Author Topic: Focus on MARILOU DIAZ ABAYA (Read 6601 times)

keating · « **on:** Jan 10, 2007 at 09:10 PM »

Saw BRUTAL for the first time. Its very grim and depressing but there's redemption at the end. Amy Austria and Gina Alajar were both terrific! The narrative was neatly done, women are not merely sex objects. Abaya's forte of feminist angst started in this film was effectively conveyed, continued in MORAL, the last in KARNAL.

TANIKALA her directorial debut sank into oblivion. SENSUAL lost the heat along the way. Tried smorgasboard formula in BOYSTOWN.

MILAGROS inspite of being restrained, divided the critics and the audience. JOSE RIZAL & MURO AMI are two of her biggest hits.

And yes, its true. She was close to the late master filmmaker ISHMAEL BERNAL.

keating · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 14, 2007 at 02:59 PM »

BRUTAL (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1980)

Back in the 80's when the MMFF churned out some classic movies and not crap, Jessie Ejercito thru Bancom Audiovision gambled on BRUTAL. It became the trademark of Ms. Abaya who would later succeed in dealing with feminist angst issues that women are equal with men and not to be treated as only sex objects and victim of society.

The result is something to brag about. From the acting of Amy Austria as the naive Monica & the liberated Cynthia played flawlessly by Gina Alajar to the script by Ricky Lee, production design by Don Escudero, cinematography and editing by Manolo Abaya are all top-notch. Charo Santos was also stand out as the lawyer assigned to tackle the case of Austria after the lass committed murder that serves as the narrative of the story. The flashback are told in a simple manner, straight forward and yes its grim and very depressing but there's redemption at the end.

I missed this kind of movies, once again Alajar earned more respect from my book. Definitely as Cynthia she's the most colorful and greatest slut Philippine Cinema has ever created.

jdv1229 · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 14, 2007 at 10:41 PM »

Amy Austria was first asked to play the role of Cynthia with Alma Moreno as Monica. the latter backed out of the project and instead shot her reunion film with ex-husband Rudy Fernandez entitled Babalik Ka Rin. with Alma out, Amy, sick and tired of playing slutty roles, asked if she could portray Monica. Marilou has to look for another actress for the role of Cynthia, Ricky Lee suggested Gina Alajar who just stepped into the bold bandwagon with her re-launching film Diborsyada.

keating · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 15, 2007 at 05:13 PM »

I know that Gina drank tequila before dancing infront of Jay Ilagan & company on that controversial orgy scene wearing only undies, but how did Marilou convince her?

What I like about her character, she was redeemed and ask forgiveness at the end. It almost eclipsed Amy Austria's character.

rse · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 16, 2007 at 02:19 AM »

I haven´t seen Brutal but I´ve heard a lot of good things about it. Karnal I think is a mess, and Moral is her best.

keating · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 16, 2007 at 11:22 AM »

Most people didn't get the ending of MILAGROS. Marilou is the only choice of the late Rolando Tinio to helm the movie after Ishmael Bernal.

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 16, 2007 at 03:39 PM »

May Nagmamahal sa Iyo is one of her best too, I think.

That said, I thought her team of Ricky and her husband as cinematographer was her best work--she lost a lot of that low-key reailsm when she started using other cinematographers.

keating · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 16, 2007 at 06:21 PM »

MAY NAGMAMAHAL SA IYO is on my watch list as far as Abaya is concerned. Was Lorna even great here Noel, than in MORAL?

Marilou is at her best doing those combo with Ricky Lee. Even her husband Manolo can't save TANIKALA but they rebounded vigorously in BRUTAL.

That sequel to MORAL, they should have retained the original cast.

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 17, 2007 at 05:57 AM »

Lorna's front and center in May Nagmamahal, along with the actor playing her son. Jaclyn Jose has a lovely cameo. Moral is a team effort, though Lorna's very good there too.

keating · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 05, 2007 at 09:05 PM »

Marilou takes Robbie Tan's place as monitoring committee head of this year's CINEMALAYA.

I hope she's also generous like Mr. Robbie Tan, hehehe.

thegoodbyeguy · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 08, 2007 at 09:15 AM »

Hope to watch another Marilou Diaz-Abaya film in the league of Moral and Karnal. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I liked those two movies I've mentioned. Feminist films as it may but it get straight to the point.

keating · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 08, 2007 at 12:04 PM »

Has anybody mentioned MILAGROS? The first choice for the part was the late Stella Strada. The 90's came and the role went to Sharmaine Arnaiz.

How would it fare if it was made during the ECP days?

Weird but true, in Rolando Tinio's original script, MILAGROS encounters UFO.

jdv1229 · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 09, 2007 at 07:36 PM »

i'm sorry but i never liked Milagros... the film seemed too cold for me. it lacked the sensuality of Karnal, Moral's brilliance and Brutal's power.

keating · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 09, 2007 at 07:39 PM »

It was so restrained, that the audience left the theatre confuse and thinking. Yeah, Abaya is not the perfect filmmaker for the part. But she consider it, her most personal film along with MORAL.

It has less feminist angst that she delivered in MORAL, BRUTAL & KARNAL.

jdv1229 · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 09, 2007 at 07:46 PM »

really most personal? she should rethink this. Marilou is a mother and i believe that the film May Nagmamahal Sa 'Yo should be her most personal film along with Moral...

keating · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 09, 2007 at 07:53 PM »

She was so fond of the late Rolando Tinio and she would always ask Ishmael Bernal whether its now time to do MILAGROS when it was still on the planning stage.

MORAL certainly deserves a dvd treatment! When I saw it in U. P. Film Center during Ricky Lee's retrospective works, the audience were laughing, crying and shouting at the right places!

jdv1229 · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 09, 2007 at 07:55 PM »

all of Abaya's early films deserves to to be released on DVD from Tanikala to Karnal. the sad part is the lack of good clean prints...

keating · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 09, 2007 at 07:58 PM »

Was MORAL from Bancom Audiovision, Jo? Marilou was present in the U.P. screening and gave some tidbits about the movie. LT was already two months pregnant and they hide the news about it. Gina and Anna Marin were also there.

jdv1229 · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 09, 2007 at 08:04 PM »

no... Moral was produced by Jesse Ejercito's Seven Stars Productions. when was this UP screening? Amy Austria was supposed to play Joey but she had a spat with Jesse although she had a short appearance in the party scene with Claire de la Fuente.

keating · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 09, 2007 at 08:09 PM »

It was one of the fantastic and wonderful screenings I ever went to! U.P. people are the best movie audience in this planet.....their reaction was so tremendous and applaus was heard after the screening.

This was late 90's jo. They hold a retrospective of Ricky Lee's works from the movies he penned with Brocka, Bernal, Abaya & Chionglo.

jdv1229 · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 09, 2007 at 08:13 PM »

so it was a Ricky Lee retrospective... i miss attending these kinds of gatherings. i met Marilou almost ten years ago in New York during the first Filipino Film Festival at the Lincoln Center. she was gracious enough to sign my festival programme...

keating · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 09, 2007 at 08:19 PM »

Yep, MORAL was the opening film. Marilou should go back to these kind of films again.

jdv1229 · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 09, 2007 at 08:39 PM »

she shouldn't go back but direct something much better...

keating · « **Reply #23 on:** Feb 16, 2007 at 09:12 PM »

I missed Abaya's SIC O'CLOCK NEWS and PUBLIC FORUM. It was also fulfilling on her part for doing those tv shows after the Edsa Revolt.

keating · « **Reply #24 on:** Feb 17, 2007 at 01:48 PM »

(At the opening of KING KONG, a club owned by the Abayas & Manny Santander in 1983: Writer Jorge Arago real soulmate of Ishma, Marilou Diaz-Abaya and the late Ishmael Bernal.)

How Marilou Diaz-Abaya met Ishmael Bernal:

"My film BRUTAL was released on Dec. 25, 1980 as an entry to the MMFF. On Dec. 26, a messenger delivered a small memo pad with the letterhead Ishmael Bernal. So when I opened it and read his name on the top, I nearly fainted. It was a very short note. It said: Dear Marilou, Congratulations for a very original and brilliant film. See you one of these days. Ishma.

Two days later I was sitting in a corner at Jack's restaurant a beer joint on P. Tuazon and Edsa, with Manolo, my husband. Jesse Ejercito, my producer was celebrating because he had managed to get most of the awards on awards night, which was on the 27th. Close to midnight, the door was thrust open and a huge voice boomed: Si Marilou Diaz-Abaya nandito ba?

It took me about five or ten seconds before I had the courage to tentatively raise my little finger. Then he walked very deliberately toward me and Manolo and planted himself in the chair infront of us. He said, I am Ishmael Bernal and now that we know each other, would you mind telling me what it is that makes your marriage and profession work successfully? So I asked him how many days he had to sit there to chat.

From the moment that he sat down, I felt that I just got attached to something. I think it took both of us very many, many years to find even tentative answers as to why that happened."

jdv1229 · « **Reply #25 on:** Feb 19, 2007 at 07:39 PM »

where did you get this picture? the article just confireed the beautiful friendship these two filmmakers shared. it's interesting to note that while Abaya adored Bernal, Guillen loved Brocka.

keating · « **Reply #26 on:** Feb 19, 2007 at 07:42 PM »

Its from the Sunday Inquirer mag when they paid tribute to Ishmael Bernal dated 1996. Marilou was interviewed and recall the friendship that she had with Ishma. I didn't know that Laurice adored Brocka over Bernal.

jdv1229 · « **Reply #27 on:** Feb 19, 2007 at 07:46 PM »

it's nice that you have clippings of these articles... Guillen has been working with Brocka since the early 70's. in her debut film Kasal? she even asked Lino and Phillip Salvador to have brief appearances in the film.

keating · « **Reply #28 on:** Feb 19, 2007 at 07:49 PM »

The photo is very rare, its good that Marilou shared it with the readers. She is so fond of Ishma, even the line spoken by Amy Austria in HINUGOT SA LANGIT......"happiness is not an accident, tinatrabaho yan!" came from her.

jdv1229 · « **Reply #29 on:** Feb 19, 2007 at 07:52 PM »

i remember the line... so it came from her. she even had a cameo in Hinugot, as Maricel's new employer towards the end of the film. Marilou was also in Working Girls.