Review of Metro Manila (2013) by Ker Malkin G — 06 Aug 2014

I remember watching Sean Ellis' "Cashback" a pretty long time ago. A nice film, visually lovely and something that stood out.

This is his last film. It may not be as beautiful but it surely is a piece that adds something extra to this types of film.

A poor family moves to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, to get their lives improved. It turns out that this is a very hard city to survive in when you have nothing.

You feel with the family. Their sorrows, their up-periods, their struggle. When we get into Oscar Ramirez career-move and his co-workers, things really gets a lovely mix.I felt it raced forward, it never felt like an almost two hour film.

Jake Macapagal really does a brilliant job here, by the way.

This is a crime thriller, but definitely down the drama path. It got some great quotes here as well. It's well shot, I've read that Ellis himself handled the cinematography and operated the steadicam - impressive.

Impressive film of an unfamiliar city, still the most densely populated city in the world. A shocking, real and rugged film that got that "almost documentary" look.

8 out of 10 photo necklaces.