"I didn't liked Rizal" was WAY different from You have categorized it like a critic and by doing so you have placed yourself in a position of expertise whose credentials and qualifications I have no idea of.
You said that Rizal was not "really" a good movie, the whys and hows you have failed to explain. Ah, I forgot, it's too masturbatory and of course your basis is what again?
If awards and box office receipts are not measurements of the quality of film then I guess you are not a fan of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy neither.
Initially, I said that Rizal was good for me as well as Clinton. I just used the list of awards it won and (thanks to your box office hint) the fact that it became the most successful filipino film (box-officewise) to prove that I wasn't just being hysterical about the film, a lot of other people shared the same assessment (or was it mass hysteria? )
I liked Rizal because of how it was presented, the acting performances, editing, cinematography, the freshness it gave the two books etc. The fact that it was given so many awards and did "well" in the box office were only secondary and supportive.
One of my all time favorites is Seven by Brad Pitt and the great Morgan Freeman.The film never won major awards (if it even won any) and can be considered a flop in the box office.
I had promised myself that I will not write anything substantial this holy week because frankly I've been writing too much for the last year that my body is practically begging me not to touch a keyboard even for just three days. But I feel that Atomicat's response may be worth the exception.
Regarding my comment about Rizal, whether I said I didn't like it or I said it was not good, to me the thought is the same. It's just semantics, really.
I also think that I have mentioned the reasons why I didn't like Abaya's Rizal -- most telling of which was what I had called her masturbatory goals. I call it for what it is and make no apologies for my opinions. If you want meatier reasons, here's my laundry list of complaints: Poor acting with regards to Montano and even Gloria Diaz (Pen Medina and Jaime Fabregas were so much more effective!), very loose editing (it could've been made tighter), hit and miss cinematography (there were some nice moments but overall it was all about ego again especially that establishing shot of a building where they had to use special effects to make the sky unusually blue!), and most of all the confusing hodgepodge script. I am not going to say that I am a critic because I am not. But I do have my own opinions about films and if sharing my opinion makes me a critic then I'd gladly accept the label. When it comes to good film critiques though I just read the posts of Noel and X44, I may not agree with some of their reviews but that's what makes an online forum so vibrant. You get to read different views about the films that you've seen that it ultimately enriches you and your knowledge of this art form that we all love.
Lest it be said that I am an Abaya hater let me categorically say that I loved both Karnal and Moral, although Noel has introduced a new perspective towards those two films -- being that they are more Lee's films than Abaya's, which I have come to agree with. Heck, I think I even remember reading a post from Noel saying that Abaya's Sensual is one of her better works -- a film that I absolutely hated. Again, different opinions.
Lastly, if you feel personally offended that Rizal has met with negative comments in this thread well then I say there is no intention to offend you. These are just opinions plain and simple. As Noel said, you are free to defend your opinion but this also allows me the freedom to maintain mine. And that Among the three Rizal movies -- Abaya's was the worst. Aguiluz's Rizal sa Dapitan (I loved it for its quiet restraint) and de Leon's Bayaning Third World (for its innovative deconstruction of our national hero) are better films in my opinion.
Oh, and my favorite film of all time is a toss up among Kurosawa's Ran, Brocka's Maynila Sa Kuko ng Liwanag and Kieslowski's White. And thanks for thinking that I'm Noel Vera.
Now I go back to my much deserved vacation away from my keyboard...