IMDb user comments for
Cavite (2005) More at IMDbPro »

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 4:

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Index

34 reviews in total

---

24 out of 30 people found the following review useful:
Ultimate Independent Film, 15 March 2005

Author: Jenn Brown from Austin, TX

CAVITE is an example of ultimate independent film, with a very short budget, a very simple concept, an exotic locale, a minimal cast, and a hand-held camera.

The story is simple: Adam (Ian Gamazon) is called home to the Phillipines because of a family crisis. Instead of his family picking him up, he finds himself forced to follow instructions of a man claiming to have his family. There's no clear reason for the abduction, or what makes Adam a target; all Adam really knows is that his every move is watched, and the kidnappers have no regard for their victims.

As Adam follows the obscure instructions, and the obstacles in his way, the audience can't help but be caught up in his plight. The hand held camera and jumpy editing style enhances the sense of desperation and time. The scenes of urban Phillipines, particular the markets and the squatter holdings are a vivid cacophony.

Co-directors and Co-writers Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon have done an outstanding job of making the most out of limited means. The economy of the film makes it both intimate and discomfiting, as Adam is an everyman who only wants his family safe and instead is completely at the whim of an omniscient tormentor.

CAVITE is an absolute must for anyone who has an interest in film, as storytelling, in it's structure, and as an art form.

---

11 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
An ordinary guy is trapped in a web of intrigue as he tries to save his mother and sister who have been kidnapped by terrorists., 4 June 2006

Author: puedeba2004 from United States

"Cavite" proves that if the story is good enough, technical excellence is unimportant. Filmed on video with a crew of two, and no budget whatsoever, Cavite is a gripping, roller coaster of a ride. Called to the Philippines, a completely Americanized, young Filipino-American discovers that his mother and sister have been kidnapped. A cellphone planted in his backpack rings and he learns they are held by terrorists and he must follow every direction he is given or they will be killed. Guided by the terrorist's voice on a cellphone, what follows is a tense voyage through the underbelly of Cavite, a city in the Philippines. Although this is at its soul a thriller, by focusing on stark images of third-world poverty, the film cleverly illustrates why terrorist acts have appeal for many. Like all classic thrillers the stakes get higher and higher and the tension grows as the story moves on to its inevitable climax. Although some critics have indicated that they thought the lead actor was lacking in ability I found exactly the opposite -- he is the perfect "everyman," trapped in a situation not of his making. This is great storytelling. I saw this movie twice and recommend it highly.

---

9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Austin Movie Show review -- "original and surprising", 16 July 2006

Author: leilapostgrad from Austin, TX

Adam, a 32-year-old Filipino security guard from San Diego, must fly home to the Philippines after learning that his father is died. He lands at the Manila airport and waits for his mother to pick him up. She never does. He hears a ringing in his bag. It's a mysterious package with a ringing cell phone (think of The Matrix when Morpheus contacts Neo for the first time). Adam picks it up, and for the next hour, an Islamic extremist (who has kidnapped his mother and sister) threatens to kill Adam's family if he doesn't follow every single order he's given. Now that's suspense.

I love that Cavite truly takes you down the streets of the Philippines, where people drink soda from a plastic bag and bet on cockfights (reminds me a lot of Mexico). Everything about this film is original and surprising. The only problems were technical (and hardly worth mentioning). One problem was the discontinuity of the sweaty shirt. Adam wears the same shirt throughout the film, and the shirt is sweatier at some points than at others. The other problem was believing that two cell phones batteries could last an entire day. Adam is constantly on the phone with his family's kidnapper, and he only runs out of battery once? I don't buy it. But I bought everything else.

Equally as original as the plot of Cavite is the story about how this indie film found it's distribution. A U.T. class on advanced film producing promoted Cavite through the 2005 SXSW Film Festival and the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival, and thanks to a deal with Mark Cuban's "Truly Indie" distribution initiative, Cavite is now showing at a theater near you, so check it out.

---

7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
An indie very low budget tour de force, 12 March 2005

Author: jay dlz (hardkoreth@gmail.com) from Austin, Tx

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I just return from watching this movie at SXSW Festival here in Austin and I just gotta say that this is a perfect example of what you can accomplish just by having a good idea and lots of creativity to take it to the next level.

Besides from being filmed entirely in digital video, the camera work (no steady-cam, just primitive hand-held) allows you to experience the whole movie in a way that you almost feel part of it. It's like you're the one controlling the main character.

To summarize the story, I can tell you that Adam (who lives in San Diego) is not having the best time of his life. His girlfriend is breaking up with him while his father dies back home in Philippines. So he go back there but realizes that the situation has been terribly complicated. His mother and sister has been kidnapped so now, Adam is forced to face the reality that he choose to forget: the hard reality of his poverty stricken nation.

Will he risk everything to save the lives of his remaining family? For every fellow aspiring filmmaker, this is the kind of movie that should inspire you to pursue your dream. If you don't find it that great at all, at least you'll feel inspire to go out and start shooting.

---

9 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Terrorism gets personalized when a Filipino émigré must free his kidnapped family by using himself as the ransom!, 12 March 2006

Author: SONNYK_USA from NYC

Whatever superlative film-making skills co-director Ian Gamazon has attained over the years are quickly diminished by his average acting ability portraying 'Adam', the lead role of "Cavite." It also makes one wonder just how shallow the Filipino-American acting pool is in this country.

That said, this story is basically an extension of the Hollywood movie "Phone Booth" where a voice on the telephone forces the person on the other end to capitulate to their demands. Of course, "Cavite" takes it one step further by allowing the caller to be a well-known terrorist who not only has Adam's cellphone number but his victim's mother and sister too (after having already executed the father).

The cellphone also allows the action to travel which is technically more visually interesting than watching Colin Farrell sweat it out in one spot (a la "Phone Booth"). Although the voice on the phone purports to be Muslim terrorist leader, the political thriller elements are muted for the most part with the primary action revolving around the making audience watching Adam saunter his way through the city of Cavite (near Manila) on foot until he reaches the point of no return.

The terrorist's final request is the ultimate decision of the Adam's life: be a suicide bomber for the Abu Sayyaf and complete the mission or listen to the sound of your family being killed over the cellphone.

Of course, it'll cost you the price of admission to find out which choice he opted for, but for those not used to cinema verite this may be a hard film to watch. Almost all of the action is shot from either the Adam's POV (self-held camera) or the POV of the cameraman (also hand-held) gamely following behind him. Not for all tastes, but this low-budgeter shows you don't have to have millions of dollars to create suspense, but a better lead actor would have been worth a fortune.

---

4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Quite the admirable young independent film, 3 May 2007

Author: D A from SoFla, UsA

Intense, and intensely low-budget, this action-suspense experimenter is one of the most effective student-like movies I've seen. Keeping true to their moniker (gorilla productions), rookie film-making team Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon (also the star) show a surprising amount of skill in their hard-edged, guerrilla approach. The fast-paced thriller, also masking as edgy Philippino travelogue, traces the nervous steps Gamazon must undergo after being virtually hijacked by an unknown overseer. Playing out much in the same vein as many popular "momentum flicks" (Crank, Nick of Time etc), here these gifted newcomers instill a realism even they could not have hoped for at times.

Once thrust has been set into motion, Gamazon is shot in an alluring realism amidst the scenic decay of our title city. The technique will be a bit much for many viewers of more stable cinematography, coming across mostly as a Tony Scott with few dollars to spare. At times intrusive and overbearing, somehow the effect manages to end up complimenting this little project splendidly, working better then it should because the perfectly exploited locations and real crowds this amateur crew uses to perfection completely engage the viewer with the breakneck plot as it unfolds.

Not all is well however. We are all willing to suspend our disbelief in favor of embracing a well enough thought out piece of fiction, but the groundwork that makes for this immersed experience is not firm enough to sustain the realism it so graciously offers for the eye. Lead, and pretty much only, character Gamazon is also somewhat disappointing in the self-casting, really never breaking out of a self conscious projection and loosing himself inside the part. His puny presence could perhaps be another reason some would reject the movie, but of course those would be the action purists. Others interested in more experimental fare would do well to check out this little gem of a young team coming with a lot of adventurous film heart; the darkly appropriate political insight, as elementary as it is, becomes that much more affirmative once viewed in direct parallel to the reality of it all, making Cavite more then the frenzied action it showcases.

---

5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Provocative and insightful gem, 6 January 2007

Author: from United States

Cavite, in its simplicity, is a provocative and insightful gem. This movie adeptly presents the complexities of culture and nationalism using parallels and metaphors interwoven in a culture few will encounter. The story's plot is simple enough- an Americanized Filipino American (Adam) whose life is in chaos returns to the Philippines to attend his fathers funeral, but instead, embarks on a horrific rescue mission to get his ransomed mother and sister back from the Abu Sayyaf, an extremist Muslim group. The violent tension in this movie is subtle and below the radar, but keeps the viewer watching. But it is the emotional tension- the play with expectations that breaks from being predictable; the killer who loves love songs, has a reassuring voice; Adam, the victim, is a non-violent Muslim; the grinding poverty and Adam's naivete; the kid who steals for the Abu Sayyaf steals to eat McDonalds. The backdrop of the plot is the forced education of Adam to a culture he has had no connections to. While for many Filipinos, this can be tedious, the depth of the movie begins to beg the question- who are the real hostages, and what will we do to save them.

That the movie has a circular plot- it ends where it begins but with a twist- leaves the viewer forced to contemplate the significance, which can be profound, "dangerous" as some have described, but open to interpretation. This can be troubling to some who want to see movies that require no thought.

Cinematically, the movie is remarkable, low budget or not. The shots are insightful and capture the reality of everyday life in a town greatly affected by poverty. One can almost smell the diesel fumes, the odors in the market and feel the tension of desperation. Because this is the personal story of Adam, a home-video feel to the footage adds to the credibility that this is his story.

Most mainstream thrillers have something in their plot that is implausible, and this one is no exception- the everpresent killer, and that there is a Filipino who doesn't know what balut is.

It is unfortunate the cover and sub-title imply Cavite is a Sylvester Stallone no-brainer which makes me wonder whether the brilliance of this movie was a result of the directors' intention. In any case, this movie is worth viewing for its creative display of a complex subject- but with a caveat- this movie presents a picture that is not characteristic of all life in the Philippines- something few viewers will take into account. This isn't the responsibility of the directors, however. It speaks to the fact that there are too few Filipino filmmakers.

---

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Pleasantly impressed with the film, 22 June 2006

Author: kcabad-1 from SF, United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This film, with a shoestring budget and a few cast members, unexpectedly satisfied my longing for brilliant Filipino film-making. Although, at times the movie was annoying, all the minor slights were forgiven in the end. I can't help but cringe on the voice over that they used for the terrorist and the shaky camera handling which almost induced vertigo among the viewers. Certain parts of the dialogue were unnecessary and were probably added to the film just to trigger shock from the audience. Nevertheless, the movie's sum is definitely greater than its parts. The depiction of the slums, streets and people of the Philippines was very realistic. The scenes were so vivid that the audience would actually feel like being transported to where the shots were taken. Cinematography and editing were fantastic - I like how the same frames, i.e. face of the lead actor, were illustrated from various angles. Very cutting-edge for novice film makers! The plot they tried to tackle was very touchy, but they delivered it in a straight-forward, in your face manner. Overall, this is a film that I would recommend for anyone who enjoys watching Filipino films! Good Job on this one!

---

7 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Could not be better, 10 August 2006

Author: Sokratis Dimitriadis from Washington, DC, United States

Despite my big surprise when I saw that this film got a low IMDb score (only 6/10) I decided to see the film because the preview looked promising. I was not wrong. I found it to be one of the very best of its kind. Fascinating in every aspect. Very well written scenario, real life story, exciting camera, strong acting, very talented direction without anything superfluous, and very real and interesting scenes of the life and people in the Philipinnes. The images will remain in my mind for a long time.

Some reviewers complain about the continuous hand held camera, but although it makes you a little dizzy I think that it has its purpose. It wouldn't be as convincing otherwise.

Some Philipinno reviewers got offended because they consider that the film misrepresents the Philipinnes because it shows the miserable aspect of the country. However, having lived in various third world countries it seems to me that what is portrayed is a very real part of the Philipinnes, Also it does not matter because in a film we should be looking for art rather than for advertising a country.

Other reviewers seem to consider it an amateur/experimental film but I found it to be a very complete film. The directors managed with limited means, not only money but also cinematic, i.e. with one actor, with a minimal plot, etc. managed to make a very full film second by second, image by image, word by word.

Congratulations to the directors, the main actor and the cameraman. I strongly recommend this film to all the non-Hollywood film lovers, and all the Philipinnos.

---

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Better than average for a Filipino movie, 24 December 2008

Author: chrisrobin-1 from United States

Despite being a low budget independent film, this movie is better than 80% of any commercial film made in the Philippines. Not saying much for the state of movie-making in the Philippines. I tried to watch this film knowing that it was an Indie. The whole picture is shot using hand-held video cameras. The product is a jumpy, nausea-inducing thrill ride. I honestly was sea sick halfway thru the movie. But at the same time I had to finish it because the story was actually pretty good. I thought the locations used in the film were very typical of Anytown, Philippines. Many of the comments left here seem to think that it was the film-maker's fault for having slum areas and open garbage dumps. It's funny how every Filipino hates to see these eyesores yet we do nothing about them. Particularly funny was the typical sign "Bawal Tumae Dito" (by order of mayor). We have all seen this sign one time or another, and somehow this is accepted. We need to be told what common sense should have already made known to us. The film has much more substance and direction than your typical Filipino movie, I would love to see more.

---

---

Page 1 of 4:

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Add another review

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Ratings	Awards
External reviews	Official site	Plot keywords
Main details	Your user reviews	Your vote history