"Manila Kingpin" is based on the story of the notorious gang leader in Tondo named Nicasio "Asiong Salonga" whose true-to-life accounts had been portrayed in several movie versions since 1961.
My Insight
Need no further words, this movie is brilliant. This is the kind of the movie where-in not many among youth nowadays will probably be interested in by seeing its trailer but, this is the best movie entry in the MMFF for me yet. The film was in black and white and yet it is really interesting with all the brilliant shots captured. Cinematography was so good that it wouldn't really bother you to see no many colors in a modern film. There was this shot that I loved so much, it is where Asiong and his brother was talking to each other in a tunnel-like place when Asiong was first caught by the policemen. The lights behind Asiong really did add the drama effect that is needed to go with the story, theme and the message of the scene. This i think is one of the important reasons why the film was made B&W, is to add the drama it aims to convey and to take the viewers really back to the time where Asiong lived, and in all fairness, it has successfully done its purpose. Another reason i think was that, because there are so many fight scenes in the movie, that somehow it served as censorship moreover also added the effect of the fight scenes. Talking about the fight scenes, it was also really believable. it was nothing like any other usual and typical fight scenes but the film was really able to show the reality of it all and alloted more attention to the expression of the characters involved in the fight scenes. However, I was slightly intrigued when i found out that the stunt man for this film is from other country. Am I right? Cant it be done by local crew? well, just wondering.
Another great factor that really caught my adoration for this film are the locations and sets. there are several scenes shot inside some churches and i really felt like i was instantly transferred to his time, which actually should be the goal of the production design. Even the cinema scene was captivating, not to mention the other scenes such as the ones in jail and house of Asiong. I also liked the part and setting where Asiong and Pepeng Hapon (Joko Diaz) had a duelo. Cars and houses were also exceptional in the film. Small streets that are known to have many in Tondo was also illustrated many times in the film that gave you this feeling of it really happening just around the corners of Manila some years ago.
The screenplay was also downright suitable for the genre. It is a rough action movie, yes, but there are these lines that gave so much heart to the story and gave the viewers more sympathy and able to relate with the characters. It was right for telling a story about a rough man outside but really a good guy deep inside. Then, there was the editing. if not because of proper editing of the film, many among the viewers would probably got lost within the flow of the story. Also, i noticed that it is has a rough cut through out to express the quick phasing of the story but at the same time managed to deliver the entire progress of the story fluidly. Included in the editing are the musical scores that I found appropriate and added the drama or the angst that a scene really needed. though some gun shots I found are a little bit awkward with the actual action.
The actors were also believable Some of my favorites are Sgt. Doming Salonga (Philip Salvador) and Totoy Golem (John Regala) simply because they both have conveyed their character's purpose and attitudes. I was not however, entirely amazed by Jorge Estregan who played Asiong at first because i rarely find the emotion that I think fits better in the scenes. BUT, as i thought of it, if the part was, lets say, played by Robin Padilla and others alike who are really known for action films, i thought that the film would probably just be "cheesy" as much as it doesn't need to be. Realizing that maybe, the intensity of the story and scenes are the important things, the acting of Jorge just balanced it all out and gave the story the realism that it should have. Im not totally against his acting, mind you. In fact, one of my most favorite part was when he was telling Erning Toothpick (Baron Geisler) to shoot him to get it over with, because i saw in her character that even though he knows that most probably he will be killed, the feeling of courage and trust to Erning was there balanced out with the fear that he was also able to show.
Thinking about how successful this movie has become siguro, sana yung mga Pinoy viewers, mas mag-abang ng mga pelikula na tulad nito tuwing Metro Manila Film Festival, hindi dahil sa mga sikat na artista na gusto nila pero wala namang nagigising na diwa sakanila, sana doon sila sa tipong, pag labas nila ng sinehan, hidni nila masasabing nasayang binayad nila. Sana. Pero yun ay akin lang naman.
