“Flames of Love” Movie Special Preview Screening and Movie Review

Photo from Flames of Love FB page

I went to the special preview screening of the movie “Flames of Love” at the preview room of Solar Films in  Makati last December 3, 2012.  It’s a drama film about four families, four stories linked by a central character of a promiscuous girl played by Valerie Concepcion. This is a movie about realities in family life and society.

THE MOVIE

Movie Trailer

Gold Barn Media International presents…
A Pro-God, Pro-family, inspiring, enlightening, and entertaining movie for the Filipino family.
4 Families, 4 Stories, 1 Movie

Starring: Christopher de Leon, Lani Mercado, Dina Bonnevie, Jaclyn Jose, Ricky Davao, Allen Dizon, Megan Young, Valerie Concepcion, Alvin Anson, Rina Reyes, Marita Zobel, Ku Aquino, Mavi Lozano, Jodi Nebrida, Irene Celebre, Marnie Lapus, Rita Dayrit, and more.

Directed by:  Gigi Javier Alfonso and Baby Nebrida

Written, screenplay and produced by:  Baby Nebrida
Produced by: Jodi Nebrida

Produced by Gold Barn Media International Corporation
Distributed by Solar Films

At the screening were a few selected bloggers and columnists from the media along with the director, producer, and guests in addition to some of the movie cast and Solar Films and Gold Barn Media executives.

We had dinner al fresco at the roof deck balcony before the screening.

Left to Right: Tiktik Abante correspondent, Romy of Solar Entertainment  and fellow blogger Sef Gutierrez

After a sumptuous dinner, we headed back to the preview room, a mini-theater with around 7 meters wide screen with 4-5 rows of around 16 seats each row.

It was a very exclusive event and I really felt privileged to attend the preview screening.  The movie premieres only on Monday, December 10 and will be showing in the cinemas nationwide on December 12, 2012.

After everyone settling down, the movie started. After around 2 hours of being engrossed in the movie, it completed with the crowd applauding to show their appreciation. We completed seeing the full credits.

After the movie, I had an opportunity to converse and  interview both the co-directors of the film.

According to director Gigi Javier Alfonso, she wants to return back the family drama genre to the big screen that the teleserye’s snatched from the silver screen. Watch the video interview below where she tells more about the movie.

With the writer and director Baby Nebrida, I have commented that I find one of the “preaching” scenes bit too long for the mainstream audience. She however, explained that “she is will be ashamed to God if she cut short that 2 minutes scene in relation to the around 2 hours length of the movie”. She even mentioned that both directors had already debated over these scene. I understood her viewpoint. It is the “essence” or the “purpose” of the film. Watch her video interview below for more of her insights about the movie.

Left to Right: Father Manny Flores SJ, Director/Writer/Producer Baby Nebrida-Ballesty, Producer/Actor Jodi Nebrida

Director Gigi Javier-Alfonso, Columnist Arsenio Tan Liao

Yours truly Ted Claudio with Director/Writer/Producer Baby Nebrida-Ballesty

With Director Gigi Javier Alfonso

Director Gigi Javier Alfonso talks about the film

Director / Screenwriter / Producer Baby Nebrida talks about the essence of the film

MOVIE REVIEW

I was amazed with the powerhouse of cast. For an indie film, this movie had a awesome array of actors and actresses both veteran and newbies.

Valerie Concepcion, with her most demanding role so far, in my opinion did a very good job in portraying the central character of the story. Although she had reservations in accepting the role initially, after reading the full script she was convinced it was a good role to portray although challenging.  Even the directors during my interview praised her portrayal and commented how intelligent she is. I guess she really draws deep from her own life experiences of being a single mom having a daughter at an early age.

The remarkable performances of the veterans Christoper de Leon, Lani Mercado, and specially Dina Bonnevie topped the icing on the cake. Their casting to the characters were  “devised in heaven” made me realize what Baby Nebrida was talking about when see was mentioning about “answered prayers” for the casting.

Baby Nebrida also believes that God had a hand in this movie: from the writing of the script and the theme song done only in 5 days and 1 night respectively, the  powerhouse casting, to the timing of weather events during shooting.

What I like about the movie is the pulling forces of the left and the right, the good and the bad. There were scenes that expresses both the angles and point of views when it comes to what is right or wrong.  Directors Baby being pro-Life and Gigi being pro-Choice reflected in the scenes of the movie.

The movie does not become too “preachy” or judgmental but still delivers a strong message which is the advocacy of the film.

The movie stays away from the mainstream commercial tone but still an arms length of what Filipino audiences are used to so to label it experimental is not appropriate. I would rather term it “re-directional” with it’s “evangelistic” delivery.

Will there be a demand for this type of film? I think so. It will not definitely out gross the commercial ones that offers escapism.  However, this type of movies will offer Filipinos an alternative, something too close to our own reality and still come out of the movie with not a temporary relief of forgetting reality, but come out refreshed with more permanent sense of hope and uplifted spirit to face our real lives again!

I strongly recommend you watch Flames of Love!
My rating: 4 starts out 5 stars: Entertainment + More

Visit the movie’s Facebook page  or follow them on Twitter – #flamesoflove

Flames of Love will be showing in theaters nationwide on 12/12/12. Coincidentally as Baby Nebrida mentioned, it is also the day of the celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.