tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6571134389532890781.post7093935182745796586..comments2023-10-17T07:38:01.757-07:00Comments on CINE-FILE at the Chicago Film Festival: Discovery: SERBISIgnatiy Vishnevetskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877465254612151095noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6571134389532890781.post-8792419233784831162008-10-27T22:10:00.000-07:002008-10-27T22:10:00.000-07:00Hi Ben. I actually really liked and admired "Serbi...Hi Ben. I actually really liked and admired "Serbis", despite my preconceptions. I think it's a very insightful and honest portrayal of contemporary Philippine society. The Family movie theater milieu is reflective of an erosion of values in Philippine society as a whole. I've blogged about my impressions and perspectives about it in my personal arts and culture blog.<BR/><BR/>http://www.fromtheledge.com/film/film-festival-focus-serbisFrancishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07184612085655918075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6571134389532890781.post-9536850287098500832008-10-25T23:12:00.000-07:002008-10-25T23:12:00.000-07:00I see your point, Francis. At tonight's screening...I see your point, Francis. At tonight's screening, much of the crowd consisted of Filipino families excited to see a rare presentation of Filipino cinema in Chicago, and few of them seemed to know what they were paying for. On the way out, I saw a lot of upset parents and grandparents, a few of them actually scolding their children for taking them to such a film.<BR/><BR/>What I like about "Serbis" is that its subject doesn't seem reflective of the society as a whole. The Family Cinema we see in the movie practically feels like a country unto itself.<BR/><BR/>Watching the film a second time, I realized how much admiration Mendoza and his cast seem to have for these characters. Yes, they are dysfunctional and willing to do almost anything for money, but they demonstrate a personal brand of integrity through it all. The way Leyda pals around with the regulars who are there to cruise, for instance, shows her commitment to being a good hostess, regardless of the context.<BR/><BR/>My interpretation of "Serbis" is that it's actually a subversion of commonly prejudices about poverty (as immoral, unsympathetic, suffered solitarily, etc.), but then Mendoza's approach doesn't provide many hints one way or the other.Ben Sachshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01463713174870645955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6571134389532890781.post-2656244529571957902008-10-25T12:09:00.000-07:002008-10-25T12:09:00.000-07:00As a Filipino, and a film aficionado, I am very ex...As a Filipino, and a film aficionado, I am very excited, but also apprehensive, to see "Serbis". I'll be there tonight at 7:30. From the reviews coming out of Cannes and New York, there's a lot of "shock value" in the movie that may not be totally reflective (in fact may be a subversion) of Filipino culture, society, and mores. Anyway, I'll have to see tonight.Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07184612085655918075noreply@blogger.com