Dementia

Been watching Tagalog movies as of late. Started with Talk Back And You're Dead last month with my sister and her kids, who all got kinda mad at me because the kids thought it was horror while my sister thought it was a foreign movie.

And then here comes Dementia with all its good reviews, not to mention it's a Nora Aunor-starrer. I'm also a fan of Jun Lana and because he produced the film and it's the first directorial job of his partner, Perci Intalan, who also got rave reviews, I knew I should really watch it.

Nora was superb as Mara, an old woman suffering from dementia, who started seeing a ghost when she was brought back to her ancestreal home in the province. I've never been a diehard fan of the superstar but I am aware of how she always gets commended for her expressive eyes.

True enough, those eyes conveyed a lot of emotions in Dementia, especially that she had very few speaking lines in the movie. In one scene that showed a very tight shot of just her face, she shifted emotions - from being sad one moment to being angry the next and then to being afraid - without any dialogue.

Some scenes have been cut, though, like the night scene where Mara (Aunor) went out of the house and Rachel (Jasmine Curtis-Smith) followed her. It's shown in the trailers but didn't get to see it in the movie.

Speaking of Jasmine, she was very effective in her role as a young lady who grew up in the US and who hates being in the province. She throws her lines better than her sister, Anne, and gives out a more natural acting.

Jeric Gonzales was charming as the promdi boy, Vincent, and his acting was far better than when I last saw him in a TV series. I actually thought I'd cringe when I get to see him in this movie, but I actually didn't. I even wished he would be given more serious acting projects by his home network, or if not, I hope he transfers to the better network after his current contract expires.

Bing Loyzaga, who played the cousin of Mara who decided to bring her back to Batanes with hopes that it would bring back her memory, was beautiful and still has it after years of not being in the limelight. Yul Servo as her husband was also good but I couldn't help but think of Piolo Pascual whenever he's on the screen because of malicious rumors about them that has circulated before.

Chynna Ortaleza as Olivia/ghost was very scary. I wouldn't want to see her in person wearing a wedding gown especially at night.

Meanwhile, cinematography was very good. The mood was also the same all throughout the movie like it's always gloomy in Batanes. The roads, the mountains made me want to hike again and be one with nature as often as I can.