Are you a fan of crime dramas and thrillers like Goodfellas, The Departed and The Godfather? Well, I got a film for you and take note it’s local! I’m referring to Star Cinema and Reality Entertainment’s On the Job directed by Erik Matti.
Based on true events, it’s a crime-thriller which centers on four men struggling to survive and a make living for themselves and their respective love ones. Mario (Joel Torre) is intend to retire after the parole has been given to him and Daniel (Gerald Anderson), his younger inmate and apprentice is set to replace him in the job as hired killer. Joaquin (Joey Marquez) and Francis (Piolo Pascual) are the police officers tangled in a conflict to do what their duty tells them or what the powerful officials told them to do. The climax looms a battle between good and evil and the inevitable collision of the two groups lead to having their loved ones as collateral damage.
Five days ago, the Film Academy of the Philippines has announced its shortlist of 8 titles competing to be our country’s submission for this year’s Oscars in the Best Foreign Language category. This film was selected as one of the entries and I hope this will be our submission. It deserves to be. Why?
I’ll start with its ensemble cast. The entire cast did a job well done even the supporting players. We get to see Gerald Anderson stretch his acting skills. Piolo Pascual may not be in the same league of performance of his co-stars but he did well too. The real standouts for me are Joel Torre and Joey Marquez. They outshined the two big stars of the film with their fine performances. The film was able to dig deeper inside the realms of these characters that you’ll be emotionally invested on them.
The story is a gripping and tense tale of crime and corruption. I love the ambiance and feel of the film. It feels like a Martin Scorsese film particularly in the vibes of The Departed. The opening is a bit slow at first but when it picks up after a few scenes, it’s a consistent engaging machine up until the end. With its well constructed action sequences, it’s an excellent thriller. I also like how it manages to be unpredictable in terms of the fate of its characters. I even find myself asking if the character will die in the next scene. There were some dramatic side stories in it but they didn’t distract the narrative. They blend right into it. Aside from its screenplay, the work behind the camera should also be praised. Erik Matti’s direction is concise and superb. Metro Manila is an effective gritty environment in Francis Buhay III’s cinematography. Erwin Romulo’s music supports each scene with the right sound. Kudos to the production team!
This is such a pleasant surprise because it’s been a while since a very good film came from our local film industry. They should continue making this kind of films instead of concentrating on lackluster hits. Overall, it’s the best local film I’ve seen so far this year. I heard that there’s an international version. The one screened at Cannes Film Festival which has a more powerful ending than the one we see in theaters. I want to see that!
Verdict:
In the veins of a Martin Scorsese crime film, On the Job is a compelling crime thriller and the best local film I’ve seen so far this year. Great job! Highly recommended!
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About the movie reviewer:
John Albert Villanueva is a self-confessed movie geek. He love movies so much that he watch almost every movies that’s out in the big screen and collects DVDs of classic films and the ones that won an Oscar. John Albert Villanueva review movies exclusively for Orange Magazine TV.
