Dementia

This haunting tale about two "sisters" may seem like a cliché and somewhat inferior to its Asian predecessors in terms of scare factor and twisted storytelling. The script has its loopholes(to cite a few inconsistencies: no one,aside from the four characters in the movie,has ever seen Olivia when she was alive, I mean, really? And how did Mara get her degree in Education, even snag a guy in the process, when it was not shown that she even left Olivia's side as the "guardian"? And this one baffled me the most: What on earth was Olivia's parents thinking when they adopted a very young Mara to be the caregiver of their very wild, deranged child? Actually, I seriously thought that they are the crazy ones).

But there are also several redeeming factors in this film. The slow burn approach that heightened the mysterious and creepy quality of the film. The cinematography that is both beautiful and eerie at the same time. And best of all, the casting ensemble led by Ms Nora Aunor. I was so entranced by her performance that I could not take my eyes away from her.I was literally, blown away by her. No histrionics, and very few speaking lines and yet, she was able to tell the story with masterful subtlety and control, of a woman who is on the brink of madness and guilt-ridden woes, who decided her fate with an ultimate question. Did she do it as a sacrifice for love as an atonement for her "broken" promise or did she do it to escape the inner demons she has been battling all these years?

Mara Fabre (Nora Aunor) has been diagnosed with dementia. She was brought back to her remote hometown in Batanes by her cousin Elaine (Bing Loyzaga) to help her recover her memories. Mara keeps getting visions of a little girl or a bride in white who were inviting her to play. As the ghostly games become more dangerous, will Mara and Elaine's family be able to escape with their sanity or their lives?

The script was written by Renei Dimla from a story by Jun Lana. The back story behind the ghostly apparitions was well-told, albeit using a convenient device to tell the whole tale. I liked the subtlety the script used to deal with Mara's past before dementia, with a short but telling scene with Elaine's husband Rommel (Yul Servo) and the thought-provoking epilogue scene. Yet at the same time I was also disappointed by the limited details. I liked those unique props like the stone with a hole, the jigsaw puzzle, and the Ivatan grass raincoat.

Despite its good points, "Dementia" also had many familiar Pinoy horror film clichés -- the classic white lady, the candlelit rooms, scratching on the floor, the cemetery scene, the loud swelling music to emphasize a scary moment. It also utilized the familiar Asian ghostly image of a long-haired female in white crawling towards the victim at one point, which I wished it won't.

As always though, Nora Aunor can elevate any script it seems, no matter how clichéd, to a higher level. She was mostly quiet here because of her mental disability, but her screen presence was really tangible despite her limited lines. As we all know, her eyes and her face speak eloquently by themselves.

Of the supporting cast, Jasmin Curtis-Smith stands out as Rachel, the spoiled American-raised daughter of Elaine who also later shared Mara's ghostly visions. Althea Vega was passable as a young Nora Aunor, especially because of the uncanny similarity of their vocal quality. Chynna Ortaleza was affecting as the disturbed Olivia, especially those scenes before she was a ghost.

Perci Intalan, in his directorial debut, made full advantage of the mysteriousness of his Batanes setting to build up the suspense and tension in "Dementia" -- the old stone houses, the regular interruption of electricity service by 9 pm, the isolation from neighbors, the windswept violent coastline and precarious cliffs.

"Dementia" does not have the garish shock effects in most mainstream Filipino horror films. Instead, its unnerving quietness contrasts so effectively with its sense of danger, on top of the riveting lead performance of Ms. Nora Aunor, giving this film its own mark of cinematic excellence.

Boring, dragging and a waste of time... The first 30 minutes are so agonizingly slow. And the scenes are too dark and dull. The music tends to be annoying sometimes. I'd rather watch repeats of Thai horror movies than see this one, if only i could turn back the time. To the people behind this movie, you should have exercised a lot more innovation and a little bit of complexity in story telling. You could have taken advantage of the character build up of Olivia, something of a twist, something unpredictable. This movie will not gross that much, it is wanting in so many angles. If we really want to bring back life to the Filipino Movie Industry, don't stick to the old formulas. Mother Lily's concepts are not that effective anymore. Her movies will only gross high during Christmas Season when the "bakya" crowd have enough money to spend on slapstick comedy and cheesy horror movies. Too bad for her now, the new Filipino moviegoers are nowadays a lot more expectant and are far more intelligent. I am so frustrated really, you know that familiar heavy feeling when you have just been had. My P150 pesos just went puff like that. It's not just mine. I am with some friends who just felt the same. It's not poor acting. It's not the budget. The story's just too poorly written, lacking so much twist/s and turns. The chases are repetitive, the first 30 minutes should've have been engaging but is dragging instead, that by the time the supposed frightening scenes begin, you're not just that interested anymore. Batanes is supposedly this pristine and scenic paradise up there, but instead this movie made it lifeless, gloomy and eerie.

I have seen this movie several time, and every time I watch it, it's still boggles my mind, this is one of the best horror films I've ever watched.

There really is nothing new story-wise in Regal Films' latest suspense-horror offering however, I really like the cinematography, the editing, the sound and most especially the cast. First-time filmmaker Perci Intalan took advantage of the natural gloom of far-flung Batanes, using the dark beauty of its landscape to establish the mood for a pleasing kind of terror, and of course, "THE NORA AUNOR" that even she doesn't speak, she was able to convey and tell the story. Just when you thought La Aunor has already done it all, she surprises us once again by bringing to life a mentally unstable and distraught woman with such a complex character.

Kudos to the director and to the cast and crew of the film.