Brillante Mendoza Archives - The Playlist

Cannes Review: Brillante Mendoza’s ‘Ma’ Rosa’ Is A Bleak & Tiny Powerhouse

Nikola Grozdanovic — Thu, 19 May 2016 19:56:07 +0000

“Today’s your lucky day” reads a sign on a passing truck during the opening minutes of Brillante Mendoza‘s “Ma’ Rosa.” But in truth, luck has no place in this dreary and harrowing picture, and when it’s mentioned, it’s always laced with life-sized irony. Essentially a chamber piece that seems to simmer in place for the longest time, what “Ma’ Rosa” actually does is slowly tip-toe towards one of the most heart-wrenching close-ups you’ll like to see this year.

Continue reading Cannes Review: Brillante Mendoza’s ‘Ma’ Rosa’ Is A Bleak & Tiny Powerhouse at The Playlist.

Watch: First International Trailer For Brillante Mendoza’s Cannes Bound Drug Drama ‘Ma’ Rosa’

Kevin Jagernauth — Mon, 02 May 2016 17:39:24 +0000

While he’s got prizes from Cannes on his shelf for “Kinatay” and “Taklub,” the films of Brillante Mendoza tend to find an audience only with the most devoted of arthouse cinephiles. Even when he flirted with a wider audience, directing Isabelle Huppert in “Captive” a few years back, the director’s films are delivered in his own distinct voice, which doesn’t tend to follow with mainstream crossover.

Continue reading Watch: First International Trailer For Brillante Mendoza’s Cannes Bound Drug Drama ‘Ma’ Rosa’ at The Playlist.

Lisa Cholodenko To Helm Miniseries ‘The Slap,’ Catherine Breillat To Make English Language Debut & More

The Playlist Staff — Tue, 20 May 2014 13:38:19 +0000

Lisa Cholodenko To Helm Miniseries 'The Slap,' Catherine Breillat To Make English Language Debut & More

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Watch: ‘Venezia 70 – Future Reloaded’ Short Films By Claire Denis, James Franco, Paul Schrader & Many More

The Playlist Staff — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 14:45:03 +0000

Watch: 'Venezia 70 - Future Reloaded' Short Films By Claire Denis, James Franco, Paul Schrader & Many More

Continue reading Watch: ‘Venezia 70 – Future Reloaded’ Short Films By Claire Denis, James Franco, Paul Schrader & Many More at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Poster For Brillante Mendoza’s TIFF Horror Offering ‘Sapi,’ Plus Watch The Extended Trailer

The Playlist Staff — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 14:44:01 +0000

Exclusive: Poster For Brillante Mendoza's TIFF Horror Offering 'Sapi,' Plus Watch The Extended Trailer

Continue reading Exclusive: Poster For Brillante Mendoza’s TIFF Horror Offering ‘Sapi,’ Plus Watch The Extended Trailer at The Playlist.

Watch: Teaser Trailer For Brillante Mendoza’s Horror Film ‘Sapi’

The Playlist Staff — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:33:01 +0000

Watch: Teaser Trailer For Brillante Mendoza's Horror Film 'Sapi'

Continue reading Watch: Teaser Trailer For Brillante Mendoza’s Horror Film ‘Sapi’ at The Playlist.

Terrence Malick’s ‘To The Wonder,’ Brian DePalma’s ‘Passion’ & Harmony Korine’s ‘Spring Breakers’ Lead Venice 2012 Line-Up

The Playlist Staff — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 09:40:38 +0000

Terrence Malick's 'To The Wonder,' Brian DePalma's 'Passion' & Harmony Korine's 'Spring Breakers' Lead Venice 2012 Line-Up

Continue reading Terrence Malick’s ‘To The Wonder,’ Brian DePalma’s ‘Passion’ & Harmony Korine’s ‘Spring Breakers’ Lead Venice 2012 Line-Up at The Playlist.

Brillante Mendoza Discusses Working With Isabelle Huppert On ‘Captive’ & His Smaller-Scale, Manila-Set Next Project

The Playlist Staff — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:34:32 +0000

Brillante Mendoza Discusses Working With Isabelle Huppert On 'Captive' & His Smaller-Scale, Manila-Set Next Project

Continue reading Brillante Mendoza Discusses Working With Isabelle Huppert On ‘Captive’ & His Smaller-Scale, Manila-Set Next Project at The Playlist.

“For Me, There Was No Character”: Isabelle Huppert Discusses The Making Of Brillante Mendoza’s ‘Captive’

The Playlist Staff — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:06:15 +0000

"For Me, There Was No Character": Isabelle Huppert Discusses The Making Of Brillante Mendoza's 'Captive'

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Berlinale 2012 Review: Brillante Mendoza Takes Us All ‘Captive’ In Vital, Bruising Kidnap Tale

The Playlist Staff — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:04:00 +0000

Berlinale 2012 Review: Brillante Mendoza Takes Us All 'Captive' In Vital, Bruising Kidnap Tale

Continue reading Berlinale 2012 Review: Brillante Mendoza Takes Us All ‘Captive’ In Vital, Bruising Kidnap Tale at The Playlist.

Watch: 3 Clips From Brillante Mendoza’s Hostage-Thriller ‘Captive’ Starring Isabelle Huppert

The Playlist Staff — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:02:03 +0000

Watch: 3 Clips From Brillante Mendoza's Hostage-Thriller 'Captive' Starring Isabelle Huppert

Continue reading Watch: 3 Clips From Brillante Mendoza’s Hostage-Thriller ‘Captive’ Starring Isabelle Huppert at The Playlist.

Snubbed? Who’s Missing In The 2011 Cannes Line-Up?

The Playlist Staff — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 07:04:12 +0000

Snubbed? Who's Missing In The 2011 Cannes Line-Up?

Continue reading Snubbed? Who’s Missing In The 2011 Cannes Line-Up? at The Playlist.

Brillante Mendoza’s ‘Captured’ Starring Isabelle Huppert Headed To Cannes?

The Playlist Staff — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 05:16:05 +0000

Brillante Mendoza's 'Captured' Starring Isabelle Huppert Headed To Cannes?

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MIFF 2010: ‘The Killer Inside Me,’ ‘Welcome To The Rileys,’ ‘Honey’ & More

Simon Dang — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:00:00 +0000

More capsule reviews from the 2010 Melbourne International Film Festival.

“The Killer Inside Me”
Michael Winterbottom’s adaptation of pulp writer Jim Thompson’s eponymous novel is a grim, darkly humorous and captivating look into the mind of a seemingly normal small town cop with an innate psychopathic and murderous personality. Casey Affleck is sublime in the lead role — a man flirting with a debilitating insanity — helped on by a strong supporting cast including Elias Koteas, Ned Beatty, Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba.

Continue reading MIFF 2010: ‘The Killer Inside Me,’ ‘Welcome To The Rileys,’ ‘Honey’ & More at The Playlist.

Isabelle Huppert To Star In Brillante Mendoza’s ‘Captured’

Kevin Jagernauth — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:32:00 +0000

To say Brillante Mendoza’s last film “Kinatay,” which won him the Best Director award at Cannes in 2009, was contentious is an understatement. The film, about a kid who is roped into a job that involves him witnessing the murder of a stripper, was total dullsville. We almost fell asleep watching it and eventually walked out of the film (as did a good handful of other attendees at our screening, put off by a particularly pointless and cruel moment towards the end of the film) but inexplicably, the Cannes jury found something redeeming in the film, and it even got a champion out of Quentin Tarantino who wrote a letter of support to the director.

Continue reading Isabelle Huppert To Star In Brillante Mendoza’s ‘Captured’ at The Playlist.

Tarantino Writes Championing Loveletters To Fellow Cannes Peers

Rodrigo Perez — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:37:00 +0000

Quentin Tarantino is soooo many things. Director, screenwriter, budding novelist (if he ever delivers that longform version of ‘Basterds’, actor, pretentious movie critic, and now penpal and “way to go!” encourager of fellow filmmakers who appeared alongside him at this year’s Cannes film festival.

We’ve already well-documented his love for Jane Campion’s “Bright Star” (smart move, it’s one of the years best) and now two separate sources have revealed two different letters he penned: one to Campion about how much he loved her 19th century romance picture and one to Brillante Mendoza the director of the divisive documentative murder-picture “Kinatay” (not a great move, we walked out of this one during Cannes, granted we were tired and it was dull as fuck).

Continue reading Tarantino Writes Championing Loveletters To Fellow Cannes Peers at The Playlist.

Lesser Cannes: ‘Agora,’ ‘Vincere,’ ‘Kinatay’ & ‘Ne Te Retourne Pas’

Rodrigo Perez — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:20:00 +0000

How enticing is this! A feature on the lesser films of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, ha. Maybe in a way it’s a steer clear of these heads-up, but it’s also, we have no clue where else to stick these/ we’re too lazy to write full reviews. Plus “Vincere” was actually pretty good. Anyhow, we’re completists for better or worse and wanted you to know we just weren’t hanging out on the beach the entire time at Cannes, though, when we think about the quality of films we saw — generally poor — perhaps we should have.

Continue reading Lesser Cannes: ‘Agora,’ ‘Vincere,’ ‘Kinatay’ & ‘Ne Te Retourne Pas’ at The Playlist.