate to Jeremiah Johnson, from Three Days of the Condor to All the President’s Men, from The Natural to All Is Lost.
The 82-year-old Redford has said The Old Man and the Gun will be his last film as an actor. It’s based on the true story of a legendary career criminal and escape artist, and one can imagine Redford slipping into such a role with the ease and grace and movie-star charisma he’s exhibited for some six decades on the big screen.
We often hear how this memorable screen presence or that film legend is “The Last Great Movie Star.” Redford isn’t the last one standing, but he’s certainly one of the last of his generation, and one of greatest and sometimes most underappreciated greats of all time.
The supporting cast for The Old Man and the Gun includes Casey Affleck, Sissy Spacek, Donald Glover, Tika Sumpter, Tom Waits, Elisabeth Moss, Keith Carradine, and John David Washington. We don’t know how the film will turn out, but we know Mr. Redford was surrounded by some of the best actors in the world for this last rodeo.
• A STAR IS BORN

Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut is the third remake of the 1937 original, following the 1954 musical starring Judy Garland and James Mason, and the 1976 version with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. Cooper also stars as the booze-soaked rocker Jackson Maine, and Lady Gaga plays his discovery/protege/love interest, Ally.
Seems like a curiously safe decision for Cooper to choose such well-traveled material, but I’ve seen this one, and all I’ll say for now is: Cooper’s a pretty darn good singer, and Lady Gaga is a natural actress who performs some of the most beautiful and moving numbers I’ve witnessed on the big screen in quite some time.
• BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE

This looks like good, pulpy, bloody, modern-day drive-in fun.
In the 1960s, seven strangers — each carrying a deep secret — convene at a dilapidated hotel in Lake Tahoe, and over the course of one evening, each will have one last shot at redemption.
The cast includes Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm — and Chris Hemsworth as a cult leader, which is pretty much the same thing he plays when he’s Thor.
• FIRST MAN

We’ve seen countless documentaries and books about Apollo 11, but this is the first big-time Hollywood dramatization of the years of build-up to the moon landing and the mission itself.
And what a team they’ve assembled to tell the story: the director is Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land), and the cast includes Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, Claire Foy as Janet, Armstrong’s wife, and Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, and Lukas Haas, among others, as Armstrong’s NASA colleagues.
• BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

For years, Sacha Baron Cohen was unofficially attached to the project about the extraordinary life and times of Freddie Mercury and Queen, but Cohen had a falling-out with Queen’s Brian May over the direction of the story and eventually dropped out.
Even after Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) was cast and filming was finally underway, the controversies continued. Director Bryan Singer left the project before it was finished, and Dexter Fletcher took over.
Still, based on early buzz about Malek’s reportedly uncanny performance, hope remains this will be a film worthy of Mercury’s brilliant, troubled, fascinating, memorable life.
• THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS

The idea was for the Coen brothers to do a six-part Netflix original series of tales from the American frontier, but they decided to go with a feature-length film anthology with six chapters.
OK, we’re in.
The great character actor Tim Blake Nelson stars as the title character, and Zoe Kazan, Liam Neeson, and Tom Waits are featured in the various stories, which may or may not be connected.
• WIDOWS

Director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) told me when he decided to make a feature-film version of a 1983 British series, Chicago was his first and only choice for the setting.
Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects) was brought on board to write the screenplay of the story of four widows whose husbands are killed in a failed heist, but McQueen stresses this is much more than a bank robbery movie, with storylines about race, power, politics, corruption, class warfare, and the realities of life in modern-day Chicago.
Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Jon Bernthal and Robert Duvall star.
• RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET

Can’t believe it’s been six years since the original!
I loved the spirit and good humor and brightly colored animation and optimistic messages in Wreck-It Ralph — and I’m excited for the sequel, with returning voices John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman, among others.
This promises to be a pop culture bonanza, with Ralph and company crossing paths with all the Disney princesses and characters from the Star Wars movies, the Pixar films, the world of the Muppets and even the Marvel Universe.
• CREED II

When it comes to playing the same character many times over, Sylvester Stallone is getting into Hugh Jackman/Wolverine territory. With the six Rocky films and now the second Creed movie, Stallone has played Rocky Balboa eight times, as Rocky has gone from longshot underdog to world champion to parent to aging fighter to widower to mentor and father figure to the son of the late Apollo Creed.
Ryan Coogler’s Creed was a terrific film, taking the story into the next generation, with Michael B. Jordan outstanding as Adonis Johnson Creed, and Stallone doing some of his best work ever in the role he created.
Creed II has a corny but fantastically promising premise: Adonis goes up against the son of Ivan Drago, the Russian fighting machine who killed his father in the ring some 30 years ago.
Ooh, I bet the son is a jerk!
One can hear the cheers now: Creed, Creed, Creed, Creed … — Chicago Sun-Times/Andrews McMeel Syndication

Far from perfect, still…


By Anthony L. Cuaycong
CLOSE to the turn of the decade, animator Pendleton Ward developed an idea that took root back when he was still enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts and germinated from a short that subsequently aired on Nicktoons. Inspired by his experience working on The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, he fine-tuned his concept and steered it to fruition. His creation wound up being an immensely successful Cartoon Network series. Indeed, Adventure Time pulled in a loyal viewership that generated high ratings across all age demographics, with the young ones, the young once, and those in between appreciating its unique blend of cutting-edge humor, hand-drawn visuals, and storyboard-driven narratives that tugged at the heartstrings.
The Adventure Time series lasted nine years, bidding farewell on Cartoon Network early this month. In that period, its influence grew and its reach broadened to include contemporary literature, popular merchandise, and video games. Its licenses in the latter were particularly well-received, with Nintendo DS and 3DS owners the first to see its appeal as a gaming franchise. Three more releases followed, with Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion finding its way to current-generation platforms last July.
Creditably, Outright Games resolved to pull out all the stops in making the first Adventure Time title on the Nintendo Switch not just hew close to its source material, but likewise garner the interest it deserves. From the get-go, it involved fans of the franchise, even running a competition to name the boat that principals Jake, Finn, Marceline, and BMO would be using as a primary means of travel in the game. Meanwhile, it aimed to stick to the look and feel of the Cartoon Network series to the point of engaging all the original voice actors.
The good news is that the effort paid off. Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion retains all of the characteristics that made it thrive in the broadcast medium. It’s funny, engaging, unpredictable, and ridiculous without being flippant. It certainly takes itself seriously, never mind the simple premise. The Land of Ooo is flooded and isolated following the melting of the Ice King’s sojourn, and the lead characters need to cross the waters to other kingdoms in the Land to determine the cause and come up with a solution. The uncovering of the mystery sets players on an open-world adventure with fairly deep gameplay.
On the Switch, the controls are simple, and playing Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion undocked may well benefit the younger set. The challenges look even less imposing from the console’s screen instead of on widescreen television. To be sure, the option likewise helps those relatively ahead in age; the game is easy enough to pick up and pack away as allowed and needed on the go. As an aside, combats are beginner-friendly, and investigative forays set off hilarious bits familiar to followers of the series.
That said, there’s a seeming disconnect between the game’s title and its finest elements. While on water, the main characters do remarkably keep the thematic representations of the series; whether in the songs or in the conversations, the flow figures to remind players of the tone and pace of any given episode in the series. For all the promises of encounters against seafaring marauders, however, Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion is best appreciated with the main characters on dry land, where exploration is fulfilling, where turn-based battles are compelling (if lacking in difficulty), and where gameplay is rewarding.
Admittedly, Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion is far from perfect. In fact, bugs abound, with random crashes invariably occurring and forcing players to restart from the last checkpoint or their previous save. Long load times, slowdowns, and out-of-sync audio and video during cutscenes are evident. Meanwhile, the role-playing aspect is dampened by the game’s linear progression. The map seems to indicate a vast area open for discovery, only to yield swaths of nothingness. And while side quests do exist, they’re tantamount to savory distractions in the grander scheme of things; the gameplay moves forward once a specific development occurs.
Still and all, Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion manages to deliver the goods insofar as earning its name is concerned. True to its origins, it’s long on the very values Ward espoused when he turned his series into an appealing and enjoyable statement of popular culture that literally drew teeming millions in for a whopping 283 episodes. And with its initial price tag of $39.99 already marked down, it becomes even more of a bargain for gamers steeped in the series and on the lookout for lighthearted fare, as well as for parents keen on expanding their Switch library with titles boasting of harmless fun.

Ethics, integrity and good sleep

ETHICS is defined as “the discipline concerned with what is morally good or bad, right or wrong, black or white.” It is the moral principle that govern a person’s behavior based on his values, conscience. We all like to be ethical, known to have integrity and be trustworthy. Who wouldn’t? Ethics is important so that what you say is believed in and is credible. When you say something or promise, do people, even your children or grandchildren, believe you, or take it with a grain of salt? Do you always tell the truth and deliver on what you promise? A good standard is “under promise and over deliver“ especially when there are dependencies beyond your control. There is a general feeling that ethics, defined as black or white, right or wrong, is now getting to be blurry or sometimes gray.
As a special project, the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) Ethics Committee headed by Chair Zondy Garcia and Liaison Director Sherisa Nuesa, is coming out next month with the book “Ethics: Black, White (or Gray?)” in time for its 50th anniversary. Each article is a discourse on the importance of ethics in business and in national development. Common topics are conflict of interest issues, related party interest issues, sense of propriety, delicadeza and personal experiences of the writers. The contributors are as varied as can be. From banking (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. and Bankers Association of the Philippines President Nestor Tan), to the academe (Miriam College president Charito Lapus), to social enterprise (Chit Juan), to agriculture (Former Secretary William Dar), to digital technology (Amihan’s Winston Damarillo & FINTQ Lito Villanueva), among others. Our sincere thanks to Gov. Nesting’s full support, for not only contributing an article but having the book launch at BSP!
I recall my grandmother’s story. She was businesswoman from Malabon. She sold Jusi and her business was doing very well but for every kilo she sold, she took one gram less. One night she had a dream and saw birds perched on a rope. When she moved the rope, the birds flew away. For some reason, she interpreted the rope movement to her taking one gram less per kilo, which is really simply put, cheating. Convicted by her conscience, the next day, she decided to add 2 grams for every kilo she sold. It turned out that one of her customers was already suspicious of her and weighed her sale. When the customer saw it was over in weight, she announced this to everyone. Thus, Lola’s sales doubled and prospered even more. She taught us the lesson that “honesty is the best policy.” The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor in him (Proverbs 11:1).
It is very important that parents teach their children the value of integrity and of honesty. Our son Ted studying at San Agustin grade school told this story later in his life. At a school festival, he slipped in to ride and not pay the Ferris wheel entrance fee of P5.00 at that time. He said as a consequence of his act his eyeglasses broke which cost P35.00 to repair. His cheating of not paying the fee cost him seven times more. He learned his lesson at a young age.
My father Benjamin Gozon was the Director of Mines when I was growing up. I remember the newspaper headlines at that time of Harry Stonehill about bribery and corruption. Many government officials were named. He said sleep was very important to him and he narrated that Stonehill offered him money which he graciously refused — thus he is sleeping soundly. Truly, a “clear conscience is the softest pillow.”
Let’s all live a life of integrity and be trustworthy. Let’s do the right things right. And have peaceful sleep every night.
 
Flor G. Tarriela is Chairman of Philippine National Bank. She was the first Filipina Vice President of Citibank N.A. and was formerly Undersecretary of Finance when Jose T. Pardo was DOF Secretary. She is a natural farmer and an environmentalist.

Stripping things down to their bare essentials

THE JAPANESE have a gift in stripping something down to its core, allowing for the most essential and most important to come through. We had a taste of the essential on Sept. 19 at the Conrad Manila’s Brasserie on 3’s food promotion, A Taste of Japan. The promotion will run until Sept. 23.
Preparing the kaiseki dinner was Genta Aoyagi, head chef of Hilton Tokyo’s Junisoh Restaurant. Kaiseki is a word that means many things: it is first analogous to the Western degustacion, that is, a meal of multiple courses designed to give the diner a taste. On the other hand, it can also mean a small meal served to guests before a tea ceremony. And then it can also mean the set of skills a chef requires to execute such a presentation: a meal, a gathering, and a lifetime, all in one word.
For his part, Mr. Aoyagi is the Tokyo Governor winner of the 2015 National Japanese Cuisine Competition, while also bringing home the top titles for National Japanese Culinary Arts Championship in 2016 and 2017. Just last year, he was officially certified as a professional Japanese Culinary Cuisine Chef.
For dinner, the meal opened with Torched squid served in a champagne coupe with grilled eggplant and seaweed jelly. Around the stem of the champagne coupe was the menu, executed in the chef’s own beautiful calligraphy. In any case, the smoky eggplant served to wake up the taste buds for the next few courses, all while employing texture using the squid and the jelly.
A sashimi rainbow of tuna, salmon, and amberjack was served next, by turns velvety, distinctly marine, and then positively alive with freshness. Next came slices of tuna crusted with rice crackers. The rice cracker crust provided a nutty, crunchy contrast to the raw tenderness of the fish.
The meal’s piece de resistance, served on a very thin shaving of pinewood, was grilled wagyu beef with miso and steamed rice. While I describe it as a piece de resistance, it is an exercise in simplicity, the beef tasting as if it had been lopped off the animal just minutes before. The word “umami,” pertaining to a pleasant savory taste is thrown about so casually these days, but it felt as if I have only encountered this true taste in the wagyu’s miso crust.
Asked about the simple execution of the dishes, and the importance of emphasizing natural flavor in Japanese cuisine, Mr. Aoyagi said through an interpreter, “The French and the Chinese, when you cook, you always add the flavor. Add, add, add.” He then implied that in the Japanese tradition, it’s about “taking away the flavor,” roughly translating to stripping down an ingredient to its essentials. “Kaiseki is [for]…you to feel the natural flavor of the ingredients.”
Zeny Iglesias, Public Relations Consultant for the Conrad Manila said that Mr. Aoyagi’s guest appearance at the hotel is a portent of things to come. As an initiative of the Hilton community in the region, she said, “We’d like to promote each other. We’d like to really share the culinary secrets of our world-renowned chefs. That is why this is the first of a series.”
The dinner described above is available as a set menu for P3,800 nett; while the buffet at Brasserie on 3 is priced at P1,400 nett per person for lunch and P1,900 nett for dinner. — JLG

What to see this week

7 films to see on the week of September 21-September 28, 2018

The House with a Clock in its Walls


TEN-year-old Lewis discovers that his uncle Jonathan is a warlock when the young boy goes to live with him in an old house with mysterious tick-tock sounds. When he accidentally awakens the dead, Lewis, Uncle Jonathan, and their neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman, unlock the mystery of the hidden clocks hidden by an evil and powerful warlock. Directed by Eli Roth, it stars Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Kyle Maclachlan, and Coleen Camp. The film has a 62% “fresh” rating from the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. “The taboo-flouting director of the torture-porn Hostel movies has tapped into his inner Hufflepuff for what has to be one of the oddest career change-ups in Hollywood memory. Odder still, it kind of works,” writes Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly.
MTRCB Rating: PG

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms


AN immortal girl adopts a mortal baby, and suffers the consequences. Directed by Mari Okada, this animated movie features the voices of Manaka Iwami, Miyu Irino, and Yoko Hikasa. Jessica Kiang of Variety writes: “We don’t even notice how deep Okada has driven her storytelling dagger until she pulls it out in the end, and the tears come, adding, to the bitterness and sweetness of this moving and strange little fable, a hefty dose of salt.”
MTRCB Rating: PG

Reprisal


BANK MANAGER Jacob teams up with his neighbor and ex-cop Caden to capture a violent bank robber. But then the criminal kidnaps Jacob’s wife and daughter. Directed by Brian Miller, the film stars Bruce Willis, Frank Grillo, and Jonathon Schaech. Joe Leydon of Variety writes: “Reprisal is not a very good movie, but it leaves you with tantalizing hints that some people involved with it are capable of doing something much better.”
MTRCB Rating: R-16

Searching


DAVID KIM’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing. But when not one lead comes up in 37 hours, David decides to search his daughter’s laptop and search through her digital footprints. Directed by Aneesh Chaganty, the stars John Cho, Debra Messing, Joseph Lee, Michelle La, and Sara Sohn. Christy Lemire of www.rogerebert.com writes, “Structuring a film this way is impressive as an ambitious screenwriting exercise, if nothing else. It also gives filmmakers the opportunity to embrace technology while simultaneously making a point about the way it transfixes us and turns us into zombies.”
MTRCB Rating: PG

On Your Wedding Day


HIGH SCHOOL student Woo-Yeon falls in love with transfer student Seung-Hee at first sight. Despite Seung-Hee being uninterested in Woo-Yeon, they pretend to date to avoid other students. Just when their relationship develops, Seung-Hee leaves town. They meet a year later at University. However, instead of rekindling their relationship, Woo-Yeon receives an invitation to Seung-Hee’s wedding. Directed by Directed by Lee Seok-Geun, the film stars Park Bo-Young, Kim Young-kwang, and Jae-rim Song.
MTRCB Rating: R-13

Nakalimutan Ko Nang Kalimutan Ka


JAZ travels out of town with her best friend in the hope of recovering from a bad breakup. Directed by Fifth Solomon, it stars Alex Gonzaga, Jerald Napoles, and Vin Abrenica.
MTRCB Rating: G

Abay Babes


BEST FRIENDS in high school, Emerald, Ruby, Perla, and Goldie reunite for the latter’s upcoming wedding. The four bridesmaids find it hard to believe that Goldie — the least attractive of them — is the first to get married. Directed by Don Cuaresma, it stars Cristine Reyes, Nathalie Hart, Roxanne Barcelo, Kylie Verzosa, and Meg Imperial.
MTRCB Rating: R-13

Your Weekend Guide (September 21, 2018)

Lungs

THE SANDBOX Collective and 9 Works Theatrical present the Philippine debut of Lungs, a play by Duncan Macmillan, until Oct. 7 at the Power MAC Center Spotlight, Circuit Makati. With temperatures warming, sea levels rising, and the planet slowly dying, one couple considers the unthinkable — having a baby. Directed by Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan, it stars Sab Jose and Jake Cuenca, with Gabs Santos playing the role of M on Sept. 29 shows. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Lani and Morissette live

LANI MISALUCHA and Morissette Amon star in Solaire Resort & Casino’s presentation of A Lani Morissette Concert: Musical Journey on Sept. 22 and 23, 8 p.m., at The Theater at Solaire. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

No frills concert

WAREHOUSE Eight and Kwago present Echoes, a series of gigs for musicians to freely express who they are and to closely connect with people in a no-frills setting, at Warehouse Eight on Sept. 22, 4 p.m. Door charge is at P350. Children below 10 years will be charged P150. Tickets come with a receipt poem by Dutch poet Roy Voragen. Warehouse Eight is located at La Fuerza Plaza 2241 Don Chino Roces, Makati city. For updates, follow bit.ly/echoesatthewarehouse.

“New Cycles” talk

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) will hold a discussion, “New Cycles,” on moments in the Philippines marking influential development of language and image-making in the political and cultural landscape, on Sept. 22, 1 p.m., at the CCP MKP Hall. The Panelists are AG de Mesa, Christian Tablazon, Marco Ugoy, and Tanya Villanueva. The program will start with the screening of Portraits of Mosquito Press by JL Burgos. For more information, contact the Visual Arts and Museum Division, Production and Exhibition Department at 832-1125 loc. 1504/1505, 832-3702, 0917-603-3809, e-mail ccp.exhibits@gmail.com, or visit www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.

UDD live

UDD performs live at Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Listen as members Armi Millare, Carlos Tañada, Ean Mayor, and Paul Yap play their hits like “Tadhana” and “Indak” from the group’s latest album Capacities, fan favorites “Oo” and “Sana” and more, on Sept. 22, 6 p.m., at the Upper Ground Floor Expansion Wing (near Geox).

M. Butterfly

JHETT TOLENTINO and Frontrow Entertainment present M. Butterfly, a restaging of the 1998 Tony Award winner for Best Play by David Henry Hwang, until Sept. 30 at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater, BGC Arts Center in Taguig city. Directed by Kanakan-Balintagos, the story follows René Gallimard who meets and falls in love with Chinese opera star Song Liling, a woman whom he considers to be the embodiment of the perfect woman, Madame Butterfly. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

A Doll’s House Part 2

RED TURNIP Theater presents Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2 until Oct. 7 at the Zobel de Ayala Recital Hall, BGC Arts Center in Taguig city. Directed by Cris Villonco, the show stars Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Nora and Carlitos Siguion-Reyna as Torvald in this “sequel” to Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Rapunzel: A Very Hairy Fairy Tale

REPERTORY Philippines’ Theater for Young Audiences and the City of Makati present Rapunzel: A Very Hairy Fairy Tale until Jan. 27 at Onstage Theatre in Greenbelt 1, Makati city. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Workshops with G-Force

THE G-FORCE Project 2018 Sembreak Dance Workshop will be held at the G-Force Dance Center, Expansion Wing of Festival Mall, on Sept. 22, 23, 29, and 30 for Batch 1, and Oct. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21 for Batch 2. The workshops from all participating G-Force branches will culminate in a dance concert on Oct. 31 in The Theatre at Solaire. Enrollment fee is P8,500 for six sessions of one type of class (except the #WhiteShirtLove class), inclusive of performance at the concert. Returning students who present their previous G-Force Project ID and students taking two or more types of classes will receive discounts. For more information, download the G-Force Dance Center app on Android and iOS.

Mexican film Saturdays

INSTITUTO Cervantes and the Embassy of Mexico present “La Literatura en el Cine Mexicano,” a showing of Mexican films based on classic literary works, every Saturday at the new Intramuros branch of the Spanish cultural center, located at Casa Azul, Plaza San Luis Complex. The Sept. 22 program features Santa, directed by Antonio Moreno, based on the novel by Federico Gamboa. The melodrama, considered to be Mexico’s first talking picture, tells the story of an innocent Mexican girl who lives happily with her family until a soldier arrives in her hometown, seduces and abandons her. The young woman, who married the soldier against her family’s wishes, then turns to a life of prostitution, becoming the most popular working girl. All films in the series are in Spanish with English subtitles. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit the Instituto Cervantes’ website (manila.cervantes.es) or Instituto Cervantes Facebook page (facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila).

Side Show

ATLANTIS Theatrical Entertainment Group presents the musical Side Show until Sept. 23 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. Nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Musical, Side Show is about love, loss, sisterhood, and what it truly means to be unique. Gab Pangilinan and Kayla Rivera star as the conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Beautiful Strangers

THE Ikarus Theater Collaborative and Storyboard Junkies present two-time Palanca Award winning playwright Jay Crisostomo IV’s play Beautiful Strangers on Sept. 22 and 23, 7 p.m., at DITO: Bahay ng Sining on J. Molina St., Concepcion Uno, Marikina City. It is a story about five people with varying states of beauty and ugliness. For ticket inquiries and reservations, send a message to 0917-863-2364, or e-mail ikarusbeautifulstrangers@gmail.com.

Awiting kay GLEEng

SHOW CHOIRS present harana — the old-fashioned Filipino way of expressing love through songs — in Awiting kay GLEEng, Festival Mall’s amateur choral competition. The grand finals are set on Sept. 22, at the UGF Expansion Hall of Festival Mall in Alabang Muntinlupa.

Soundscapes of Central Europe

THE concert Soundscapes of Central Europe: an evening of works by Czech, Hungarian, Polish, and Slovak composers will be held on Sept. 22, 7 p.m., at the Abelardo Hall Auditorium, UP College of Music, UP Diliman, QC. It features the UP College of Music Keyboard Department Faculty and the Lozada Piano Trio.

Ten defenses against an incompetent boss

My boss tells us that we should not be yes-men by encouraging us to challenge his ideas. However, we feel that this is a ploy to hide his incompetence, allowing him to blame someone later on in case of a major blooper. What can I do to protect myself from his wicked ways? — Overly Cautious.
A woman who was preparing to entertain guests went to a grocery to buy food. She stopped at a meat counter and asked the attendant for a large chicken. He reached down into the cold storage compartment, grabbed the last chicken he had, and placed it on the scale. “This one weighs four pounds, Ma’am,” he said.
“I’m not sure that will be enough,” the customer replied. “Don’t you have a bigger one?”
The attendant put the chicken back into the compartment, pretended to search through the melting ice for another, and then brought out the same bird, while discreetly applying some finger pressure to the scale.
“Ah,” the storekeeper said with a smile. “This one weighs six pounds.”
The woman frowned: “I’m not sure if that’s enough for my guests. Anyway, I’ll take both chickens.”
Someday, somehow, deception will be discovered and that would be disastrous for the offender. This rings true for your work relationship with your incompetent boss, who may be protecting himself for a future mistake.
If you fail to clarify the boss’s instructions and proceed right away in accordance with your own understanding of what he wants, then that could spell disaster for you. On the other hand, if the boss asks you to do something and you don’t bring up your current workload of more important tasks, then it’s likely that you’ll get your priorities wrong.
Therefore, what counts is your ability to be smart about handling those difficult situations. Here are some strategies you can use to protect you from a deceptive boss:
One, clarify things. Record the exchanges via email or SMS, so you can refer back to his instructions in case of any doubt. Do this when you’re given a complex verbal instruction and you’re not sure if you’ve understood it correctly.
Two, propose a better way of doing things. As long as your proposal is both efficient and effective, then I’m sure no one, including your boss, can argue against it. It’s always advisable to offer alternative solutions even to a toxic boss.
Three, ask for authority to pursue action when necessary. There are times that your boss may not be around to make decisions. That alone is a good reason to be empowered to a certain degreed.
Four, develop a reputation for reliable work performance. If you’re a good worker and the organization knows it, no one, even the most difficult boss, could possibly undermine you. One or two mistakes won’t derail you if you have a track record of excellence.
Five, show initiative in discovering issues and providing solutions. Don’t worry if certain things are not part of your job description. Many people will credit you with a “can do” attitude if you’re not the type who quibbles over whether or not you’re overworked or underpaid.
Six, volunteer for projects that give you the chance to show your talent. But not to the point of neglecting your primary duties. Making your talents known to a wide range of other ranking managers could help increase your chances of career success.
Seven, prioritize working on tasks that are valued by your boss. It’s not you who will decide what’s important or not, even if you have an incompetent boss. Just the same, seek a positive balance between the two, or else reconcile them to enjoy the best of both worlds, without incurring the ire of your boss.
Eight, make an extra effort to be polite even to an incompetent boss. It’s difficult, but that’s one way for you not to be the subject of the boss’s first attack. Being courteous to people is a reflection of your character as a person, not the other way around. It also gives you the advantage over other workers who don’t show this kind of respect.
Nine, establish both social and professional relationships with the boss. This is generally welcome in any organization. It will broaden your horizons and helps you understand the situation of your boss and other workers. What at first may seem strange to you could quickly become a positive experience.
Last, admit mistakes when they are clearly your fault. It’s the best way to disarm a toxic boss. Be honest and emphasize what you’re doing to correct the issue. Don’t delay. Outline a clear action plan to prevent it from happening again. Reasonable people will generally calm down when they see your readiness to accept responsibility.
ELBONOMICS: Frequent excuses can’t lead to a lasting solution
 
Send questions or feedback to elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.consulting

Power distributors back Panay power company

PRIVATE Electric Power Operators Association (PEPOA), an umbrella organization of private power distributors, has opposed the franchise application of a new industry player in Iloilo City.
In a statement, the group warned that a power crisis could occur in the city and nearby towns if the franchise of utility operator Panay Electric Co. (PECO) is not renewed and given instead to an applicant. The organization said the applicant had yet to put up the needed infrastructure for electric distribution utility in the area. It said PECO had been operating in Iloilo City for nearly a century.
PEPOA said its members were “shocked to learn of the hasty approval of the franchise application” of More Minerals Corp. (MMC) to the detriment of the incumbent power distribution utility PECO. It quoted a letter it had sent to a legislator as saying: “This development is deeply concerning to us as it puts a highly urbanized city like Iloilo at risk.”
PEPOA President Ranulfo M. Ocampo said MMC is a mining company and does not have the technical capability to operate and maintain a power distribution utility.
“Even if MMC were to change its primary purpose into power distribution, no company can get the required experience and qualifications in just a few days,” Mr. Ocampo said, adding that PECO is among the top 15% in terms of positive reliability performance compared to the other 146 electric distribution utilities in the country.

How PSEi member stocks performed — September 20, 2018

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

 
Philippine Stock Exchange’s most active stocks by value turnover — September 20, 2018

How does the Philippines compare in balancing environment protection and development of energy sources?

How does the Philippines compare in balancing environment protection and development of energy sources?

Palace tells LANDBANK to ease lending requirements for farmers

MALACAÑANG said Thursday that President Rodrigo R. Duterte wants the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) to reduce the hurdles for obtaining farm loans.
According to the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), Mr. Duterte met with Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, Land Bank of the Philippines President and CEO Alex V. Buenaventura, and Development Bank of the Philippines Chairman Alberto G. Romulo at the Palace on Wednesday.
In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said Mr. Duterte, during the meeting, expressed his desire for the LANDBANK to fulfill its mandate to help farmers.
“It isn’t right for a government bank formed to help farmers to be unapproachable by small farmers because they are unable to comply with lending requirements,” he said.
He said LANDBANK, currently a universal bank, needs to go back to the basics and help even farmers who cannot meet lending requirements, and to work around the need for project loan applicants to submit feasibility studies, among others.
He said the bank needs “to provide instant credit” for farmers, including “victims of natural calamities.”
“That was the president’s message — to provide quick assistance during times of calamity… and not to insist on a long list of requirements,” Mr. Roque said.
Asked for comment, Mr. Buenaventura, the LANDBANK President and CEO, had not responded at deadline time.
According to its Web site, LANDBANK has partnered with the Departments of Agriculture (DA), Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to provide “credit assistance to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) through their respective organizations and support their on-farm and off-farm activities whether individual or communal projects.”
Criteria for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs), Farmers Organizations (FOs) other than ARBOs, and Peoples Organizations (POs) include: legal personality, registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Cooperative Development Authority (CDA); the ARB membership list; a core management team (i.e. manager, cashier, bookkeeper); and a track record of operations in the preceding six months, among others. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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