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Bourne great Review by Vives Anunciacion Inquirer Libre August 31, 2007 Directed by Paul Greengrass Starring Matt Damon, Julia Stiles Universal Pictures *** ½ (3½ stars) Some things have just got to end. Like this guy, Jason Bourne, who’s been running around the globe for some years now trying to hide from people trying to kill him; he’s just, well, plain tired. From the moment he gained consciousness inside a Russian fishing trawler in The Bourne Identity to the thrilling car chase in the streets of Moscow in The Bourne Supremacy, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) never stopped hunting the specters of his fragmented memory. Quite literally he had fought his way, with his bare hands, to restore the humanity that was taken from him. In the final chapter of the successful action franchise, Jason puts an end to the chases and the killings and finds his identity in The Bourne Ultimatum at last. From Moscow, Bourne jumps to London to track down the source of a series of newspaper reports leaking...

Todo Tarantino Review by Vives Anunciacion After declaring Manila his second home, there’s little to doubt that Quentin Tarantino, or QT in the world of movie fandom, pretty much enjoyed his ride in a lowly padyak on his way to Malacañan last week to receive a lifetime achievement award from la Gloria. Hooray for Pinoy hospitality. Tarantino was clearly in high spirits when he introduced his most recent project, Deathproof , to a throng of cheering fanboys and cinephiles. The most urgent objective, as he explained, was to film the most spectacular car chase in film history sans CGI. Whether he achieved this or not is the icing on the cake, because the movie’s suspenseful highlight car chase is indeed spectacular and a whole lotta fun. In the movie, a former movie stuntman (Stuntman Mike, gamely played by erstwhile action star Kurt Russel) hunts, stalks and murders groups of seductive women using his “deathproof” muscle stunt car. The first group of victims lists upcoming poster girl J...

Batch review by Vives Anunciacion The organizers of the third Cinemalaya Film Festival declared it the best and biggest the festival has ever been. True, and maybe: it has earned its biggest boxoffice since the first festival but “best” tag is up for debate. This year, none bore the mark of transcendence the way Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros made people outside the festival look at “indie” the same way they did mainstream. Consider eight full-length competition films, down from the original ten after the former two finalists, quote-unquote, failed to finish on time. One of the two, it was heard from the vine, had the most promising script of the lot. Should it be produced independently, it shall uphold the very essence of the festival outside the festival. Such is the festival’s irony, for independents can exist outside the “indie” festival. Among the eight, however, only two entries are solidly constructed from beginning to end: Endo (written and directed by Jade Castro), winn...

Itchy & scratchy Reviews by Vives Anunciacion. Directed by David Silverman Based on the TV characters created by Matt Groening PG13 / 87 minutes 20th Century Fox/ Gracie Films *** ½ (3½ stars) After being on TV for 18 years, The Simpsons jump to the big screen with big jokes, big set-ups and a cute Spider Pig. Suddenly, Springfield comes to life. Spoilers ahead. In this edition of the famous show, the Environmental Protection Agency quarantines the town of Springfield after Homer Simpson dumps a silo of his pet pig’s waste into the already polluted Springfield river. President Schwarzenegger orders the town to be encased in a giant dome of glass, sending the entire town into chaos and thirsty for Homer’s blood. The Simpsons flee to Alaska, where they hear the news that Springfield will be nuked. Marge decides to split with her husband to force some sense into half-smart Homer. An Inuit native helps Homer find his epiphany (and define it for him), and Homer treks back to Springfield...