User reviews

Whatever superlative film-making skills co-director Ian Gamazon has attained over the years are quickly diminished by his average acting ability portraying 'Adam', the lead role of "Cavite." It also makes one wonder just how shallow the Filipino-American acting pool is in this country.

That said, this story is basically an extension of the Hollywood movie "Phone Booth" where a voice on the telephone forces the person on the other end to capitulate to their demands. Of course, "Cavite" takes it one step further by allowing the caller to be a well-known terrorist who not only has Adam's cellphone number but his victim's mother and sister too (after having already executed the father).

The cellphone also allows the action to travel which is technically more visually interesting than watching Colin Farrell sweat it out in one spot (a la "Phone Booth"). Although the voice on the phone purports to be Muslim terrorist leader, the political thriller elements are muted for the most part with the primary action revolving around the making audience watching Adam saunter his way through the city of Cavite (near Manila) on foot until he reaches the point of no return.

The terrorist's final request is the ultimate decision of the Adam's life: be a suicide bomber for the Abu Sayyaf and complete the mission or listen to the sound of your family being killed over the cellphone.

Of course, it'll cost you the price of admission to find out which choice he opted for, but for those not used to cinema verite this may be a hard film to watch. Almost all of the action is shot from either the Adam's POV (self-held camera) or the POV of the cameraman (also hand-held) gamely following behind him. Not for all tastes, but this low-budgeter shows you don't have to have millions of dollars to create suspense, but a better lead actor would have been worth a fortune.

Adam, a 32-year-old Filipino security guard from San Diego, must fly home to the Philippines after learning that his father is died. He lands at the Manila airport and waits for his mother to pick him up. She never does. He hears a ringing in his bag. It's a mysterious package with a ringing cell phone (think of The Matrix when Morpheus contacts Neo for the first time). Adam picks it up, and for the next hour, an Islamic extremist (who has kidnapped his mother and sister) threatens to kill Adam's family if he doesn't follow every single order he's given. Now that's suspense.

I love that Cavite truly takes you down the streets of the Philippines, where people drink soda from a plastic bag and bet on cockfights (reminds me a lot of Mexico). Everything about this film is original and surprising. The only problems were technical (and hardly worth mentioning). One problem was the discontinuity of the sweaty shirt. Adam wears the same shirt throughout the film, and the shirt is sweatier at some points than at others. The other problem was believing that two cell phones batteries could last an entire day. Adam is constantly on the phone with his family's kidnapper, and he only runs out of battery once? I don't buy it. But I bought everything else.

Equally as original as the plot of Cavite is the story about how this indie film found it's distribution. A U.T. class on advanced film producing promoted Cavite through the 2005 SXSW Film Festival and the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival, and thanks to a deal with Mark Cuban's "Truly Indie" distribution initiative, Cavite is now showing at a theater near you, so check it out.

Intense, and intensely low-budget, this action-suspense experimenter is one of the most effective student-like movies I've seen. Keeping true to their moniker (gorilla productions), rookie film-making team Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon (also the star) show a surprising amount of skill in their hard-edged, guerrilla approach. The fast-paced thriller, also masking as edgy Philippino travelogue, traces the nervous steps Gamazon must undergo after being virtually hijacked by an unknown overseer. Playing out much in the same vein as many popular "momentum flicks" (Crank, Nick of Time etc), here these gifted newcomers instill a realism even they could not have hoped for at times.

Once thrust has been set into motion, Gamazon is shot in an alluring realism amidst the scenic decay of our title city. The technique will be a bit much for many viewers of more stable cinematography, coming across mostly as a Tony Scott with few dollars to spare. At times intrusive and overbearing, somehow the effect manages to end up complimenting this little project splendidly, working better then it should because the perfectly exploited locations and real crowds this amateur crew uses to perfection completely engage the viewer with the breakneck plot as it unfolds.

Not all is well however. We are all willing to suspend our disbelief in favor of embracing a well enough thought out piece of fiction, but the groundwork that makes for this immersed experience is not firm enough to sustain the realism it so graciously offers for the eye. Lead, and pretty much only, character Gamazon is also somewhat disappointing in the self-casting, really never breaking out of a self conscious projection and loosing himself inside the part. His puny presence could perhaps be another reason some would reject the movie, but of course those would be the action purists. Others interested in more experimental fare would do well to check out this little gem of a young team coming with a lot of adventurous film heart; the darkly appropriate political insight, as elementary as it is, becomes that much more affirmative once viewed in direct parallel to the reality of it all, making Cavite more then the frenzied action it showcases.

Despite being a low budget independent film, this movie is better than 80% of any commercial film made in the Philippines. Not saying much for the state of movie-making in the Philippines. I tried to watch this film knowing that it was an Indie. The whole picture is shot using hand-held video cameras. The product is a jumpy, nausea-inducing thrill ride. I honestly was sea sick halfway thru the movie. But at the same time I had to finish it because the story was actually pretty good. I thought the locations used in the film were very typical of Anytown, Philippines. Many of the comments left here seem to think that it was the film-maker's fault for having slum areas and open garbage dumps. It's funny how every Filipino hates to see these eyesores yet we do nothing about them. Particularly funny was the typical sign "Bawal Tumae Dito" (by order of mayor). We have all seen this sign one time or another, and somehow this is accepted. We need to be told what common sense should have already made known to us. The film has much more substance and direction than your typical Filipino movie, I would love to see more.

While I applaud the film makers for their effort and terrific use of the camera and very little funds, I can't say that I enjoyed this film a great deal. I feel bad saying anything negative about what is clearly such a labor of love, but the story didn't move me or involve me very much. Yes, it's a scrappy tale boldly told, but the tale itself was weak. All the other elements were fine, but if I'm not engaged by the story then I stop caring, and eventually lose interest, which is what happened when I saw this at the festival.

The acting is all fine, particularly the lead man and the voice on the phone (you'll know what I mean when you see it, it really is a lead role even though you never meet him) but there are so many wholes in the story that it never came together for me.

I look forward to these film makers next film, and hope they have a bigger budget, but mostly I urge them to find a better script.

Cavite is about Adam, an American Muslim Filipino traveling back to the Philippines to attend his father's funeral and visit his mother and sister. He finds his mother and sister are kidnapped by a Muslim terrorist faction to force Adam to do something. Adam is forced to travel around the Philippines to various places while his family is abused. Adam picks up a bomb and is told to take it to a church and leave it there as revenge for American crimes against Muslims. Adam tries to refuse, but the slime balls cut out his mother's tongue. Adam finds out his father was killed by the same terrorists in a similar bombing. As a back drop, Adam's American Christian girl friend calls him and tells him she's pregnant and having an abortion. Adam does what he's told, his family is released, and Adam goes back to America where his girl friend tells him she couldn't have a Muslim baby. As if a baby is born favoring one religion over another. While the dialog lacked some emotion, the acting made up for it to some degree. The cinematography was pretty good and you got to see some low income parts of the Philippines during Adam's travels and understand how the poor can be taken advantage of by sooth saying organizations that hand our money for cooperation. I liked the movie more for its raw surreal nature. Adam walking around in shock trying to comply with lunatics while also trying to think of a way out that doesn't kill his family.

CAVITE is an example of ultimate independent film, with a very short budget, a very simple concept, an exotic locale, a minimal cast, and a hand-held camera.

The story is simple: Adam (Ian Gamazon) is called home to the Phillipines because of a family crisis. Instead of his family picking him up, he finds himself forced to follow instructions of a man claiming to have his family. There's no clear reason for the abduction, or what makes Adam a target; all Adam really knows is that his every move is watched, and the kidnappers have no regard for their victims.

As Adam follows the obscure instructions, and the obstacles in his way, the audience can't help but be caught up in his plight. The hand held camera and jumpy editing style enhances the sense of desperation and time. The scenes of urban Phillipines, particular the markets and the squatter holdings are a vivid cacophony.

Co-directors and Co-writers Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon have done an outstanding job of making the most out of limited means. The economy of the film makes it both intimate and discomfiting, as Adam is an everyman who only wants his family safe and instead is completely at the whim of an omniscient tormentor.

CAVITE is an absolute must for anyone who has an interest in film, as storytelling, in it's structure, and as an art form.

The directors should be commended for doing this film with such scanty resources. A camera, a couple of airline tickets, and one of the directors as actor. Unfortunately, the result shows. The camera is excessively shaky, to the point where a freeze frame is needed so we can read a road sign. The shakiness wore me down. The story is far-fetched. The improbable omnipresent, all-knowing terrorist leader eventually becomes tedious. The sound design used in the middle of the film is obnoxiously loud and abrasive. The only worthy content is the travelogue, an inside view of life in a poor neighborhood in the Philippines.

"Cavite" proves that if the story is good enough, technical excellence is unimportant. Filmed on video with a crew of two, and no budget whatsoever, Cavite is a gripping, roller coaster of a ride. Called to the Philippines, a completely Americanized, young Filipino-American discovers that his mother and sister have been kidnapped. A cellphone planted in his backpack rings and he learns they are held by terrorists and he must follow every direction he is given or they will be killed. Guided by the terrorist's voice on a cellphone, what follows is a tense voyage through the underbelly of Cavite, a city in the Philippines. Although this is at its soul a thriller, by focusing on stark images of third-world poverty, the film cleverly illustrates why terrorist acts have appeal for many. Like all classic thrillers the stakes get higher and higher and the tension grows as the story moves on to its inevitable climax. Although some critics have indicated that they thought the lead actor was lacking in ability I found exactly the opposite -- he is the perfect "everyman," trapped in a situation not of his making. This is great storytelling. I saw this movie twice and recommend it highly.

Here's my mini review.

• the film's not bad. it's well edited and shot. But I feel the movie's trying a little to hard to be a video tour guide on the Philippines' slum areas and show non-Filipinos up close what poverty is like there. I'm not impressed with the story either. I've never felt Adam's life was in danger, and the voice on the phone was a joke (he sounds a little gay, IMO).

• I don't think "Cavite" is a hotbed for Abu Sayyaf terrorist activity. and most of the kidnappings in Luzon are done by corrupt military and police officers, not Muslim Fanatics. The Philippines is 90% Catholic IIRC. But I guess it would be much more dangerous for Gamazon to film it in Basilan, therefore Cavite, since most foreigners can't tell the difference anyways.

• How was it possible for Tariq (the phone caller), to follow Adam wherever he goes (from squatter areas to open fields to little alleys) without being seen? Is he god or something? - The unseen caller is always lecturing and preaching. The caller ordered Adam to eat a "balut", drink soda from a plastic bag, and go to a cockfighting event so that Adam can "experience" the Filipino culture and reality... Blah blah blah...

• somebody said the movie's about how poverty will make Filipinos become suicide bombers or terrorists. But I think that's wrong. The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country with only a 5% Muslim population. Most Filipinos are poor Catholics, but you don't see them becoming suicide bombers, no? And Osama bin laden and the 19 9/11 hijackers are not exactly poor people.

Gripping movie surrounding a world of religious beliefs, generational betrayals, and blackmail….Throughout, the movie chimes a powerful message as voiced by the main character Adam: "how many people have to die for you to make your point?" Follow Adam as he is guided through the darker sides of human nature while he tries to save his family, his unborn child, and his conviction.

The writers were outstanding in the backdrop motivations for the characters – even down to a little boy thief. They do a good job of helping the viewer wrap realism around the "why". The "voice" on the phone of the terrorist was mesmerizing as he instructed Adam on his journey through the Philippine squatter camps and towns. It was a good choice to not put a face with the voice of Adam's nemesis. The only real problem with the story is the "girlfriend" back story. The conversation between Adam and the girl about her not wanting a "Muslim" baby made no sense and was out of place considering their first conversation on the phone. It should have been left at that.

Over all, it was worth the watch so don't say I didn't tell ya!

Writing, directing, and starring in this independent film, Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon are definitely two people to watch.

This is an exciting movie about an American who is brought back to the Philippines to do something for terrorist in order that he might save his mother and sister. The pace is face as we wait to see what he will be required to do.

The film is not just about terrorism, but also blends in the grinding poverty in the Phillipines, where Adam (Gamazon) is introduced to the underside of this society children sell their bodies for prostitution, and the odor of a polluted swamp forces him to cover his nose; and the government's campaign against Muslims. It is more than a thriller. It is also an education to those who don't often focus on the plight of others in the world.

A couple of Filipino guys put together a brilliant idea and decided to make a film on it. Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon, two ambitious young men had the concept very much in place.

The idea revolves around an American Filipino named Adam, returning to his homeland in the Philippines only to become the target of a mysterious caller on a cell phone who has kidnapped his sister and mother and threatens to kill them if Adam doesn't comply with certain demands of his. He is not allowed to hang up either. The caller has a task for Adam and Adam is supposed to see it through to its conclusion, failing which the consequences would be dire! Adam finds himself constantly stalked as he is made to travel all around Cavite city and explore its dark underbelly, in order to run the caller's "errand". Everywhere he goes he feels he is being watched and a lot of people seem to be "in on it", as at every step, Adam finds something which enables him to move forward in his task. What's more…the caller seems to know his every move! The plot thickens as Adam finds there is more to it than meets the eye. Why has he been chosen by the caller? Could it be some extremists who have involved him in something much more dangerous than he can handle? So there you have it. Sounds great on paper, right? But does every great idea transform into a well-executed motion picture? Sadly not, and "Cavite" is testimony to this fact.

"Cavite" partially works solely due to its interesting premise. It is this premise that somewhat manages to engage the viewer, not the execution; because the execution simply doesn't have much to talk about. Shot entirely on hand-held camera that gets irritating after a while with its constantly wobbly and brownish yellow cinematography, the film captures mostly the squalid parts of the city where there are squatter camps and garbage dumps and hungry, naked children! Now such visuals should normally move the viewer but blame it on the handling, it fails to resonate with the viewer or evoke any kind of emotion, barring a few scenes which speak volumes of the inherent hypocrisy of terrorists who scream "Jihad" at the drop of a hat! Certain props used to scare or disturb us clearly appear fake and that is another big failure on the filmmakers' part. The film feels slightly long even for its considerably short 80 minutes length, thanks to a lazy screenplay which just doesn't reflect the sense of urgency or anxiety that is very much essential for the subject at hand. There are hardly any tense moments and the apart from the filmmaker, the person largely to be blamed for this is the lead actor, Ian Gamazon! This is the kind of story that has to depend on the protagonist's able shoulders, because ultimately, it is his predicament that is supposed to evoke sympathy in his favour and thus engage the viewer. Sadly our hero proves to be the weakest link as he fails to bring out the helplessness or the vexation that any guy in his shoes would feel. If someone is holding your mother and sister hostage and wants you to carry out a task that could get you in trouble, you should be one big bundle of nerves! But Gamazon almost casually goes through everything, trying to force some emotions on his face once a while and swearing out loud when he is unable to. Alas, it amounts to hardly anything and this is the film's biggest failure. The actor just fails to connect with the audiences! Then how are we supposed to care about his outcome anyway. The background score is also very uninspired and incomplete; perhaps some attention to a good score could've provided some leverage to the film.

Some suspense built in the final half hour of the film raises our expectations and one wishes the makers hadn't been slothful with the conclusion at least, but the film pretty much ends with a whimper. Add to that some done to death clichéd ramblings about how Muslims are targeted everywhere, thus forcing them to build terrorist outfits for "Jihad" all around the world and one particularly cringe-worthy scene about Adam's American girlfriend "not wanting to have a Muslim baby" further mar any bright prospects for the film in the audiences' favour.

"Cavite" is a solid idea that just barely makes it in getting successfully transferred to a gripping motion picture. It has its moments but as an overall product, it just about manages to stay afloat. Watch only if you must….

(Trivia :-)…But here's an interesting fact. In 2008, Indian director Raj Kumar Gupta made "Aamir", a Bollywood film which rips off the premise and most of the screenplay of "Cavite". Only the action is shifted to streets of Mumbai city instead of Cavite! "Aamir" is a better made film, is considerably gripping and has a much better actor (Rajeev Khandelwal) playing the central actor. However, nothing can change the fact that it is shameless and unethical rip-off of "Cavite". One only wishes Gupta had officially purchased the rights instead of blatantly copying, thinking that no one would notice. Sad..

Score: 6/10.

This movie really is, as some of the commentators have said, a tour de force of mise en scene - it is shot with a distinctive hand-held camera style, features some powerful performances (most notably by Ian Gamazon as Adam, a secular Muslim American born in the Phillipines), and makes exceptional use of its gritty noir setting of Philippino urban slums.

Yet, the movie is ultimately extremely disappointing. Cavite ultimately fails in two interconnected ways. First, as a dramatic story, chiefly because its main character is irredeemably weak (and the vicious, stereotyped anti-gay viewpoint portrayed tacitly builds strength on this weakness). Adam not only fails as a protagonist - he is unable to affect the action in any way throughout the entire film - but as a moral being. He shirks responsibility for his stark moral choices: Ultimately, he is willing to take decisive action to murder a large crowd of innocent people to save his own loved ones - and this miserable character is the only potentially oppositional voice that might at least rhetorically counter the unseen but omniscient and omnipotent "Abu Sayaf" spokesman. As a result, that terrorist mastermind directs every aspect of the film, and the erstwhile protagonist is utterly impotent and, indeed, evil.

If Adam fails completely to present an alternative or corrective to the (alleged) Abu Sayaf propaganda, the cinematography seems equally complicit in its support for the terrorist's vague and self-satisfied critique of western society (with its documentary footage of privation and social exclusion). So, the deck is stacked from deuce to ace, and that is why the film so completely fails as a work of drama.

But, secondly, this is also why the film fails morally as well. Cavite goes beyond consciousness raising in its vivid presentation of poverty and moves toward a subtle, but deeply corrupt sympathy for "revolutionary" terrorism in the name of "the people". The kindest reading is that, with no effective counterweight to the faceless voice of the Abu Sayaf terrorist, the film falls victim to a sort of Stockholm Syndrome, crossing over completely into the terrorist's view of the world. In fact, at the end, the film really lays its cards on the table in a terrible, facile scene back in the USA, where Adam is shown to be victim of blatant American prejudice because of his religion.

Despite its technical achievements, this is an evil movie. It is wrong and it is destructive. By failing to offer an effective alternative to mass murder in the name of social revolution, this movie leaves us with nothing beyond the vague but malicious terrorist viewpoint, without any dramatic or rhetorical attempt at rebuttal. The result is not only bad storytelling, but the nasty suspicion that one has watched an extremely well-shot propaganda video for an hour and twenty minutes.

Jeremiah B.C. Axelrod

Cavite, in its simplicity, is a provocative and insightful gem. This movie adeptly presents the complexities of culture and nationalism using parallels and metaphors interwoven in a culture few will encounter. The story's plot is simple enough- an Americanized Filipino American (Adam) whose life is in chaos returns to the Philippines to attend his fathers funeral, but instead, embarks on a horrific rescue mission to get his ransomed mother and sister back from the Abu Sayyaf, an extremist Muslim group. The violent tension in this movie is subtle and below the radar, but keeps the viewer watching. But it is the emotional tension- the play with expectations that breaks from being predictable; the killer who loves love songs, has a reassuring voice; Adam, the victim, is a non-violent Muslim; the grinding poverty and Adam's naivete; the kid who steals for the Abu Sayyaf steals to eat McDonalds. The backdrop of the plot is the forced education of Adam to a culture he has had no connections to. While for many Filipinos, this can be tedious, the depth of the movie begins to beg the question- who are the real hostages, and what will we do to save them.

That the movie has a circular plot- it ends where it begins but with a twist- leaves the viewer forced to contemplate the significance, which can be profound, "dangerous" as some have described, but open to interpretation. This can be troubling to some who want to see movies that require no thought.

Cinematically, the movie is remarkable, low budget or not. The shots are insightful and capture the reality of everyday life in a town greatly affected by poverty. One can almost smell the diesel fumes, the odors in the market and feel the tension of desperation. Because this is the personal story of Adam, a home-video feel to the footage adds to the credibility that this is his story.

Most mainstream thrillers have something in their plot that is implausible, and this one is no exception- the everpresent killer, and that there is a Filipino who doesn't know what balut is.

It is unfortunate the cover and sub-title imply Cavite is a Sylvester Stallone no-brainer which makes me wonder whether the brilliance of this movie was a result of the directors' intention. In any case, this movie is worth viewing for its creative display of a complex subject- but with a caveat- this movie presents a picture that is not characteristic of all life in the Philippines- something few viewers will take into account. This isn't the responsibility of the directors, however. It speaks to the fact that there are too few Filipino filmmakers.

An American friend of mine to me to watch this movie. This movie is awful. This is very offensive to me especially you're showing it to a foreign country. I go home to the Philippines once/2 years and this is a misrepresentation of the Philippines. People who have not been to the Philippines might think that the WHOLE of the Philippines is like this and IT IS NOT. Of course, I do believe that some of the things in the movie is true but it is like showing to the world South Central as the representation of USA. All countries have an ugly side but to say it in the movie that this is the Philippines...THAT IS JUST SO WRONG. I was very hurt when I read some of the comments especially the one that says "Remind me again NEVBR to visit the Philippines" by Scott Weinberg. I am a Filipino and proud to be one but after watching a movie like this I felt so little. I WAS VERY OFFENDED.