GMA creative writer Suzette Doctolero recently shared on social media her review of controversial movies "Maid in Malacañang" and "Katips."
The creator behind projects like "Encantadia," "Amaya," and "My Husband's Lover," among others, said of "Katips," "Hindi ko na tinapos."
"One hour and 10 mins lang pinanood ko. Sorry, hindi ko na talaga kinaya kasi confused yata ang filmmaker kung ano ang gusto niyang ipakita dito sa movie kaya parang nagsals*l na hindi yata nilabasan. So di ko alam kung gumanda ba nung second half? O confused pa rin. haha. Panoorin nyo pa rin at kayo ang maghusga."
She later added: "Totoo, mas maraming ginawang distortion itong katips kaysa doon sa isa. Daming huh?! moment dito. Pero panoorin ninyo pa rin ha para kayo ang maghusga."
A few days later, Suzette admitted she was being "unfair" to the film.
She explained, "Palagay ko ay unfair ako na nag walk out sa movie at sinabi kong ampanget after 1 hr and 20 mins na pinanood ito. Mas mabibigyan ko siguro ng tamang review kung makikita ko ang kabuuan. Paumanhin sa sinumang nasaktan sa review na kalahati lang ang nakita ko (mainipin po, pasensya, tao lang)."
She then promised to make it up.
"At dahil diyan ay uulutin ko ang panonood at sisikaping tapusin ito. Nawa ay may himala. Mainam ring mapanood ito ng buo (ng lahat) para mabigyan ng fair na paghuhusga (at para di na rin need mag pad pa sa kinita? Char! Biro lang!!). Salamat."
On "Maid in Malacañang," Suzette said: "Malinaw sa filmmaker kung sino ang audience niya at kung paano magkukuwento kung kaya’t nasakyan ng audience ang pain ng isang pamilyang dati ay matayog at hari, at bumagsak. Pinaiyak, pinatawa, kinurot ang puso ng audience. Wala kasing pretension ang pelikula. Malinaw na ito ay kwento sa Point of View ng mga Marcos o pro Marcos."
"Although Hindi ito ang unang movie na tumalakay ng ganitong paksa, (nandiyan ang Evita Peron, ang Tsar (kwento ng mga Romanovs ng Russia) at ibp, pero matapang pa rin ang filmmaker na ginawa niya ito, kahit na alam niyang may mga pupuna. Deserve nito ang sucess sa takilya na tinamasa," Suzette added.
"Kontrobersyal at subject sa Interpretsyon ang huling eksena, na ipinakita si Cory, lalo na ang binitiwan nyang salita sa dulo (bilang analogy sa pulitika, kapangyarihan, gamit ang sugal na madjong), pero ito ay totoo. At ang gandang statement sa pulitika ng bansa (maski sino pa ang lider)."
She ended: "May mga scenes lang na ikinuwento kaysa ipinakita pero naiintindihan kong mahal ang eksena (halimbawa, pagpapasabog sa isang parte sa Malacanang o pagpapakita ng pagsugod ng mga rebel forces para mas ramdam ko ang takot ng pamilya at mga maids) pero sa pangkalahatan ay okey naman ang pelikula. Walang historical distortion, wala ring paninira sa mga madre. Panoorin para makita."
Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Jim Paredes said of "Katips," "I won't tell the story but let me just say it is quite riveting and powerful."
He continued, "As a young man in the 70s, I could poignantly relate to the characters and the situations in the movie.
"The First Quarter Storm was when the seeds of dissent, activism, and protest were planted and took root among young people who fought the dictatorship. Many paid with their lives. I remember old schoolmates who were killed or had disappeared. I could relate to the torture scenes since I actually met victims who had undergone such inhumane treatment.
"There were parts of the movie that brought the entire audience to sobbing and crying. There were comic moments that gave you relief from the seriousness of the topic and the dire scenes that played out. The music was natural and unobtrusive. There was no awkwardness in the way the singing interplayed with the characters, events and situations as they unfolded.
"I remembered the faces of classmates, friends, relatives who suffered under the dictatorship. Some of them were killed and buried in unknown graves after undergoing unspeakable torture. The movie documented the pain my generation went through. I actually became quite emotional while watching it.
"After the movie, I talked to some millennials and they expressed how little they knew about Martial law and recent history. They cried in many parts of the movie, too. As I was talking to them my eyes kept tearing and my voice was shaking. I told then that I actually knew people who went through the horrible tortures that were depicted there. In short, I wanted them to know that what they just watched was real. I thanked them for being there.
"Dear readers, make sure you watch this. Bring a young person with you so that they will know what our generation went through to pay for their freedoms. This is our story as a people. It is time we all remember, and for those who had never heard of these type of stories of Martial Law before, it is time to expose the truth that trolls, and 'influencers' on youtube, Tiktok and other social media have been trying to hide and deny.
"Martial law was real. The dictatorship was real. And yes, it was EVIL!
"Let's spread the word."