Film Review: DEMENTIA
By STEWIE GRIBBIN
----------o0o----------
----------o0o----------
A rarity in
horror genre, ‘Dementia’ stays away from blood and hysterics, instead,
it capitalizes on the gothic setting and tension. Nora Aunor blows us away with
her mesmerizing non-verbal performances, that we pardon the average
plot—something that the usual nitpicking critic will tear apart if it wasn't
for Aunor's superb acting and Perci Intalan's impressive direction.
Its subtlety and calmness create the eerie mood,
and the contrasts of the setting -- a paradise with its own dark secrets. As
the imagery and score wed with the powerful performances of Nora Aunor and the
cast ensemble, DEMENTIA brings you to the world of isolation, mystery, and
forgotten memories that (will) haunt you.
As for Nora Aunor, there is no question about
her Mara Fabre. Given the small space to prove her case, Nora Aunor reminds
everyone that when it comes to delivering intensity of character, she remains
without peer. On the way up the hill that ends in a cliff, Nora Aunor as Mara
falls on her knees as the past unfolds before her. You could count up to 20 shades
of lucidity, realization, and sorrow on that wondrous face and be shaken by an
actor that, despite the refinement of her craft through the decades, can still
go back to rawness and wound all with her gift. That scene must be one
difficult scene for future impersonators. The words are gone; only that face
and the world that went away. At the cliff, Nora Aunor embodies the liberation
that the mind offers in madness or in rationality. The calmness that overcomes
Mara’s many years of forgetting and the smile that rekindles resignation to
memory is once more proof that Nora is still the greatest film actor this small
republic of ours has ever produced. In
fact, it is this greatness that is the problem of any young filmmaker who
considers working with Nora Aunor at this stage of her career. Perci Intalan
need not grieve. The director will be blamed; the scriptwriter will be blamed;
the cinematographer will be vilified; and the soundman will be accused of
dementia. But no one can blame this great actress Nora Aunor.
- TITO GENOVA VALIENTE Urian Film Critic reviews.
But what truly makes this film stand out is Nora
Aunor. It's so rare nowadays for a horror film to rely on the actual emotions
or mood because we all have gotten used to being served blood & guts, lots
of screaming & hysteria that I get surprised if I see a really well-made
horror movie (Roden's Kasambahay is also a good example). That's the beauty of
Dementia. Director Perci Intalan
maximizes his lead's greatest strength - that is her ability to relay a story
without opening her mouth. The most memorable scene for me involves Nora
Aunor's staring at the camera, so many emotions in a span of seconds or
minutes, and hitting me like a laser gun straight to the heart. I shed tears.
Truth be told, I am so picky when it comes to
books and movies, but this Nora Aunor
‘Dementia’ blew me away to regions I have yet to discover. While
commonplace actors speak to tell a story to be understood, Aunor simply tells
the story by looking at us from the depths of her heart… Those eyes could bring
you to a roller coaster ride of emotions… I spent the whole time not breathing
so as not to miss a scene…What a treasure!
“Dementia”
is that rare Filipino horror drama that packs a solid emotional wallop. You
won’t forget it soon after leaving the theater.
Nora
Aunor totally matches the swirling forces of nature on display throughout the
movie with a dervish of a performance that involves very little spoken
dialogue.
It’s
mostly ferociously internal until the devastating climax where, still wordless,
her face erupts into a panorama of heartbreak, anguish, sorrow, guilt, regret,
terror, and, finally, resignation and surrender. It’s unforgettable. Congratulations for the Box-office success of
Dementia.
Dementia is Graded A by the Cinema Evaluation
Board!
No comments:
Post a Comment