One of my grandmothers turned 90 years old in January. We took her on a trip to the Philippines for Christmas so that she can celebrate her family back on her homeland, and although it almost seemed nice to see her happy to be back home for probably one last time, a thought of sadness hit me as I came to remember something she once told me. I've lived inside of a pessimistic shadow and the thought that she might…

I remember the first viewing of Frances Ha well enough and how it treated me then. At the time, I was unfamiliar with Greta Gerwig and my first impression only had me thinking that what I was watching was cute and funny. The more I watch Greta Gerwig, I slowly realize what it is about the way she writes her characters that keeps me watching them as their stories are being told for us on the screen, and what I…

For as inconsistent as his filmography has ever been, Spike Lee has never been anything less than one of the most interesting American filmmakers working today. But even if he has struggled to find the same success today as he did during his prime with Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X, he’s never left - he’s always remained so angry and it’s a defining aspect of his filmmaking. And for all the misses that he’s had recently, I’m happy…

Part of me was fairly nervous about stepping into Eighth Grade because given the sort of comedy that Bo Burnham is known for, I was already set for it to become something incredibly uncomfortable. But beyond that set expectation already having been placed in mind, what I certainly did not expect out of Bo Burnham’s own directorial debut was that he would have created something that was nearly half as heartfelt as Eighth Grade was for as painful as the…

Before I begin, I would like to say that this is not going to be a proper review and I want you to keep the one person behind it in mind.

My name is Jaime Rebanal, and I am a hopeless individual who has suffered through depression and extreme anxiety. I think saying that can already get a load off my chest for the time being.

But why say this in front of an entry about Ikiru, you say? I…

Damien Chazelle's ode to the classical era of Hollywood's musicals in La La Land takes his viewers on a nostalgic trip for a good two hours - and while it runs, the pleasantness can be felt all the way through as if there were anything much more to ask. Where it needs to succeed, La La Land certainly manages to achieve its goal for Damien Chazelle's aspiration to bring his own viewers back to such an era for Hollywood comes…