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| The "Flowers of Heidelberg" |
FORGET-ME-NOT: THE FILIPINO INDIE FILM.
This post wasn't really supposed to be here in the first place. It was written as a project for the author's project in Humanities 100. But anyway, the author thought you'd like it.
If you haven't viewed the movie yet, the author suggests that you watch it. It contains most of the Filipino views in life, and the struggle between need and want.
Summary of “Forget Me Not”
The indie film, as far as I’m
concerned, was completely unrelated with Dr. Jose Rizal’s own portraying novel,
“Touch Me Not”. Although the title (“Forget Me Not”) manifests a certain flower
of significance in Dr. Rizal’s vivacity, I was indeed surprised to know that
the movie wasn’t concerned with our national hero’s life. The “Flowers of
Heidelberg”, as poetically expressed by Dr. Rizal, were in fact the same
flowers that were told of a tale by Karla to her boyfriend, Bobby. It was said
that one day, a knight and a princess was walking down the river. Suddenly, the
knight had caught sight of such flower that was of blue essence, and it seemed
to him fitting to be given to his love. As he bent down to pick the flower, his
heavy armor had weighed down on him too much that he was unable to get up, and
he fell to the river. He drowned, but before he had his life taken from him, he
was able to throw the flowers to his princess. At a snip of time, he told her
in a yell, “Forget me not!” and that is how the flower was named.
Now, enough of this fine observation
I had made. I am here to fabricate a synopsis of the indie film “Forget Me Not”
directed by Deo Fajardo and produced by singer Claire de la Fuente. The film is
a non-linear type, where the story does not go directly with the flow. Instead,
it leaves the audience guessing how the story goes. Parts of it are at the
beginning, when it is actually supposed to be at the middle, and vice versa.
This makes an interesting perspective, yet again another successive feat in the
Philippine movie industry.
Basically, skipping the intro, the
movie starts with a teen, named Jenny, an arrogant, egotistic, stuck up
mademoiselle who has absolutely no respect for her mother. She is with Karla,
her schoolmate, the friendliest in their school, the most acquainted of all of
them. She (Karla) is presuming her (Jenny) faith in the far future using
gambling cards, which to my surprise; they are not using Tarot cards. Karla
said that Jenny will marry a fine, rich man, and they will have five kids.
Jenny responded promptly with her atrocious voice, again another complain, again
another ill-mannered content.
After such playtime, Jenny’s mother
came to pick up her daughter. As soon as
they come home, the self-important lass begins to grumble and moan about how
their life has always been accustomed to being poor while her aunts are in
America, how her mother has debts all over, and how she still doesn’t have a
gown for her prom. It was very degrading of her to utter such language to her
mother who had strived hard to attain such life. It is seen in her mother’s
face, that she (Jenny’s mother) felt the pain that her daughter’s words had
inflicted upon her delicate heart.
Perhaps mother’s intuition is the best
foreseer. Even though the fat, old forbearer was hurt by her daughter’s sharp
pronouncement, she had given Jenny a gift, a gown – a pink, dazzling, dress.
For this, Jenny should be thankful. But her ego is still domineering, as she
snaps back that the fine dress was just bought from a thrift shop, that it was
cheap, it was not of great deal to her. Her mother immediately said that it was
from her aunts in America.
At hearing this statement, Jenny
immediately tried on the dress. But as soon as she had tried it on, she fainted
into a deep slumber.
In her slumber lies a vision that
had held her captive for 10 minutes. She was woken up by an albularyo. She told them about her
vision; she had seen the she was being chased by someone she did not know. She
was running around frantically away from that man, she was afraid of him.
The albularyo and Jenny’s mother had come downstairs to talk about
private matters pertaining to the lass’s condition. It was bad news. Her
daughter had something that we call “third eye”. She could see things that we
cannot see. She could see the past clearly, and she could see the future, too.
It was scary to note that she could see ghosts and other ethereal beings,
because Filipino haunted stories had always talked about powerful witches and
emulsifying ghosts.
After that certain evening, the next
scene displays Jenny entering the school. She lethargically climbs up the
school’s stairs while every single student looks at her with great agitation
and angst. Evidently, Captain Rocco, the captain of the police headquarters,
had come to the school to investigate and to inquire any knowledge about what
had happened to Karla and her family.
Karla was the kindest, the most
affectionate, and the most unselfish in their academy. There was indeed no way
that people in their alma mater had murdered their family. Captain Rocco had
come to Jenny’s class to talk about matters, to see if anybody had information
about the annihilation of the victims. Bobby, who was Karla’s sweetheart,
immediately walked away the room, teary-eyed and broken.
Jenny found him crying by the limp.
She offered him tissue to wipe off the tears in his eyes, yet Bobby refused at
her. He scornfully rejected her help, and she walked away with sadness in her
heart.
I was at an odd thought when I
watched the next part, because the scene portrayed later that night; Jenny and
Karla were walking down to the former’s house. They were chatting about what
had happened to Bobby, and how much Bobby was a crybaby.
At this time, I was already confused, since I suspected
already that Karla was probably dead, together with her family.
Captain Rocco visited the home of the
rather “homo” dress designer Jojit Aquino. The captain also informed him of the
manslaughter, and told Jojit that he should call him when he knows something
about the case.
At the exit of the captain, Jojit
immediately backfired. He was sweating, not knowing what to do. He was
furiously agitated. He flashed back at the time when he was with Hitler, the
mastermind of the murder of Karla’s family. Jojit was Hitler’s toy, for Hitler
knew Jojit “swings both ways”, and he was part of the crime. I am not
pertaining to Adolf Hitler, the great picture of inhuman dignity, but I am referring
to a lad who was named Hitler too, but he kidnaps, steals, and kills for a
living.
Jojit was the one who had made the
pink dress – the same dress that had been “gifted” from Jenny’s aunt. To
explain this, I will cut, compress, and combine all the flash backs of Jenny’s
mother and Jojit in the scene.
Before the murder was successful,
Jojit Aquino had fashioned a dress for Karla. Of course, it was an elegant
dress; of pink endeavor, and glittering pageantry. It was ordered by Karla’s
mother, for her daughter’s upcoming debut.
Naturally, the scene began with
Jojit, who was late for the dress’ delivery. He had come to Karla’s home,
reasoning that he was in traffic, and that he was nearly hit by a car. Then
came Karla’s mother, who was grouching in displeasure of Jojit’s failure to
arrive on time.
Jojit immediately showed his
affection for her, and he kissed her in the cheek, apologizing, and taking into
account that the tailored dress was “one of a kind” and that it “cannot be
matched” by any dress, then came from upstairs Karla’s father, who, too, was
fond of Jojit’s tardiness. They were in cheerful interlude with each other.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Karla was busy
with her cards. I was terrifically surprised at such portray, because she was pursuing
the act of black magic, as if summoning the devil, acknowledging herself as an
apprentice of the demon. She was being inquired by her mother, and soon enough,
her mother had come bursting through the door, and she was furious at the sight
of the cards, lined “666”. She was demented at discerning such ritual; so mad
was Karla’s mother that she had turbulently thrown the cards away, and she cussed
that she should never see Karla in possession of such ordinance.
Karla went downstairs with her
mother, and she was in a bereaved mood. However, upon seeing the dress, her
heart bounced with effervescent joy, and she was happy at such sight of the
outfit.
Later that day, Jojit and Karla’s
mother had a private chit-chat with each other upstairs. Karla’s mother was astounded
by Jojit’s excellence; hence, he was given a bonus by Karla’s mother.
Unknowingly, Jojit sneaked upon the
host’s room, and saw that Karla’s mother had hid all their money in a safe
behind a cabinet. He quickly sat down from where he came, and kept his mouth
shut.
Little did Karla’s family know, that
they were in danger, for a friend was not as it seemed. Jojit was part of an
evil plan; and the family never even knew what hit them.
Jojit reported to Hitler and his
accomplices. Jojit was Hitler’s past time, but Jojit loved Hitler. Jojit did
everything Hitler wanted him to do; he couldn’t refuse, so he agreed to be part
of Hitler’s diabolic plan. And so, Jojit narrated how the house looks like, as
if doing an inside job, and how to get past the security, and where the safe
was located.
Later that evening, the plan was carried
out. Hitler and his men made their move; getting past the security and killing
the maids within the vicinity. The whole family was murdered, and Karla was
even raped by Hitler.
It wasn’t worth the effort, for no
money was seen in the family’s safe. Hitler and his men immediately escaped.
Jojit, who was also in the break-through, grasped the dress from Karla’s hands.
However, Karla wouldn’t give up the dress – yet she was dead, but her soul
seemed to still be clutching her outfit. It gave me goose bumps to see that
Karla was refusing her dress to be reclaimed by the designer.
After their escape, Jojit had
probably thrown away the dress, since a group of children found the dress in a
dump site. And the dress was given to a seller in a thrift shop. And Jenny’s
mother, who lied to Jenny after all this time, discreetly bought the dress from
the actual thrift shop, not knowing that the dress belonged to a soul bereaved
of captivity.
And so it was that the murder was
done by Jojit and his love, together with his apprentices. And now that the movie’s thought was complete,
it was Karla and Jenny’s turn. It was time for payback.
Before the evening of the promenade,
Jojit and Hitler had a little argument. Jojit was unable to hide his secrets
anymore. He confronted Hitler telling him that his conscience cannot carry out
the plan anymore. He couldn’t do it. Hitler, However, spat back Jojit and
punched him, slapped him. Little did Hitler know that Jojit was seeing Karla’s
ghost, and he was begging Hitler to discontinue the plan.
The gay dress designer had no other
option but to subdue himself to Hitler’s beating. To his surprise, Karla’s
ghost was offering him a way out. The ethereal being was giving Jojit a
scissor, and when Jojit had enough of Hitler’s fury, he launched at him,
stabbing him multiple times.
Jojit was now out of his sanity. He
stabbed his one and only love, and now he had no choice but to confess to
Captain Rocco what happened. He was sorry, yet he couldn’t be of any better
than this.
It was prom night, when Jenny had
agreed to let Karla take her body, just for this evening. They had planned
everything out. They had talked about this before. There is no “backing-out”
this time, because this was for Bobby, Karla’s boyfriend, and whom Jenny also
admired so much.
At the proclamation of Bobby and
Jenny’s crowning of King and Queen of the Prom, Bobby was silently carried off
outside by Hitler’s men. In this scene, Karla immediately scared everybody off
the party, and everybody went staggering out of the prom, in fear of Karla’s
ghost.
But it was too late; Bobby was
already kidnapped by Hitler’s men.
So Karla left Jenny’s body. And
Jenny fainted, out of exhaustion, from the entire phantom’s pursuit.
As Hitler and his men were making
their great escape, they were chattering with each other, saying that they
scored “big-time”. At a frightening second, Karla’s ghost showed up beside the
driver, and the driver was horrified to see the monstrosity beside him. His
reflexes were prompt to tell him, shoot the ghost. But once he shot Karla, the
ghost had suddenly disappeared, and the one he actually shot was his friend.
Out of sheer terror, he drove fast,
thinking that he could escape the ghost. Even so, the ghost haunted him. It
appeared in front of the car, and the car skid out of the road, crashing into a
tree, killing him.
Karla, who was teary eyed, went
immediately to her love. She kissed his hand, knowing that he is now far from
trouble. She loved him so much; so much that she couldn’t bear to leave the
world without knowing that Bobby was impervious and free from danger.
And that is where the movie ends.
Captain Rocco had found Bobby, and Jenny had waked up, with tears and sadness,
knowing that life is not just about material things, but it is more of giving
worth to those things that seemed immaterial.
Critique of the Indie Film
“Forget-Me-Not”
After such long prudence, I can
finally give my say about the suspense and rectifying movie, “Forget-Me-Not”. I
have already had the hobby of watching indie films long before I have even been
making critiques about them. So, without further ado, I give you my own thought
of the indie.
First and foremost, the title of the
movie was exquisitely admirable. It forebodes, “Do not forget me, ever!”, as if
Karla was making her last statement to Bobby. Although the title does conflict
with Rizal’s life, “Forget-Me-Not” does sound as an appropriate title,
especially when pertaining to the blue flowers of Heidelberg. These flowers,
whom even I have seen blooming during my visits in Baguio before, were pleasing
to the senses, and amiable to my delicate eyes. And such tale of the said
flowers told by Karla to Bobby was dainty enough to make the whole indie film
seem sensible and commendable to the eyes of the Filipino masses.
Secondly, I’d like to point out the
excellent choice of characters, in which Jenny was portrayed by the one and
only Jodi Sta. Maria, a fine, dashing, young lady who was perfect for the role
of an egomaniac, self-admiring, stuck-up little hag who cares only for herself.
Her perseverance in the film will always be greatly admired. With that, all the
characters, especially Karla and Jojit, were greatly portrayed; Karla as a
ghost who seeks justice and safeness for her loved one, and Jojit who cared too
much for Hitler, he who he loved so much, that his sanity drove him away to
kill him in such awful manner of stabbing.
I would also like to point out how
the cinematography of the movie was done. It was good, but not excellent. It
was in high definition, actually. I noticed it, since I have been making 1080
pixel videos before. The handling of the camera lacked sturdiness in some
scenes, and the cutting of parts were rather unsatisfying for me. But by far,
it is one of the best Filipino indie films I have ever watched
The
place where the film was…well…filmed, was directly appropriate to the story.
However, the problem sometimes is the annoying sound of the wind during some
scenes portrayed at sea side. The use of a specialized microphone could’ve
aided such parts of the movie, and could have made the aesthetic value of the
film more pleasing. I hope that in the near future, indie film makers could
afford to use a microphone that would be cheap enough for such purposes.
Also,
the use of visual effects in the indie film did not suit the reality at all. It
reduced the movie’s indicative appreciation, and it was a rather big step back
from the entire excellence. The editors could’ve made the effects a little more
realistic, rather than just an effect out of the easy pick. But nevertheless,
even I could never obtain the skill to make such visual entertainment, so who
am I to say that it was cheap. Next time, the visual artists should’ve made it
more causal and not that obvious.
The
mood of the story really caught my attention. The choice of music used, the
black-and-white effects, the sepia effects, and then the non-linear style had
me chained to my seat while I was holding on to my girlfriend’s hand for dear
life. As you know, I am a person who definitely hates suspense and horror
movies, but this one had me right in the spot.
Next
in line for my judgment, is the movie’s learning method. As said by singer
Claire de la Fuente, “The film is about greed, ambition, murder and revenge.”
The movie does not let the audience be spoon fed, but it lets the audience
think what was going to happen next, and why does this certain thing happen.
This is an excellent choice of style, especially when filming horror or
suspense genres. My seatmate, when we were watching the movie, was especially
drastic of thought. She kept asking me questions, like, “Bakit ganun? Eh akala ko patay na siya?”, “Eh bakit parehas ata sila
ng dress kanina?” I wasn’t annoyed by this, because this is usual in those
people who are not so fond of watching horror movies. But I did told her to “Manahimik ka lang kasi! Kakulit nito!
Manuod ka lang oh. Basta!”
The
movie’s content was, for me, one the best there is. The learning process of the
movie showed that Filipino indie film makers also have the capacity to compete
with other international films. The movie’s lesson of giving worth to
intangible things (eg. Love, hope, satisfaction) is more important than giving
worth to tangible objects (eg. A pink dress, a boyfriend) is directly given to
the audience – it was straight to the point, nonetheless.
Overall,
if would rate the movie 1-10, 10 being the highest, of course, I would rate it
a 7.5.
Synopsis
and Critique made by mnmniac
A
freshman student of Central Luzon State University
An
aspiring biologist
And
a writer who will never frown upon his kin
