Yhe biggest thing that people will remember "10,000 Hours" is probably its ambitious nature. Never did a local film feel so foreign in scope, foreign in scale and even foreign in look. If looked upon in a local scope, it truly is a different breed on its own. Unfortunately, while the film's Hollywood feel (and probable big budget) does not hide its inherent flaws. Flaws that are deeply rooted in its narrative and flaws that are deeply ingrained in local cinema that holds back its sheer potential.
Gabriel Molino Alcaraz (Robin Padilla) is one of the most well-respected senators in the country. He abides in the rule that the law is the law and should be followed and enforced to have an honest society. In fact, he is on his way to deliver a privileged speech that will show the deep corruption in the highest levels of government. On his way to the Senate, Alcaraz discovers that he is being charged for the murder of a group on one of his early operations decades ago. Instead of facing the murder accusation head on locally, Alcaraz decides to hide and to flee to Amsterdam and hopefully find a way to defend his rights in a fair manner.
There's no doubt that "10,000 Hours" will easily impress. The cinematography alone is astounding and the biggest selling point for the film. The film does not only feature a foreign setting for the most part of the film, it actually looks like and even feels like a foreign film. Luckily, the acting is as good as the cinematography mostly. Robin Padilla as the lead is great overall and the action sequences in particular is definitely his forte. Surprisingly, we found Micheal de Mesa as the best performer for the film. We could feel with his character as he tries to weave his way through both sides of the coin. The supporting cast was so-so at best. Most if not all needed to do better to be convincing. The biggest flaw for "10,000 Hours" though is its narrative. The story in itself, while blatantly advertised as fictionalized, is still unbelievable at times. Worse, it was hard to understand as the film had the tendency to browse through characters in a very swift manner. Although we did like the film's decision to show how Alcaraz's family sufferings while he was away - a viewpoint which we did not expect and one that adds much depth to the film. "10,000 Hours" may not shatter into the greats with a mediocre narrative in tow but hopefully, this is a start to something bigger, something daring for local films.
Rating: 3 and a half reels
Why you should watch it:
- the cinematography alone is worth the ticket price
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the film's narrative is a confusing and a muddled mess
Yhe biggest thing that people will remember "10,000 Hours" is probably its ambitious nature. Never did a local film feel so foreign in scope, foreign in scale and even foreign in look. If looked upon in a local scope, it truly is a different breed on its own. Unfortunately, while the film's Hollywood feel (and probable big budget) does not hide its inherent flaws. Flaws that are deeply rooted in its narrative and flaws that are deeply ingrained in local cinema that holds back its sheer potential.
Gabriel Molino Alcaraz (Robin Padilla) is one of the most well-respected senators in the country. He abides in the rule that the law is the law and should be followed and enforced to have an honest society. In fact, he is on his way to deliver a privileged speech that will show the deep corruption in the highest levels of government. On his way to the Senate, Alcaraz discovers that he is being charged for the murder of a group on one of his early operations decades ago. Instead of facing the murder accusation head on locally, Alcaraz decides to hide and to flee to Amsterdam and hopefully find a way to defend his rights in a fair manner.
There's no doubt that "10,000 Hours" will easily impress. The cinematography alone is astounding and the biggest selling point for the film. The film does not only feature a foreign setting for the most part of the film, it actually looks like and even feels like a foreign film. Luckily, the acting is as good as the cinematography mostly. Robin Padilla as the lead is great overall and the action sequences in particular is definitely his forte. Surprisingly, we found Micheal de Mesa as the best performer for the film. We could feel with his character as he tries to weave his way through both sides of the coin. The supporting cast was so-so at best. Most if not all needed to do better to be convincing. The biggest flaw for "10,000 Hours" though is its narrative. The story in itself, while blatantly advertised as fictionalized, is still unbelievable at times. Worse, it was hard to understand as the film had the tendency to browse through characters in a very swift manner. Although we did like the film's decision to show how Alcaraz's family sufferings while he was away - a viewpoint which we did not expect and one that adds much depth to the film. "10,000 Hours" may not shatter into the greats with a mediocre narrative in tow but hopefully, this is a start to something bigger, something daring for local films.
Rating: 3 and a half reels
Why you should watch it:
- the cinematography alone is worth the ticket price
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the film's narrative is a confusing and a muddled mess
Image Source: Interaksyon
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