Customer Reviews

Cavite

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Cavite is where the Philippines under the first Filipino president General Emilio Agiunaldo declared independence in the 19th century. There is a scene in the movie where the park is named after him.

The filmakers definitely know Filipino culture. There is a scene where the song "Mr. Suave" by Parokya ni Edgar when even the antigonist sings to the tune. Mr. Suave is a hugely popular song by the band that is widely considered as the national band of the Philippines as of the date of this review. They would only know of this if they were au courant with the goings on on the Philippines. They are also knowledgable of the political climate of the Philippines. The conspirators while never named, are in the ilk of Abu Sayaff or the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. So with this in mind the filmakers weave a story that they know intimately and therefore is meaningful for any outsider that may have doubts about the authenticity of portraying the culture. And they may not show the best of Filipino society, nonetheless this is a how a big part of the Filipino masses live.

The filmaking itself, in my opinion, is not that great but not bad either. The filmakers actually went to film school, I can't tell by sitting through the whole 80 minutes of the film whether they earned good grades. They certainly may have passed.

The bad guy feeding instructions to the main character via cell pnone is truly bad. Other reviewers have written that they can't follow the dialog between the two. I am fluent in Tagalog and had a hard time following it too. The voice comming out of the cellphone talking in Tagalog has a strange accent. To me it didn't sound like a local, it may have been an American who speaks Tagalog, diction and locution is not very good. Also the subtitles are too small to read at a distance, although it is colored in legible yellow.

This story shows an interesting perspective of a filipino american who travels through despair within his native country. Although the story of terrorism has been played out many times in the media, this movie shows its own form through the cultural differences between a man's first world home environment and the roots of his native third world country. The main character of Adam personifies his American mannerisms while the movie shows the conflicts that this character has to endure. Some examples include him talking only in English to the enemy, being repulsed by the sights and smell of the squatter villages, and having to eat food that most Americans (and Adam himself) wouldn't want to eat! (balut).

Although the movie represents some of the realistic hardships in the Philippines, some people might be offended by this focus of poverty. The country itself is constantly growing, developing, and in some ways improving as well in a slow way. The movie doesn't really show this since it's main focus is the dark storyline that Adam goes through. So although the background scenes fit well with the plot of the storyline as well as the current conditions there, the images of the Philippines in the movie is only a sample of what the country really represents.

Overall, this is a good movie to watch. You will learn some of the cultural lifestyles and actual scenes you would see if you were to travel there yourself. The struggles of Adam will also make you think what you would do if you were him. With today's issues of terrorism, poverty, and globalization, this movie provides it's own unique artistic style of filming that addresses these issues.

This movie had a lot of potential, but failed in a number of important ways. As an American with no ties to the Philippines, the cultural realism was not an issue for me. I saw it rather through the eyes of the protagonist (also American): brutal, squalid, and cruel to people and animals. The cock-fighting scenes were enough to turn the stomach. The predatory attitudes displayed by every single character in the movie is a real negative. While we feel for Adam's predicament on a objective level, he does not elicit as much sympathy as he should. But more than that, the movie itself was not always believable. Was that really his sister's finger? His mother's tongue? How would he recognize such things as being authentic? How could the audience? The fact that we never see him meet up with his family is grossly dissatisfying because, if you were skeptical about the plot, there's no resolution to the mystery. So the movie has a core: the horror story of the voice on the phone insulting and abusing Adam, but really no clue as to what is real or not. I think the film technique was a bit much. Jump-cutting is one thing, but you don't have to make the viewer dizzy. That just seemed like an affect, a bad-boy thing. It's like playing gross-out: How disgusting can you get? I also think that as long as we're on the subject of terrorism and religious fanatics, the movie could have explored this a little more in order to give more context to the plot. I guess the redeeming part of this is that there was no implied support for any of this criminal activity. One truly wonders how he carries on with the rest of his life.

I heard great things about this movie from the reviews in the local papers here in Los Angeles. So when I saw this, I knew I had to buy it. The first impression you will get when watching this movie is that the budget for this was quite low and many quick cut editing style is more irritating than necessary. Shooting this story in the line of "24" would have been more affective....

Once Adam, the main character, is over in the Philippines - the story becomes a fun thriller. All that character development in the beginning was not necessary. I found the poverty shots of the Philippines to be amazing (sad)...that even today people live in those kind of conditions and shameful any government allows it.

"Cavite" lacked a good soundtrack...there is other music involved in it, but nothing original to this movie...which I think made this film lose the "emotional attachment" to the main character and what he is going through.

Note to Filmmakers: Use the money you make from THIS one and make "Cavite 2 - Adam's Revenge." : ) This time...don't hold back.

Made on empty pockets budgeting, shot on location without bothering with permits, and poking at an idealogical hornet's nest, CAVITE turns out to be gripping and baffling, unsettling and nerve-wracking. It's also thought-provoking stuff and demonstrates once again that a shoestring allowance does sometimes lend the project a palpable sense of immediacy, as well as this jangling energy. It's a taut little thriller.

Co-writers/directors/producers Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon pretty much make up the cast and crew. Acting-wise, CAVITE is in essence a one-man show (with Gamazon playing the lead role of Adam), although he gets terrific supporting vocals coming off-screen. Adam is a 32-year-old Filipino muddling thru his zero-prospect life in San Diego, California. Trapped in his dead-end gig as a night security guard and currently in a serious spat with his pregnant girlfriend, Adam learns that his father had just died, killed in a bus explosion back home in the Philippines. Flying out for the funeral, Adam gets even more stressed out when no one meets him at the Philippines airport. So things probably cannot get any worse. Heh.

A phone rings, and Adam is startled to realize that a cell phone has been planted in his luggage. He answers the cell phone and a taunting voice informs him that his mother and sister had been abducted and will be murdered unless Adam complies with the caller's instructions. Adam's homecoming, it really sucks.

This movie is a big migraine for tourism agencies in Cavite City. The disembodied voice forces Adam to trudge thru the slums of Cavite, to some eventual destination. But, until then, we are treated -no, not treated - we're exposed to a nightmarish exploration of the elements constituting a woefully destitute nation: the cramped avenues, the dangerous alleys, and fetid waterways, the squatter zones and the stinking heaps of garbage. There's a deep and sad irony here when one considers that Cavite happens to be the birthplace of Filipino independence back in 1898.

Everyone in the audience can sympathize with what Adam endures. Not that the guy's that likable a character - he's actually kind of a tool - and, in fact, the voice's exasperated asides regarding Adam had me chuckling a bit. One of the film's more prominent themes is that of cultural identity. Adam is one of those cats who's uncomfortable with his native tongue, though he understands it perfectly. He's uneasy about being back home, and it's not just because he's here for a funeral and then as a terrorist's pawn. The sense we get is that Adam thinks of himself as more American than Filipino, and so now finds himself alienated from his native culture. The voice on the phone notes this and, being a sadistic bastard, not only makes fun of Adam but forces him to munch on a Filipino delicacy called balut, which is a fertilized duck egg (it's gross but disturbingly good; I've had 'em). Later on, when the voice instructs him to take a break and buy a soda, Adam does so and watches the vendor pour the soda bottle's contents into a plastic bag so that the soda bottle can be re-used. It's clear that, for whatever reason, the voice means to impart certain lessons, and this is only one of several intended to point out the sheer poverty of the country abandoned by Adam.

CAVITE also touches on the hot button issue of religion. The Philippines is predominantly Catholic-based, but the Islam faith has been making inroads. Adam is a lapsed Muslim. The voice is that of a Muslim extremist. Not too surprising then that the voice and Adam eventually get into a fierce debate regarding religion, warring philosophies, and personal beliefs.

The film generates a jittery, panicky vibe, and this is in part due to the hand-held camera utilized to shoot the thing. Despite the dearth of action sequences, the tension mounts and mounts. Partly it's because Adam's tormentor just seems so omniscient and the protagonist so out of his depth. Each of Adam's little acts of rebellion results in futility and dire consequences, and you feel a growing concern as the movie progresses and our guy is just not able to get the upper hand. And I guess this is more realistic. Not too many of us are as resourceful as John McClane.

The resolution is unconventional and, to some, perhaps unsatisfying. The epilogue comes off like extraneous material and anti-climactic. And we never do learn how the kidnappers are able to so closely track Adam visually. Other than those, and if you overlook the low budget aesthetics, then CAVITE, lean and edgy, is well worth a look, especially if you're curious for a long, unflinching look at how bleak and brutal life can be for a huge chunk of those inhabiting the Philippines.

Although I couldn't find much in the way of production notes to back me up, I assume that this film had a very limited budget due to the look of the movie and the style in which it was shot. With that in mind, I was impressed with what the filmmakers were able to accomplish. Independent films shot on digital video may be an acquired taste, but if the viewer can get past the look of the film, then there are some absolute story gems waiting for them. Unfortunately, not all well-made films are gems.

The plot for 'Cavite' is straightforward. A young Filipino-American man, stuck in a dead end job and in the middle of breaking up with his girlfriend, receives a phone call from his mother in the Philippines informing him that his father is dead. The young man, Adam, flies back to his country of birth for the funeral, but when he arrives, he gets another phone call - this time from a cell phone hidden in his luggage. The voice on the other end tells him that his mother and sister are hostages, and their lives depend on Adam following the voice's every whim and direction.

It isn't long before Adam discovers that the voice belongs to a member of the Philippine terrorist organization Abu Sayyaf. After being forced to take a guided tour of the slums of his native land at the voice's insistence, Adam is eventually given the task that, if he successfully fulfills it, will obligate the voice to release Adam's mother and sister.

What makes this film chilling is that it seems so very plausible. A poor slob, with no real direction in life, is suddenly caught up in something much larger than himself, and his reactions are completely believable to me. Even worse, the method used to control Adam is brutal, efficient, and simple. He is held completely in their power.

There are several disturbing aspects to this film, one of which is the living conditions the filmmakers chose to spotlight during Adam's travels. For someone unfamiliar with images of third world poverty, this film will certainly illuminate that blind spot. But even more than that, though I found the film's premise conceivable and persuasive (and relevant), the pervasive atmosphere of powerlessness was difficult to watch. It reminded me of the 'home invasion/torture' genre, where the protagonist twists in the wind at the torturer's pleasure.

Yes - I fully believe these things happen, and as such are quite legitimate subjects for artists. However, one or two films of this sort go a long, long way for me. There are too many other stimulating topics to explore in my limited time frame. Not to say that 'Cavite' is in the same gleefully bloodthirsty strata as films such as 'Hostel' and its ilk, but that aura is still there.

The picture on the DVD case may be a still from the movie, but I don't recall it, and it lends an air of violence about the movie that just isn't there. Instead, the violence is off-screen and in Adam's (and our) head. That doesn't make it any less effective - in fact it may be more so. In that way, 'Cavite' is a taut, well-made film - about a young man reduced to abject impotence in an entirely believable manner. While that sort of thing has its place, had I known it before renting I probably would have said, "Thanks - but no thanks."

Fast paced, exciting, and lots of great shots of everyday life in the suburbs of manila. A bit hard to follow and very disturbing. Worth a look for sure.

Odd film, this.
"Cavite" seems more like a travelogue of the poorest sections of Manila, rather than a Mystery/Thriller. It gives a glimpse of a world so far removed from the standard of living in most developed countries, that it appears almost alien. Don't let the box art fool you. There isn't a single firearm to be seen in "Cavite", but then there's no need for one.

Adam is returning to the Philipines, to attend his Father's funeral. When he lands at the Manila Airport, there is no one to greet him. Instead, he receives a phone call from someone stating that if he does not comply with the following instructions, his Mother and Sister will be killed.
From here, it's a non-stop marathon through the streets of Manila. Adam's instructions at times, are a bit vague, but rest assured that his caller has eyes on his progress (how he can be followed in certain parts of the city without his "tail" being seen and identified is puzzling).

About halfway through the film, you want the film to end. Not that it's boring, mind you, but you get the feeling that things should escalate. They don't, and the ending is not what you may have expected (which is the reason for four stars).

"Cavite" is an interesting film that is akin to a quick tour of Manila, by foot. The DVD has the usual extras, commentary, deleted scenes and outtakes. Transfer is good.

About as spooky as a movie can be.
A man (though we know he could stand for many) is manipulated by a political terrorist (he, too, could stand for many) into an act of terrorism. The manipulated man's reward? The release of his kidnapped mother and sister. . .perhaps.
Spookiest is--as the movie timer clicks out--we know this film isn't over.

Contrary to the reviewer who can't spell Philippine, and doubtless speaks no Filipino, I found this movie spellbinding. It appears to be a one family (!) production and certainly didn't cost a lot to make. There are many street shots of people who, I am certain, did not know they were being filmed. It is profoundly implausible, and the "terrorist" on the phone did not even know how to pronounce Quiapo, but I had no trouble at all understanding what he said.
So I'm not sure what to make of it, but I bought it and will watch it again. People who seek an insight into the world of hundreds of millions of other people could do a lot worse.
And maybe that's the hook of this movie. It does troll the raw existence of many, many people. Mainstream American movies should only hope to show a glimmer of the same relation to reality.