27 years
of
Community Service
MUNTING NAYON
News Magazine
Operated by couple Eddie Flores and Orquidia Valenzuela
News and Views of the
Filipino Community Worldwide
Showbiz Periscope

JOHN LLOYD CRUZ SHINES IN 'HONOR THY FATHER'



By Pablo A. Tariman
Manila
December 23, 2015

 
 


       For another, the film is an education to millions of followers of actor John Lloyd Cruz who re-invents himself beyond “kilig” moments and comes up with a powerful performance out shadowing all his previous film appearances.
       Indeed, Michiko Yamamoto’s script finds   powerful expression in Eric Matti’s latest directorial challenge and it would have been a big loss if this entry didn’t make it to this festival which had seen better years.
       The film opens in a day in a life of a hard-working couple (Cruz and Meryll Soriano) whose religious affairs are chronicled with seeming irony.

       Indeed, the film has disturbing images that recalled true-to-life stories of people caught in ugly scenes as the scam rears its ugly head.
       How the couple copes with this latest misfortune is the stuff of Yamamoto’s story. As it is, the film is really a simple story of how the color of money changes people and how it could hoodwink unsuspecting neighbors and how it could transform friends into brutal collection agents.
       The powerful, if,  multifaceted,  acting  of John Lloyd Cruz  and the well-motivated ensemble of  supporting actors (from Tirso Cruz III, William Martinez, Meryll Soriano,  Yayo Aguila, Perla Bautista and Dan Fernandez, among others)  are the film’s most  outstanding   asset aided in no small way by intelligent direction and by its subtle but equally poignant musical scoring.

As it is, “Honor Thy Father” is a redeeming and timely entry in the MMFF and a good reminder as any that money masquerading as profit isn’t everything.
That scene where people took turns jumping on the murky river to get their share of cash is indeed another masterful cinematic portrayal of another parable of evil as it lurks on men even in holy cloth and their followers.
That scene showing concerned brothers digging underground to find the source of cash is indeed a fitting symbolism called Lower Depths: how people go lower than their real worth to save a brother in distress.
Through it all, John Lloyd is brilliantly focused as he let go of layers of emotions as he copes with another family crisis.

       This early, one predicts a best actor trophy for John Lloyd Cruz and a best supporting actor citation for Tirso Cruz III. Come to think of it, one cannot cite any member of the cast who has no well-defined moment in the film.
       Surely, the film deserves its Grade A rating from the Cinema Evaluation Board.
“Honor Thy Father” produced by Reality Entertainment opensDecember 25 in all theaters.

    Tweet
    MoreSTANDING OVATION FOR PHILIPPINE ENTRY IN BERLIN FILM FEST
    Pablo A. Tariman

           Loud cheers and a rousing standing ovation greeted the screening of the Philippine entry “A Lullaby to the Sorrowful...
    MoreLICAD AT CCP; GUITAR CONCERT AT AYALA MUSEUM FEB. 11
    Pablo A. Tariman

           Trust Ms. Nedy Tantoco of the Rustan  Group of companies to come up with a fool-proof fund-raising idea....
    MoreTHE MAKING OF COCO MARTIN’S PALOMA AS WOMAN OF THE NIGHT
    Pablo A. Tariman

                In “Beauty and the Beastie,” he agrees to do a twerk in a hilarious scene where a...
    MoreLOVE AND HORROR IN TWO MMFF ENTRIES
    Pablo A. Tariman

      ...
     
    MoreVIETNAM-“Chaotic” experience in Hanoi’s traffic and cruising pristine Ha Long Bay
    Wilfredo Valenzuela

    My brother Danny’s wife Cindy planned and arranged our first trip to Northern Vietnam months in advance.  Danny, Cindy, my sisters Chi and Quiding, Quiding’s husband Eddie, and I took an early morning flight from Manila to Hanoi via Singapore.  It was dark by the time we set out from Noi Bai International Airport to our lodging at Hanoi’s French...
    MoreSTANDING OVATION FOR PHILIPPINE ENTRY IN BERLIN FILM FEST
    Pablo A. Tariman

           Loud cheers and a rousing standing ovation greeted the screening of the Philippine entry “A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” by Lav Diaz in the 66th Berlin International Film FestivalThursday night (February 18) at the 1,600-seater Berlinale Palast....
     
    MoreBANC Celebrates Valentine’s Day
    Julia Carreon-Lagoc

     
    LOVE ruled the day, February 13, 2016 at the spacious social hall of Our Lady of...
    MoreDOLE’s Assist W.E.L.L. secures overseas and local employment for 21 repatriated OFWs from Kuwait
    Department of Labor and Employment

      Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said this yesterday after Philippine Overseas Employment Administration deputy chief Amuerfina R....
    MoreCFO Conducts Financial Literacy Training to Migrant Returnees, Families and Students in Baguio City
    Michael A. Apattad

    In its effort to continuously mainstream migration and development into local development and investment plans of the Cordillera...
    MoreFailing my Spanish 101
    Willie Jose

    Toronto is a major city in North America where people of different cultures converge; it’s a common thing hearing people...
     
    More`CON AMOR’ FOUNDATION B0ARD MEMBERS VISIT PROJECTS IN PHILIPPINES
    By: Orquidia. Valenzuela,  as reported by Myrla Danao

    Businessman Jaap van Dijke, chairman and two board members, Myrla Danao and Dr. John Deen of Con Amor foundation in...
    MoreArt Creations
    Vicente Collado Jr.

    Welcome!

    Many believe formal training is a prerequisite to quality in painting. Not a few will agree with me one can...
    MoreTHE CHILDREN IN DON MANUEL GK VILLAGE
    Orquidia Valenzuela Flores

    Sixty-three children from age three to six years, in the very poor community of Don Manuel village in Barangay...
     
    Disclaimer

    Contents posted in this site, muntingnayon.com, are the sole responsibility of the writers and do not reflect the editorial position of or the writers' affiliation with this website, the website owner, the webmaster and Munting Nayon News Magazine.

    This site, muntingnayon.com, the website owner, the webmaster and Munting Nayon News Magazine do not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages arising for any reason whatsoever from this website or from any web link used in this site.