Ang babae sa septic tank (2011) Reviews

• A Must-See, Brilliant, & Thought-Provoking Satire

  tripxyde2011-08-14

  Somewhere in the downtrodden slums of Metro Manila lives Mila, a miserably struggling mother living in sheer poverty with her 7 (or was it 9?) children. Because of their miserable condition, she decides to sell one of her children to a foreigner. But Mila is merely a character in the indie film that producer JM De Guzman, director Kean Cipriano, and production assistant Cai Cortez set out to make. They are inspired and are bent to achieve Film Festival glory. In doing so, they employ the ace under their sleeves; actress and superstar Eugene Domingo. ANG BABAE SA SEPTIC TANK is actually a brilliant, thought-provoking satire of the current Indie Film Industry & the hypocrisy in the minds of those who only wish to become Film Festival Superstars. Those who might think this is the usual Eugene Domingo wild and zany comedy (coz the abs-cbn trailer makes the movie look like a wacky comedy e), I'm just reminding you that this one is more of satire than comedy, meaning most of the stuff that's funny here are funny coz these things are real. It's a "Bato-bato sa Langit" sort of movie. At the very core of it, the film-makers are three rich kids who never really care about the misery of poverty, for which their film touches on. Their film is entitled "Walang Wala" which is supposed to lament on the desperation of a mother who would sell her child just for some relief. At one point, they even contemplate on trying to find a real-life subject matter. The characters' hypocrisy is given a spotlight as the film shows us the glaring irony when we see how the three kids actually live a materialistic, worry-free, urban rich lifestyle. It is clear that the main characters don't care too much about the people stricken with poverty; they're merely interested in becoming film festival superstars. You can say that it does not become preachy because it did not dwell too long on the film's serious moment, it did not spell out or give too much emphasis on what's unpleasant about the characters, and the character's enlightenment was not even clear if they did get some sense of wisdom or realization in the end. All it did was show us what does exist, and despite its subtlety, you can see all the obvious bad things about the industry. One could say that the character of Mila exists in real life Manila, somewhere, there are two or more Milas who are going through the same fate. I think that angle is depicted in the movie; in its first few sequences wherein Eugene Domingo acts out who or what the real life Mila could be like. This sequence, which is in the intro, is the serious tone in the movie, where Eugene Domingo is indeed given a chance to show off her serious acting side. The film exposes many of the industry's unpleasant habits in a single blow; it parodies not only the indie film scene, but the mainstream film industry as well. Later on as the story progresses, when our three main characters meet the "real actress" Eugene Domingo, they are put on a difficult position when Domingo uses her influence to alter the script. And the result of it is what usually happens in reality: impressive screenplays are reduced into corny melodrama or commercial garbage. There is a sequence here that shows us what really is wrong with commercial mainstream cinema; the treatment, as if it was made for idiots and the blatant product placements are all what mainstream media has been feeding its audiences. In the movie, Domingo uses her dominant influence, and the indie filmmaker is left with nothing but to bow down, if not make risky compromises. If there was one thing that I complained about the movie is that it ended all too abruptly without some kind of grand closure, be it physical or dramatic. Perhaps the movie was all too conscious of how they parody filmmakers who inject immensely dramatic impact on the climax, to the point that when the story went to the direction that we expect the main characters to have some sort of realization, it does not happen, the film was over-conscious not to be a victim of its own parodying. But then again, the running time that played within the minimum 1 hour and 30 minutes was noticeable because the story never had a dragging moment; each moment was amusing, interesting, and thought-provoking. ANG BABAE SA SEPTIC TANK is a must-watch in order to understand what really is wrong with the film industry. This is one movie that I would urge everyone to see.

• Funniest film I've seen this year!

  twdetox2011-10-14

  I recently visited this beautiful country on business and got a break from work. I went to Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival and watched what i call the funniest film i have seen this year. The Philippines, sadly, is proud of a cinema that most of its citizens have not seen. It is proud of a cinema that is taken hostage by the international film festivals that dictate upon it its inevitable direction. It is proud of a cinema that is only part of a vicious cycle of international demands and artists too willing to fill in these demands. Of course, that is only one spectrum of the debate. The other spectrum belongs to what's right in Philippine cinema, which is obviously not the focus of Martinez and Rivera and would have made the film a less effective parody. With its brave and seamless sense of humor, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank is a sure crowd-pleaser. However, let not its comedic machinations be mistakenly considered as the summation of the bigger, more complex and more beautiful thing that is Philippine cinema.

• Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, which takes deft aim at stereotypes of Filipino film and society, was my favorite of the 2012 Berlinale.

  avery-212012-03-30

  "With this film, we go to the festival in Berlin!" Written by Chris Martinez and directed by Marlon Rivera, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (The Woman in the Septic Tank) is the most successful independent film in the history of Philippine cinema, winning best actress, best screenplay, best director and best film at Cinemalaya. Very rare for a home-grown indie, it was picked up for a commercial run by one of the country's biggest film companies and became the highest grossing independent Filipino film, the Philippines' entry for the 2011 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film, and was short-listed for the Oscar. The title may be a sly reference to Mario O'Hara's Babae sa Breakwater (Woman of Breakwater), one of a legacy of fine movies dealing with poverty in the Philippines, which rightfully garnered festival screenings and critical praise in the first decade of the 21st century, but also inspired lesser efforts dubbed as "poverty porn" and "cinema of misery". Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, which takes deft aim at these preconceptions of Filipino film and society, was my favorite of the 2012 Berlinale. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank begins with a film-within-the-film Walang-Wala ("Have Nothing"), a stereotyped portrait of Mila, the destitute mother of seven children (or maybe nine) who dolls up her pre-teen daughter (or maybe son) to pimp her/him out to Mr. Smithberger, an elderly Western sex tourist (or maybe Asian, or Filipino). We learn that three young film-school graduates – director Rainier de la Cuesta (Kean Cipriano), producer Bingbong (JM de Guzman) and production assistant Jocelyn (Cao Cortez) – are planning their first film, engineered as the ultimate in poverty porn, as their route to fame and fortune on the international festival circuit, and ultimately to the foreign-film Oscar. In the course of one day, they brainstorm possible treatments of their project as a gritty no frills neo-realist film, a glossy musical, an over-the-top melodrama, and a docu-drama. On a scouting expedition, they visit the Payatas dumpsite, whose denizens expertly deconstruct their car. Wanting a big name for the lead in their movie, the team imagines Mercedes Cabral (Serbis) and Cherry Pie Picache (Foster Child) in the role of Mila before setting their sights on the grand diva Eugene Domingo. First-time director Marlon Rivera's crack comedic timing showcases spot-on performances by Kean Cipriano, JM de Guzman, and Cao Cortez and notable cameos by Mercedes Cabral and Cherry Pie Picache. But the film's backbone is Eugene Domingo's generous, affecting, and wildly funny performance, including a manic master class in the three acting styles of a Filipina diva. Vincent de Jesus's accordion-inflected score is perfectly at one with this brilliant farce.

• Good for some laughs

  Sirfaro112012-05-26

  No doubt that Eugene Domingo's antics are funny and she has proved that being overly melodramatic can be funny. Yes, it's a "different" movie, poking fun of indie movies as the director and producer find ways on how to sell their movie to film fests. The supporting cast as well as the script all contribute to the whole of the movie as best as they can. But I don't know what entered the minds of the people deciding on which movie to send to Oscar, that they decided to send this movie. No wonder it wasn't chosen as a finalist. Over the years, Filipinos keep hoping for at least a nomination but the first step really is to look at past winners, all with a good script and a worthy story to tell. Septic tank just is not good enough for Oscar. (although I don't have a suggestion since I haven't seen the rest of the contenders). Septic tank is good for some laughs, but that's it.

• So hilarious you will be moved to tears

  jaychou_212011-07-19

  We watched this film on its gala premiere at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival and it was pure ecstasy. ‎"Ang Babae sa Septic Tank" chronicles a day in the life of three ambitious, passionate but misguided filmmakers who are dead set on making an Oscar-worthy film. This intelligent comedy is a social commentary, a musical, a docu film, an over-the-top melodrama, and an overdosage of hilarity all rolled into one. Go see this and prepare to laugh until you drop! This movie-within-a-movie sets the bar high for future local comedy films. The plot is interesting, the script is well-written, the production values are grander than the usual indie film, and the casting couldn't be any more perfect.The performances are superb: Kean Cipriano and JM de Guzman are surprisingly good and they make up for an impeccable tandem; Mercedes Cabral and Cherry Pie Picache both delivered remarkable cameos, and Eugene Domingo's star shone the brightest in this film. She will reap awards for her role in this movie. Written by Chris Martinez and directed by Marlon Rivera, "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank" is a work of true genius. Imagination, creativity, and raw talent converged to create this well-executed comedy that is smart, modern, and relevant. This is, without a shadow of a doubt, the wittiest local movie I have ever seen.