Silip

This film is about a young just married couple ho settle into his home in a remote area of the Phillipines. There is no electricity and no cell phone signal even. The wife, Tess (pretty good job by Diana Zuburi) has to deal with her husband being a traveling salesman. The husband, Rico (Polo Ravales) has to away for three days, leaving her with the elderly caretaker. Through this time, Tess begins to suspect Rico is not faithful. She meets Celia (Francine Prieto) and she comes to live with her, especially since Rico is gone longer than three days since there was a storm. When Rico returns, Tess suspects he and Celia are having an affair and plots revenge. The film isn't bad, it keeps your interest, but it moves slowly to the conclusion. There are a few decent twists, and I recommend it to anyone who likes these kinds of dramas, but I don't think its terribly special. Diana Zuburi has the potential to be a star, maybe even cross over beyond Phillipine cinema. It'll be interesting to see where her career takes her.

So, is sex truly dead in Filipino Cinema?

Silip is decent movie but it is not a Bold film, although apparently it's trying to be one? There is almost nothing sexy in this movie in my opinion and it's obviously that way because they had to get the R-13 rating. I love Diana and Francine. They are very sexy stars. I think the question to be answered about these movies is this.... Bold films in the Philippines probably never would have been banned by the Philippine theater network if the films were made by people who had at least some skill and creativity. Nearly all the "Bold" films made since 1999 were just awful, horribly made movies. Except for a few there was no talent in them at all. No creativity went into these movies and in particular nothing new or inventive went into the sex scenes or the naked showings of the actresses. None. For example, we mainly see the same scenes repeated over and over and over and over.... a beautiful nude woman taking a shower or a bath. So weird, isn't it? Is there some law in the Philippines that says you can only shoot nude scenes in a shower? LOL. If these films had at least some production values and some character development then they may have still been going strong today as R-18 films. Silip is proof now that bold films are truly dead. Now they will attempt to make bold films fit into the R-13 rating which is pointless because noting really sexy can be shown with R-13. I have some advice for Joel Lamangan.... forget catering to the R-13 rating.. you'll never get to show what you want to show and you know that is true. Instead make a real erotic movie with rating R-18.. but make it GOOD and make it direct to video. Forget the theater. With the internet you don't need the corporate theater system! Also, have a good story with good cinematography and stop shooting all the nude scenes in a shower! Jeees! Show the actresses completely nude but in a natural way. Maybe like.. walking across the room nude. That's classy and erotic at the same time. Don't you agree? Watch more French movies and you'll see what I mean. You can bring back R-18 movies if they are somewhat intelligent and made with creativity and talent. If Silip was able to keep the R-18 rating then it could have been a very sexy movie. Oh well, truly sexy movies are currently now dead. I hope they come back because their sexy stars are HOT! But they will only come back if they are better then before.

I consider Joel Lamangan's Silip to be the most original film to come out this 2007 in Philippine Cinema. Fused together with excellent storytelling from veteran director Lamangan and writer Raquel Villavicencio, and through stunning performances by Diana Zubiri, Polo Ravales and Francine Prieto.

The story begins like your normal love affair movie, but half-way through the film, it takes you to another ride. The film begins to becomes a very suspenseful thriller. Plus Zubiri gave the best performance of her career so far.

BRAVO TO SEIKO FILMS!