Metro Manila Reviews

Following the fortunes of a poor farmer and his family who travel to the capital in search of a better life, Metro Manila examines to what lengths people would go to in order to get out of a desperate situation.

The film began quite slowly which brought across the pace of rural life. In contrast, once the Ramirez family have arrived in Manila a combination of hand held shooting and fast jump cutting effectively convey the chaotic nature of a fast developing metropolis. These scenes seemed to be aiming for a documentary-style realism which gave the feel of a Phillipines version of Salaam Bombay. The emphasis was very much on social commentary, showing how naive migrants are taken advantage of by unscrupulous citizens.

The protagonists soon find themselves in a depressing slum area and in urgent need of money to survive. Mai resorts to working as an exotic dancer in a sleazy bar whilst her husband Oscar seems to have struck lucky by finding a role as a security guard for a company which transports money around the city in armoured cars. The style of the movie changes here to become a fairly standard heist film and though engaging enough the plot was not particularly surprising. Apart from the unusual setting it was very much like other products of the genre.

The cast were generally quite impressive and there was good chemistry between Jake Macapagal as Oscar Ramirez and John Arcilla who played his boss Douglas Ong. Althea Vega as Oscar's wife Mai looked the part but her performance was a little flat in some scenes where dramatic events took place which should have resulted in a stronger emotional reaction. The supporting cast were also effective though I found the playboy who styled himself after American rappers completely unconvincing, though this was as much the fault of the script as anything else.

The film suffered from being a little overlong with a subplot about a plane hijack which could have been easily excised as it was not really relevant and just served to slow down the pace of the principal narrative. In contrast the plot strand about Mai's work in the sex industry felt very much underdeveloped. Stronger plotting and dialogue here would have helped to make it an important part of the drama, rather than just being needlessly voyeuristic. It would also have been better if Oscar had been shown to be struggling with a moral dilemma concerning his actions which would have been more believable.

Despite its flaws Metro Manila is worth seeing on account of the distinctive setting which is nicely shot. It isn't a classic by any means but is certainly worth a look.

An independently produced from both the countries, Phillipines and United Kingdom which was selected to represent Britain at the 2013 Oscars. This crime-thriller is about a family's struggle and involvement in a crime affair. From the director of 'Cashback' another excellent and a different movie. When the movie 'Where God Left His Shoes' meets 'Armored', the 'Metro Manila' forms. But in a better way in every minute detail. With the beautiful dialogues and the performances the story makes you wonder how long it can drag. The value of sacrifice for the sake of the family's survive strikes with the unexpected twist.

A farmer family who failed to harvest in large quantity gets a little value for what they got in the hands. The savings are not enough to invest for the next season. So the whole family, father, mother and two children decide to travel to the capital city to earn money. They struggle to get a place to stay in the threatening Manila city where it is crowded, polluted and illegal activities are soaring high. Being a farmer family, they are the easiest target to get cheated. Both the parents get a decent job till they come to know the reason behind their recruitment. And what comes after is the family's only chance to put a full stop for all the struggles for once.

You have more chances of seeing an alien
than winning the lotto.

You know what impressed me in this movie, the reality. Everything I saw was like a documentary movie till the last quarter. In the last few minutes I realized that I am watching a movie. That is only because of the awesome twist and turn to end the story on a high note. From beginning to the end the narration was precisely defined about the life in Manila city, especially in the category of below poverty line. The honest was convinced me and so the great end with a line: I too want to save my family, but my plan was never based on a dream. One of the best dramas based on the innocent family. It won't try to convince you with the family sentiments, but stays true and unveils the brutality of the metro city which apply same proportion for any other metros in the world. A rare gem and won't be wrong to say it is a must see.