On review: Kinatay

Kinatay (Butchered)

After learning that the movie "Kinatay" (Butchered) will be shown at a CineVita event at UST, I did not think twice to see the film and marked the date. It was also the fact that the Cannes Best Director, Brillante Mendoza and Ms. Maria Isable Lopez would be present helped me to decide right away.

Kinatay is a crime film. There have been mixed reviews about it. Plus the controversy that when Director Mendoza's name was announced, there were some jeers and shocked reactions among the crowd. Then add the negative reviews of some known movie critics.

All the more that I got more curious to see the film. But the director don't want it shown in the mainstream and at major cinemas. He wanted to show it to a small group of people, and he would love to show it for free, and then have an open forum at the end of every screening.

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Kinatay stars Peping (played by Coco Martin). He is a 20 year old Criminology student, who is a father to a 7 month old baby, and is a newly wed husband. As for his growing baby, he needs to earn more to give ample support to his new family. Good thing he knows Abyong (Jhong Hilario), a friend who gives him tips and some sidejobs along the way. Little did Peping knows that Abyong is connected to a sinister syndicate.

One late night, Peping was invited by Abyong to join the "operation". No "ifs" and "buts", and he knows he's already decided before he jumped in the van. Inside the van, were a group of high-ranking policemen. And when the group picked-up a known prostitute from a club, Peping felt that something was about to happen.

Madonna, played by Ms. Lopez, is an aged prostitute, who knows the Captain (Julio Diaz) very well. Their friendship goes a long way back. But it has reached its end. Madonna owes a lot of unpaid drug money. And the group is fed up with her empty promises of getting it paid.

And Peping watched Madonna get serious beating as the van travelled out of Manila. After a long drive to the outskirts of Manila, into a secluded house in a province, they prepared to start the end of Madonna.

Peping had some close calls of getting away, but he knew that if he ran out, he would soon be hunted and pay with a big price. He stayed and soon became an accomplice to what soon will become a butchery of Madonna. He watched in horror the brutality and gore of the killing of a mother of one son. Who was raped, abused, and her body chopped by the men using bolo knives. And her head decapitated.

Words could not justify the image and the sound of horror and disturbing cracks of the swinging knife, digging deep into the flesh and bones of a human being.

And the Director's forewords were in accuracy: The film contains physical abuse. And Psychological abuse. It will disturb one's mind.

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As for those who have seen the disturbing film, one has to ask: "Why? What is its purpose?"

One need not be a fan of Quentin Tarantino, or Robert Rodriguez, or a geek for zombies, gore, blood and all that violence. That is not the director's purpose. It does not offend the Philippines for showing a negative image in a film by showing a crime done by high-ranking policemen.

But Director Mendoza's words are:" Exactly. That is the purpose. These things are happening. The ones who are supposed to protect us, are the ones who are doing these crimes and wrongdoings."

And the cast and crew executed it with the film's message: TRUTH. 

(The director's inspiration: He got it straight from a real Criminology student, who was a witness to a such crime. The details were researched, and they were all accurate.)

Over-all, the acting was almost perfect, it wasn't hysterically portrayed. It might sound like a cliche, but it was natural. Effortless. And the goal of the film to disturb, to evoke emotions, to make one think, is superbly reached. 

Mendoza's The Butchered delivered a whole package, big time.