"“100” shows us the value of living large in the face of death—the literal End or just the small deaths, the annoying but seemingly fatal frustrations in our mundane existence—and of getting a boost from friends and family, a fit of bone-jarring laughter, or simply adopting a dogged refusal to let life or death bring you down." --- Ramil Digal Gulle (abs-cbn.com) | |
100 opens the Indio Bravo film fest in NYC at the Museum of Modern Art on June 11 9pm. If you're in NY, this is your chance to see our film. Please help us spread the word about 100's East Coast premiere. Bring family and friends! Mylene Dizon will be there to attend the screening and Q and A!
You may get your tickets here: www.indiobravo.org
See you and thanks!
Chris Martinez
 "100" to be screened on SAT, MAY 02 - 12:00 PM | Laemmle's Sunset 5 (Sunset Blvd.) -- Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. See you there!
  Konichiwa! Bonjour! 100 is off to Vesoul, France and Osaka, Japan. m
Details soon!
 As 100's theatrical screening winds down on its 3rd week, let me post this review from Claire de Leon, a 2nd Year Psych Major in UP Diliman. This is her reaction paper for Dr. Eugene Evasco's Humanidades 1 class. I am amazed by Claire's sensitivity and depth. She touched on elements when others would not. In other words, it's as if she's read my mind or seen my notes while making the film.
To Claire, thank you for this wonderful piece. Hopefully 100 inspires you to pursue your filmmaking aspirations.
To everybody else, thank you for supporting 100 which is still running in SM NORTH EDSA. Salamat and merry Christmas!!!
Claire's bio:
" I am Claire De Leon. I'm 17 years old. I'm a second year BA Psychology major from UP Diliman. I am from Noveleta, Cavite, but I'm currently residing in Quezon City. In my past three semesters, I have been a University Scholar twice and a College Scholar once. I have a poem published in VoicesNet's Poem Anthology, and a one-liner on the website of American Author, Denise Vega. I have won second place in the Short Story Writing Contest of Kalayaan Residence Hall 2007 and second place Best Director in GeograFilm 2008, a program of Sir Jason Cruz, Geography Dept, UP Diliman. In my free time, I like to travel and to read and write flash fiction." De Leon, Claire 4 – XII – 08 2007-26696 Humanidades 1 Isandaan, Isang Daan Kung mamamatay ka bukas, ano ang gagawin mo ngayon? Dinadala ng pelikulang “100” ang mga manunuod sa madamdaming paglalakbay ng isang babae sa huling yugto ng kaniyang buhay. Nasa rurok ng kanyang karera si Joyce nang magpasya siyang talikuran ang kanyang buhay upang paghandaan ang kanyang kamatayan, hindi lamang para sa kanya, ngunit higit para sa mga nagmamahal sa kanya. Umiikot ang kuwento sa ginawa niyang listahan ng mga nais niyang maisakatuparan bago siya mamatay. Karamihan sa mga gawaing ito ay mga rasyonal na kagawian, tulad ng pagaasikaso sa kanyang burol, libing at mga maiiwang ari-arian. Kasama rin dito ang pagbibigay ng wakas o pagbibigay ng tamang direksyon sa iba’t ibang niyang mga alalahanin, kagaya ng pagputol niya sa kaniyang ugnayan sa karelasyong may asawa, at pagsubok na muling pagalabin ang kaniyang unang pagibig. Ang pelikulang “100” ay hindi tungkol sa konsepto ng kamatayan, bagkus, ito ay tungkol sa buhay at kung paano mabuhay. Ang pagkakaroon ni Joyce ng malubhang karamdaman ay nagsilbi lamang na kapaligiran kung saan gumanap ang mga tauhan. Ito ang nagpagalaw sa kuwento, ngunit ang mismong kuwento ay umiikot sa kagandahan ng buhay. Sa paggamit ng mga dilaw na post-its, ipinapakita sa mga manunuod ang iba’t ibang mga nais maisagawa ni Joyce. Nagsisilbi din itong kongkretong balangkas ng mga pangyayari na pinagdadaanan niya habang unti-unting lumulubha ang kanyang pisikal na kalagayan. Kung mapapansin, nagsimula ang pelikula na tanging si Joyce lamang ang nagsusulat ng listahan sa mga post-its. Sa pagsulong ng kuwento, mapapansin na ang ibang mga tauhan ay nagdaragdag narin ng kanilang mga nais gawin para kay Joyce o kasama si Joyce. Nakita ko rin ito bilang instrumento ng karakterisasyon; iba’t iba ang itsura at laman ng post-it depende sa tauhan. Si Ruby ay gumamit ng asul na panulat at dikit-dikit ang kanyang istilo ng pagsusulat. Ang laman ng kaniyang listahan, ay mga bagay na nais niyang balik tanawan sa pagkakaibigan nila ni Joyce, o mga bagay hindi pa nila nagagawa. Sa mga post-its naman ng ina ni Joyce, mapapansin na pula ang gamit niyang panulat. Maaari itong magpakahulugan na tila nagbibigay ito ng kautusan, lalo pa at ang kadalasang laman ng kaniyang listahan ay mga bagay na nais niyang gawin upang subukang mapahaba pa ang buhay ni Joyce. Ang mga post-its naman ng pamangkin ni Joyce ay nakasulat sa rosas na tinta. Maaari nitong ipakahulugan ang pagiging bata at masayahin niya na sinalamin din ng laman ng kanyang listahan – mga bagay na maaari nilang gawin bilang isang pamilya, tulad ng pagpasyal o paggawa ng kastilyong buhangin. Kung mapapansin naman, si Joyce ay gumamit ng itim na panulat. Ang laman ng kaniyang listahan, sa simula, ay mga bagay na sa tingin niya ay kailangan niyang ayusin o asikasuhin bago siya mamatay. Sa bandang huli, ang laman na ng kaniyang listahan ay mga nais niyang maranasan habang kaya pa ng katawan niya. Mapapansin din natin na inuna niyang asikasuhin ang mga bagay na mas payak tulad ng mga paglilipat ng mga ari-arian sa pangalan ng kaniyang ina o mga detalye ng kanyang libing. Ipinagpaliban niya ang mga bagay na mas komplikado dahil sangkot na dito ang ibang tao, hindi lamang siya; pinakamabuting halimbawa dito ang pagpapaliban niya sa pagtatapat sa kaniyang ina. Kung ating iisipin, napakalaking diin ang ibinigay ng pelikula sa konsepto ng listahan o ng post-its. Sa isang banda, maaari itong maging nakasawa o nakakahapo dahil ang bawat detalye ng mga nais niyang gawin ay may kanya-kanyang post-it, ngunit para sa akin, nakikita ko ito bilang isa pang karakterisasyong nagpapakita kung gaano kahalaga kay Joyce ang bawat detalyeng ito, at ang magawa niya ang mga bagay na ito habang mayroon pa siyang mga pandama. Ninais niyang makarating sa iba’t-ibang lugar habang may lakas pa siya. Ninais niyang maligo sa ulan habang may pandama pa siya. Ninais niyang magpabango habang may pangamoy pa siya. Ninais niyang kumain ng kare-kare habang may panlasa pa siya. Malaking konsepto dito ang pagkain. Sa isang bahagi ng pelikula kung saan kumain ng iba’t ibang pagkain si Joyce, mapapansing matigas ang ekspresyon ng kanyang mukha, ngunit pagdating sa chocolate cake, tila naging malungkot siya, at hindi niya ito naubos. Kung iisipin natin, tila ito’y ironya sapagkat kilala ang tsoklate na nakapagbibigay ng kaligayahan. Sa may huling bahagi ng pelikula, ipinakita na nagluluto si Joyce, dahil nais niyang makapagluto para sa lahat. Makabagbagdamdamin ang ginawa ng kanyang ina at ni Ruby na pagkukubli ng kanilang tunay na opinyon sa luto ni Joyce dahil nais nilang ipadama sa kaniya na may silbi pa siya at may kaya pa siyang gawin sa kabila ng kaniyang kalagayan. Isa pang napansin ko sa paggamit ng post-its sa daloy ng kuwento, kung mapapansin natin, mula simula hanggang huli, unti-unting bumababa ang panukatan ni Joyce sa pagkakagawa niya ng mga nasa listahan, na sumasalamin din sa unti-unti niyang lumalalang kalagayan. Sa simula, kung kailan malakas pa ang katawan niya, nagagawa niya ang lahat sa mga nasa listahan, maliban sa mga ipinagpapaliban niya. Sa bandang gitna, kaysa pumasyal upang makia ang Eiffel Tower o ang Monalisa, tinignan na lamang niya ito sa Youtube. Maaring sanhi nito ang pagiging hindi praktikal, o mari ding ang panghihina ng kaniyang katawan. Sa bandang huli, makikita natin an nais niyang makapaglaro muli ng tennis (ipinahiwatig sa simula na dati na siyang naglalaro nito, nang may bitbit siyang raketa nang umalis siya sa opisina). Dito madarama na natin ang tuluyang pagbigay ng kaniyang katawan, na sa laruan na lamang siya makakapag tennis muli. Sa simula pa lamang ng pelikula ay makikita na ang ganda ng editing dito. Sa opening credits, gumamit ng larawan ng cancer cells na unti-unting dumadami. Mula dito, nag-fade-in ang eksena sa larawan sa isang bahagi ng bulkan na inaakyat ni Joyce. Dito naman, makikita ang ganda ng sinematograpiya. Nabigyang diin nito ang paglalakbay na ginawa ng tauhan upang marating ang tuktok, ang lawa, ang kanyang destinasyon. May mga bahagi ang pelikula kung saan ginamit na angulo ng kamera ang perspektiba ni Joyce, tulad mga eksenang ipinapakita ang dingding na may mga post-its, at sa huling eksena kung saan namasdan ni Joyce ang interaksyon sa pagitan ng kanyang mga mahal sa buhay. Nagbibigay ito ng pagkakataon para maipasilip sa mga manunuod ang mundo sa mata ni Joyce. Sa ilang bahagi naman ng pelikula, nagbabago ang anggulo at pokus ng kamera depende sa eksena. Sa eksenang magkausap si Joyce at Emil, mapapansing, sobrang lapit ang kuha. Maaari nitong ipahiwatig ang personal na interaksyon sa pagitan ng dalawang tauhan. May mga kuha namang hindi nakapokus sa mukha ang kamera, kung hindi, sa kamay o paa. Ang ganitong anggulo ay maaring makapagbigay diin sa eksena. Tulad ng paglalakad ni Joyce sa bulkan, nakapokus ang tingin sa kanyang mga paa sa ilang bahagi. Isa sa pinakamahalagang aspeto ng kabuuan ng pelikula ay ang paglapat ng musika. May mga bahaging may kasabay na musika ang isang eksena, mayroon ding wala. Kadalasan kung ang bahagi ay isang panorama, mas malakas ang musika na nakalapat sapagkat binibigyan lamang nito ng sulyap ang iba’t ibang pangyayari sa buhay ng tauhan, tulad ng mga kuha sa Hong Kong. Sa mga bahagi naman na may diin sa biswal na mensahe, humihina o nawawala nang tuluyan ang musika. Halimbawa ang pagpapalit mula panorama ng pagkain ni Joyce, sa pagkain niya ng chocolate cake, kung saan humina ang musika, at ang huling eksena kung saan lubos na katahimikan ang kasama ng larawan. Nagdagdag ito ng damdamin sa eksena, at nagbigay ng diin sa emosyon na nadarama ni Joyce sa panahong iyon. Ang isa pang kapansinpansin, ay ang nagbabagong kalidad ng video sa buong pelikula. Kung mapapansin natin, labis na lumabo ang kamera pagdating sa Hong Kong at Enchanted Kingdom. Sa aking palagay, mas mainam siguro kung ipinalabas nalang nila na isa sa dalawang tauhan ay may hawak na amateur na kamera (perspektiba ng isang tauhan; maaaring ipakita ang repleksyon para maipahiwatig na tauhan ang may hawak ng kamera), kung gayon, may dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon ng pagbabago sa kalidad ng video. Masasabi kong tunay na magaling ang pelikulang ito. Ang konsepto nang kamatayan ay hindi na iba sa atin, ngunit nabigyan ito ng panibagong perspektiba. Matibay ang pagkakabuo sa karakter ni Joyce. Bagamat mapapansin natin na iba-iba ang kanyang kilos at ugali depende sa taong kasama (masungit sa sekretarya, maaasahang anak, kwelang kaibigan, malamig kay Rod, malambing kay Emil), buo at malakas ang kanyang karakter. Kung ibabase natin sa pangaraw-araw na buhay, iilan lamang siguro sa atin ang kayang gawing sing positibo ang pagtingin sa buhay at kamatayan. Gaya nga nang sabi ni Joyce sa pelikula, lahat tayo mamamatay. Sa ngayon, hindi ko pa iniisip ang mga bagay na ito. Gaya din sa pelikula, marami pa akong mga aspirasyon para sa aking kinabukasan. Ngunit kung sakali man, ang nais ko lamang sigurong gawi ay makasama ang aking pamilya sa nalalabing panahon. Kailan man ay hindi ko naranasan ang matatawag na “normal” na pamilya, ngunit ito pa rin ang maituturing kong pinakamahalaga sa akin. Wala akong pinagsisisihan sa buhay ko, at wala din akong nais baguhin, nais ko lamang magamit ang natitirang panahon upang kung sakali man mamatay ako sa kapayapaan at makapagiwan din ako ng kapayapaan sa mga mahal ko sa buhay, tulad ng ginawa ni Joyce. Kung titignan natin, hindi na nga bago sa atin ang kuwento kung saan mayroong may karamdaman, o malapit nang mamatay. Ang pinagiba ng “100” nakasentro ang kuwento hindi sa kamatayan, kung hindi sa kung paano mabuhay. Mas binigyang halaga ang paghahanda para sa mga maiiwan, kaysa ang labanan ang karamdaman. Dito natin mapagiiba ang mga independent films sa mga mainstream films. Kadalasan, ang mga mainstream films ay may direktang mensahe na ipinarating sa manunuod. Samantalang ang independent films, tulad nang “100”, hindi pinilit sa mga manunuod ang mensahe ng kuwento. Binibigyan nito ang mga tao ng pagkakataong magisip, at suriin ang mga sinasalamin nitong mga pangyayari sa lipunan. Sa ganitong paraan mas lumalaki ang matatawag kong “viewer’s experience”. Gaya ng napagusapan sa klase, ang mga Pilipino ay mahilig sa pormula, at dahil dito nawawalan na nang pagkakataong maging malikhain at maging kakaiba ang mga mainstream films dahil ang pangunahin nilang layunin ay tanggapin ng publiko at pumatok sa takilya. Samantalang ang independent films ay mas nakasentro sa mismong paglikha ng isang sining. Dahil kadalasang mababa ang pondo, hindi rin nabibigyan ng malaking importansya ang paglikom ng pera. Ang mas pinahahalagahan ay ang makapaghatid ng mensahe at ang makabuo ng isang sining. Kung gagamiting batayan ang kahulugan ng malikhain, masasabi kong mtunay na malikhain ang pelikulang “100” sapagkat naihatid nila ang mensahe nang hindi sumusunod sa anumang nakasanayang pormula, may pagsisikap itong maging iba, at nakapagpakita ito ng isang karaniwang bagay (sakit, buhay, kamatayan), sa karaniwang konteksto (pamilyang Pilipino, kulturang Pilipino), sa isang hindi karaniwang paraan (pagsentro sa paghahanda sa kamatayan). “Ang ganda ng umaga! Ang sarap mabuhay!” – Pahiram ng Isang Umaga
 Starting tomorrow, 100 will resume its screening at GLORIETTA WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. For our non-Filipino speaking friends. 100 also resumes its screening at the" city within a city" -- SM CITY NORTH EDSA! And, of course, 100 continues its screening at ROBINSON'S GALLERIA AND ERMITA. 100 'Thank You's" sa inyong lahat na sumuporta sa 100. Sana ay himukin nyo pa ang mga kakilala n'yo na manood. Para umabot kami hanggang bisperas ng MMFF! Salamat sa Diyos. Salamat sa mga kaibigan. Salamat sa lahat ng umaalalay sa amin sa mga panahong ito, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Chris Martinez
Starting tomorrow, 100 will resume its screening at GLORIETTA WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. For our non-Filipino speaking friends. 100 also resumes its screening at the" city within a city" -- SM CITY NORTH EDSA! And, of course, 100 continues its screening at ROBINSON'S GALLERIA AND ERMITA. 100 'Thank You's" sa inyong lahat na sumuporta sa 100. Sana ay himukin nyo pa ang mga kakilala n'yo na manood. Para umabot kami hanggang bisperas ng MMFF! Salamat sa Diyos. Salamat sa mga kaibigan. Salamat sa lahat ng umaalalay sa amin sa mga panahong ito, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Chris Martinez
Starting tomorrow, 100 will resume its screening at GLORIETTA WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. For our non-Filipino speaking friends. 100 also resumes its screening at the" city within a city" -- SM CITY NORTH EDSA! And, of course, 100 continues its screening at ROBINSON'S GALLERIA AND ERMITA. 100 'Thank You's" sa inyong lahat na sumuporta sa 100. Sana ay himukin nyo pa ang mga kakilala n'yo na manood. Para umabot kami hanggang bisperas ng MMFF! Salamat sa Diyos. Salamat sa mga kaibigan. Salamat sa lahat ng umaalalay sa amin sa mga panahong ito, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Chris Martinez
 "Last Order sa Penguin" was my first full length play. It was published by the University of the Philippines press in 2002 and went on to become one of the best selling drama books. Today, a special 3rd edition of the book will be launched in celebration of the UP Centennial. It is one of the 100 books to be a part of UP Press Centennial Publication. "The UPP Centennial Publications" is a collection that comprises excellent works carefully selected by the University of the Philippines Press Editorial Board from our classic, latest, and forthcoming titles. Written by some of the best minds the University has produced, the selection includes books which have added to the intellectual ferment, impacted upon aspects of life and culture, served as pioneering studies, and provided summative views on important topics. Among the authors are National Scientists, National Artists, and respected scholars. To put simply, these titles are among the most excellent of the excellent."
(Insert pic is the 1st edition copy, will post new 3rd edition cover as soon as I get hold of a copy. Launching is later at 4pm.)
 Simula Dec 10, '08, 2nd week run na ng "100" SM NORTH EDSA, SM MEGAMALL, ROBINSON'S GALLERIA, ROBINSON'S ERMITA, GLORIETTA AND (ON THURS.) STA LUCIA EAST GRAND MALL! Salamat sa lahat ng mga nanood, sa lahat ng mga nanghikayat manood, sa lahat ng press na tumulong, sa pagtaguyod din ng Star Cinema, sa lahat ng mga checkers namin na taga-Straight Shooters (alam ko malaki ang sakripisyo n'yo), sa mga artista namin na kay sisipag mag-promote (Uge, My and hopefully soon Tessie -- yes, she's back from NY!), at sa lahat ng nagbabalak pang manood -- manood na kayo -- SALAMAT SALAMAT SALAMAT! Go, go, go!
  | | Inquirer Entertainment / Entertainment  | | http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20081206-176367/Three-indie-features-on-view | Three indie features on view
| By Nestor Torre
Columnist
Philippine Daily Inquirer | Posted date: December 06, 2008 |
MANILA, Philippines—Local film lovers complain that indie productions are hard to track down, even for people who want to support the country’s digital film movement. Well, they have no excuse for seeing some of them this week, because three indie features are currently playing in selected mainstream theaters.Do go out of your way to see Chris Martinez’s “100.” The film is about a young woman (Mylene Dizon) who’s desperately ill and sets about realizing her wish list of activities before she “kicks the bucket.” Yes, the US film, “The Bucket List,” touched on that theme earlier, but no way can this Filipino feature be dismissed as a copycat production, since it has its own vibrant and vivid take on the subject of living one’s life fully before it’s terminated. Pertinent In fact, we like “100” better—perhaps because it’s so pertinent to our time and clime. Writer-director Martinez is able to tell his “sad” story with more than tears and emotional blackmail going for him. In fact, a number of scenes in “100” are quite funny. It’s no mean feat to combine both laughter and tears in one movie, so kudos to Martinez and his crew. Lead actress Mylene Dizon also deserves accolades, because she makes her difficult role look surprisingly easy to essay. It’s too bad that this fine and versatile actress has been generally under-used by the mainstream TV-film industry. We trust that, after producers and directors see her outstanding performance in “100,” they will give her roles worthy of her talent. Other exceptional portrayals in “100” are turned in by Tessie Tomas and Eugene Domingo. Like Dizon, they manage to laugh through their pain, and thus make the prospect of death bearable, not only for Dizon’s character, but also for themselves.
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Asis Pacific Arts breaks down some of the Asian (and not-so Asian) film highlights from the 2008 American Film Market, including Missing, Inju: the Beast in the Shadow, Dachimawa Lee, and 100.
100
dir: Chris Martinez
My father avoids Filipino melodramas like they were a disease. He jokes that he can tell that one of my Mom's Filipino soap films is ending because of the sound of everyone in the living room crying. While this seems like a round of conventional homespun wisdom, my Dad's aversion towards Filipino melodramas is rather telling -- these movies are especially saccharine and manipulative, twisting the unsurprising themes of sickness, dying, and unrequited loves until they're sure to yield some amount of stupid bawling. Tears by any means necessary! Then this is exactly why a film like 100 proves so refreshing and remarkable. While lesser Filipino melodramas push-and-yank for strong emotional effects with absurdist situations, 100 yields and flourishes because it never demands of us. It is mature, restrained, and serious about its themes. The film refuses to understand the mechanism of melodrama as a gear to be appropriately shifted into some calculus of moments, but rather what emotions actually register are those that trail after events and expand ever larger with time. 100 is a melodrama that does not rush; like a serenade by Schubert, it is somber in its own slowness.
The story of 100 follows a young Filipina, Joyce, who suddenly discovers that she has cancer and a little more than three months to live. Rather than live trapped in a smog of miserable depression, Joyce decides to compile a series of small and large tasks on some post-it notes stuck to the wall space of her apartment. Some of the things that she takes care of are small and menial: get an in-house massage, vacation to Hong Kong, score some weed, cook your favorite Filipino dishes (this film comes close to being food-porn at times with its ultra-magnified cut-ins of steamy kare-kare). Other tasks are not so easy-going: tell you mother about dying, retrace a lost unfinished love, or buy a coffin. While you're probably rolling your eyes at the similarities that this film has with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson's buddy geriatric flick Bucket List, it's really only a silly comparison once one ventures beyond those high concept taglines. If Freeman and Nicholson were after some goofball slapstick yuks, 100 is faithful to the sobering questions of living and dying; it stalwartly asks the most philosophically and theologically demanding of humanity's inquiries: what of living?
100 is a hanky-pic, less in the lush, immaculate visions of Sirk, but more so within the Philippine's own longstanding heritage of carving out melodrama as its national signature genre par excellence. Some might turn their noses up at 100 for its maudlin pathos, but while it is a populist film, 100 is as thoughtful in its reflection on life just as any Bergman kitchen quarrel, or Sartrean play, or whatever short story of Flannery O'Conner. Significant meditations on the meaning and value of living and apprehensions about dying are not simply things that the 20th century of arts had discovered and revealed to us in moody writings and tortured paintings. They are thoughts that have occurred to all of us at one moment or another. 100 is a wonderful and rich film because it kneels in obeisance to difficult matters and does not make jokes out of living. In all seriousness, 100 is like the child of Kurosawa's Ikiru, another story about life lived as though through a mirror that constantly groped about for any notion of ethical living. Because it is so sincere about its emotions and character, because it softly wonders about such delicate questions in life that so many other soap operas are quick to lampoon, 100 is a story that is fit to share, one that I will tell my Dad about.
 Inquirer Entertainment / Entertainment | | http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20081204-176116/Death-without-drama | REVIEW
REVIEW : Death without drama
| By Jayson B. Brizuela
Contributor
Philippine Daily Inquirer | Posted date: December 04, 2008 |
MANILA, Philippines—What would you do if you had just three months to live?Most would probably offer a hypothetical answer, but watching young director Chris Martinez’s debut film “100” could change fixed perspectives. A no-frills, no-drama look at the last few months of the life of Joyce (Mylene Dizon) a young career woman diagnosed with cancer, “100” brings us within striking distance of an eventuality commonly take for granted — dying. It does so without elements common to movies tackling this subject — no doomed romance, no painful battle for life. What’s left is a simple and honest, if poignant, story about a young woman preparing for her passing. Her list of things to do — from cleaning her closet to picking out her casket, to breaking the news to her mom (Tessie Tomas), and revisiting old stomping grounds — constantly grows and, at times, changes. Though we lose count early on, the things on her list totals 100, by which time she has lived a life fuller than her 30-odd years. At the last Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, “100” won awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay for Martinez; Best Actress for Mylene Dizon, Best Supporting Actress for Eugene Domingo (as Ruby, Joyce’s friend), and the coveted Audience Choice award. It also won the Audience Choice prize at the Pusan International Film Festival. Recently, it earned an “A” rating from the Cinema Evaluation Board. It’s currently showing in theaters. Personal experience Some may miss the point, but the slice-of-life approach makes the protagonist’s experience very personal for viewers, who are likely to reexamine their own lives and priorities. Martinez keeps the film honest and contemporary and his characters are spot on. Joyce, for example, is a modern-day yuppie. From her job, her car, her smoking, investments, and complicated relationships, she mirrors the lives of many young adults today. The treatment of her relationships is very mature by cinematic standards. She has an affair with a married co-worker, and still harbors feelings for her true love, who is “unavailable.” In the hands of the next random blockbuster director, this conflict offers many cinematic possibilities, indeed. But Martinez stays on course. A lot of the credit goes to the core cast— Dizon, Domingo, Tomas. Dizon proves equal to the task of carrying the movie on her shoulders. It’s largely because of her that Martinez’s concept and vision works. Ace comedians Domingo and Tomas get to show their serious sides and are bound to reduce viewers to tears. The only problem about the movie is its length. Clocking in at what felt like more than two hours, it’s evident that Martinez has a hard time letting parts of his “baby” go. A few cuts here and there could make the difference in translating its art-film kudos to mainstream success. | |
Death Becomes Her posted on Wednesday December 3, 2008  Chris Martinez’s 100 was one of the breakout films of this year’s Cinemalaya, and it’s pretty easy to see why. 100 is a wonderfully sophisticated work that lifts up your heart even as it breaks it. Smartly written and strongly directed, this is the kind of film that gets me excited about local cinema, and hopefully, it’ll excite you, too. Joyce is a successful, independent, career-oriented woman who has just learned that she has terminal cancer, and has about three months to live. Rather than falling into depression, Joyce takes a more pragmatic approach to her mortality: she attempts to complete a list of one hundred things to complete before she dies. As she goes through the list, she is forced to face some of her biggest regrets, and in so doing, reconnect with the people that mean most to her, people that she will have to leave behind. Comparisons to the Nicholson/Freeman starrer The Bucket List are unavoidable, but ultimately pointless. 100 is a completely different creature, one that approaches depths that the previous film could never have imagined. Chris Martinez’s script hits much closer to home, moving away from crazy fantasies and approaching death with some measure of practicality. Whereas The Bucket List was all about escapism, a grand journey of wish fulfillment, 100 instead celebrates life, all the mortal pleasures that are already within reach. Joyce’s journey is much more personal, and ultimately, a lot more compelling. Martinez has a knack for taking the small moments of every day and finding both the comedy and the tragedy in them, and this is where the movie gains all its strength. Cinema is often content to leave audiences feeling one way or another, but 100 is all about conflicting emotions. Joyce’s pleasures are often tempered with a sense of desperation, and her pain is balanced with a growing awareness of life’s often-absurd sense of humor. And when the inevitable finally comes, it hits like a sledgehammer, because in its sophistication, 100 has allowed us to really know these characters. And we, too, are losing a friend. This is Chris Martinez’s directorial debut, and if this movie is any indication, he’ll a big player in the industry soon enough. Martinez is a fine storyteller, his scenes moving with a narrative drive that’s been missing in a lot of films lately. He keeps a pretty light touch, and manages to keep a steady tone throughout the movie. There are a couple of sequences, however, that go on a bit too long and rob the film of some of its momentum. A little pruning would have helped, but overall, everything works. Martinez also shows great skill in handling his actors. Mylene Dizon puts on a fantastic performance as Joyce, all at once exhibiting great strength and heartbreaking vulnerability. This is one of the best performances of the year, and it is reason enough on its own to see this film. Eugene Domingo plays Ruby, Joyce’s best friend. Domingo is a great actress who’s been stuck in a lot of bad movies, and it’s gratifying to finally see her spread her wings. She is more than anyone could possibly ask for in this film. Tessie Tomas gives a great little turn as Joyce’s mother, as we experience the classic stages of grief with her. TJ Trinidad and Ryan Eigenmann round out a really excellent cast. 100 will prove to be an interesting test for local independent cinema. It is an undoubtedly good film, and backed up with some strong names in the cast, it has a better chance of breaking the name-recognition barrier that is purported to be the main reason that people don’t see these films. 100 is exceptionally well-written, finely crafted, and well-acted. It could be a little tighter, but it deserves to find an audience. As someone who loves Philippine cinema, I certainly hope that it does.
 100 Opens Tomorrow in the following theaters: Gateway Mall (additional theater!!!) SM North Edsa SM Megamall Robinson's Galleria Robinson's Ermita and Glorietta 4 Thank you! Pls support our opening day! So we can make it to at least 1 week in theaters! And spread the word! Word of mouth is still the best advertising in the whole wide world! Thanks, everyone! Thanks for all your support! This is it! Go, 100, Go!!!
   Film Development Council of the Philippines CINEMA EVALUATION BOARD Summation of CEB members’ comments on “100” Grade: A Martinez-Rivera Films Joyce (Mylene Dizon) finds out that she is on the brink of death. Her cancer has spread to other organs of her body and there is nothing much that can be done. What does a person in the prime of her life do in this instance? How does one face death? How can one make her dying a graceful exit? Joyce does not want to be a burden to anyone and so she makes a list of things to do – from the more mundane ones, like packing her things in the office, making funeral arrangements and “shopping” for a casket, to the more personal ones, like telling her mom and finding Emil, her long lost ex-boyfriend. Her Post-It’s, things to do that must have added to a hundred, are taken off the wall one by one, except for the difficult task of telling her mom. 100 is an entry in the 2008 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, is well written piece. The members of the board rave over the screenplay – “finely crafted story,” “painfully beautiful,” “the scenes are touching without being too melodramatic,” “funny and moving,” “believable characters in a believable drama.” One member, though, notes that the story is moved by the characters singular acceptance of her condition from beginning to end, making the series of scenes look like routine. However, the dramatic moments are examples of excellent writing, notably the scene between Joyce and her mom (Tessie Tomas) when the mother finds out about her daughter’s condition; the funny and equally tender scenes between Joyce and her best friend (Eugene Domingo); the hospital scene between Joyce and her brother (Simon Ibarra); the hospital scene with Joyce and Emil, her ex-boyfriend (Ryan Eigenmann); even the scene with Joyce and her secretary, as Joyce bequeaths her laptop, is funny and touching. These good scenes flow from a well-written screenplay. Working on his own screenplay, Chris Martinez has directed this film with certainty and control. The members of the board are unanimous in complimenting his measured direction – “brilliant,” “excellent,” “impressive.” One member writes that Chris Martinez manifests in “100” a “sensitive and imaginative” direction, “admirably disciplined.” The production elements, like cinematography, music, sound, production design, and editing, all contribute to the over-all accomplishment of this film. However, the cinematography of the Hong Kong scenes and the Enchanted Kingdom sequence suffers in comparison to the main body of the film. The music score reinforces the dramatic moments without getting in the way: but, one member notes, the song for the end credits seems too mainstream. The performances are excellent. Eugene Domingo as the best friend and Tessie Tomas as the mother have their dramatic moments which they accomplish beautifully. But “100” is without a doubt, Mylene Dizon’s film. Joyce, the cancer stricken woman, lives on the screen as a complex person. Dizon’s performance, one member writes, is “outstanding in every aspect of cinema acting, to level rarely seen.” “100” is a beautiful piece of work, a fine cinematic experience. The Cinema Evaluation Board is unanimous in granting it an “A” grading.
 100
(Philippines) A Cinemalaya presentation of Martinez Rivera Films production, in association with Straight Shooters Media. (International sales: Unico Entertainment, Makati City, Philippines.) Produced by Marlon Rivera, Chris Martinez. Directed, written by Chris Martinez. With: Mylene Dizon, Eugene Domingo, Tessie Tomas, T.J. Trinidad, Ryan Eigenmann, Simon Ibarra, John Lapuz. (Tagalog, English dialogue) A terminal-illness drama bursting with humor and life-affirming optimism, Filipino entry "100" charts the final months of a 33-year-old career girl dedicated to making the most of every remaining moment. Glossy, femme-targeted production is radically different from the grungy Filipino slum dramas most commonly seen at fests and reps a noteworthy debut for experienced scripter Chris Martinez. Though it could do with some trimming, assured tonal control and winning perfs give it a shot at commercial success on home turf. Pic has specialized offshore tube potential and should travel widely at fests after winning the audience vote at Pusan.Having been diagnosed with inoperable cancer and given a maximum of six months to live, business executive Joyce De Leon (Mylene Dizon) quits work and plasters her wall with 100 Post-it notes listing everything she wants and needs to do before the end. Determined to go out in style but less sure how she'll tell her widowed mother, Joyce first decides to buy her own coffin. Typical of the film's winning way with dark subject matter, the haggling between Joyce and the casket saleswoman is both funny and touching. Joyce's mission follows many directions, allowing the pic to touch on a wide range of emotions. Taking stock of personal matters, she ends her affair with married lover Rod (T.J. Trinidad) and reconnects with Emil (Ryan Eigenmann), a nice guy she's carried a torch for since their school days. The terrible pain felt by a parent who outlives a child is powerfully brought home when Joyce finally musters up the courage to tell her mother, Eloisa (Tessie Thomas). But the emphasis is much more on the long list of enjoyments Joyce wants to cram in. In these matters she's given a terrific assist by best pal Ruby (Eugene Domingo, "Foster Child"), a cheery chatterbox who gets a new lease on life while joining Joyce in dope-smoking, bar-crawling, skinny-dipping and staying up late to watch DVDs of classic four-hankie Filipino weepies. Cutting effectively between lighthearted material and more serious discussions about what might lie on the other side of death, the story only bogs down when far too much time is allocated to home movie footage of Joyce and Ruby whooping it up in Hong Kong. Here and in a few other static moments, Dizon's charismatic performance helps ease over the bumps. Silence and beautiful images of a lake are elegantly used to symbolize Joyce's passage from life to death. Smooth HD lensing in comfortable middle-class homes and upscale surroundings reps the highlight of a classy tech package.
Camera (color, HD), Larry Manda; editor, Ike Veneracion; music, Brian Cua, Ricci Chan; production designer, Aby Jamnague-Rivera; sound (Dolby Digital), Mac Vasquez; assistant director, Melvin Lee. Reviewed at Pusan Film Festival (New Currents -- competing), Oct. 8, 2008. (Also in Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.) Running time: 116 MIN.
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http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&r=VE1117939018&c=31
  Dear friends, Good news! 100 was unanimously given the "A" rating by 15 out of 15 members of the Cinema Evaluation Board (I can't mention their names due to confidentiality  but the attendees were composed of a national artist, respected film critics, journalists, a box office film director, award-winning screen writer, award-winning cinematographer, academicians, a well-known singer-actress among others hehehe). This is a big help for us especially during this trying period of promotion and distribution, the hardest part in this journey we are going through. We get a stamp of approval by the Board (good for marketing) and a 100 % rebate on taxes (good for bottom line). It is such a blessing that we won some cash in Pusan otherwise our promo will be limited to just Facebook and Multiply  and spamming your emails, of course! Please watch our film on Dec 3. It is vital that you watch it on opening day (next time, a separate blog on why it is of utmost importance why we should watch on opening day). Thank you for your continued support. Sa mga nakapanood na - please watch again and bring your friends. Sa mga di pa nakakapanood - I assure you of a memeorable cinematic experience that's meant to be shared with your family and friends. Lastly, we are Rated R-13 (yes, totoo yan, for sexual content and nudity  ) that means 13 years of age and up can watch the film. Yes, totoo pa rin 'yan, pwede po ang 1st year high school sa pelikula namin. Again, maraming maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. Dec 3, don't forget. I will keep you all posted on our Marrakech International Film Fest adventure. We are leaving on the 15th. Wish us luck! Pray for us! Thank you! Always grateful, Chris Martinez
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100 will open the 1st Annual Filipino Film Festival in Honolulu, Hawaii. It will be held at the Doris Duke Theater at the Honolulu Academy of Arts on April 10 to 17. This was made possible by Ellen Ongkeko's Daang Sine program. Other films in the fest are Namets, Maximo Oliveros, Brutus, Endo and Boses. Please help us spread the word and tell your friends in Hawaii to support this project. Eugene Domingo graces the occasion on Opening Day
