7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.4 |
Seeking a brighter future in megacity Manila, Oscar Ramirez and his family flee their impoverished life in the rice fields of the northern Philippines. But the sweltering capital's bustling intensity quickly overwhelms them, and they fall prey to the rampant manipulations of its hardened locals. Oscar catches a lucky break when he's offered steady work for an armored truck company and gregarious senior officer Ong takes him under his wing. Soon, though, the reality of his work's mortality rate and the murky motives of his new partner force Oscar to confront the perils he faces in his new job and life.
Starring: Jake Macapagal, Althea Vega, John ArcillaForeign | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Filipino (Tagalog): DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Tagalog, with portions in English; Tagalog DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit) and Tagalog LPCM 2.0 (48kHz/24-bit).
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (A untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Winner of Best British Independent Film and Best Director Awards at the British Independent Film Awards, Sean Ellis' "Metro Manila" (2013) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Chocolate Frog Films/Independent Film Company. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film and standard making of featurette with comments from cast and crew members. In Tagalog, with imposed English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
In a new place
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sean Ellis' Metro Manila arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Chocolate Frog Films/Independent Film Company.
Shot with a Canon 5D digital camera, Metro Manila has the appropriate clean and smooth look. Generally speaking, image depth is very pleasing, but there are areas of the film where minor fluctuations exist. For example, some of the nighttime panoramic shots appear slightly softer and with toned down contrast levels, but these are clearly source limitations (see screencapture #13). Close-ups typically look excellent even when light is restricted. Colors are soft but stable, always looking natural. Compression and encoding are very good, but there are two sequences where some extremely light artifacts are visible. Nevertheless, when projected the film looks wonderful. Lastly, there are no stability issues to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Tagalog DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Tagalog LPCM 2.0. For the record, Chocolate Frog Films/Independent Film Company have provided imposed English (very light yellow) subtitles for the main feature. (The subtitles cannot be turned off from the main menu or via the remote control).
There is an obvious gap in quality between the two lossless tracks. The 5.1 track has a wider range of nuanced dynamics and makes it easier to identify various random sounds and noises. The 5.1 track also serves better the film's terrific ambient soundtrack. The dialog is very crisp and clean, though due to the manner in which the film was shot -- the camera frequently moves in overcrowded areas -- some minor dynamic fluctuations exist when street noise and chatter become prominent. The English translation is excellent.
Sean Ellis' Metro Manila is an unsettling yet deeply poetic film about an honest man determined to help his family survive in a place where life seems incredibly cheap. It is tremendously well directed and performed and it is complimented by a spectacular soundtrack that makes it truly impossible to forget. Kudos to Chocolate Frog Films/Independent Film Company for bringing Metro Manila to Blu-ray. Experiencing the film on any other format would have been a major disappointment. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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