Kinatay (The Execution of P)

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Kinatay (The Execution of P)

Directed by	Brillante "Dante" Mendoza
Written by	Armando Lao
Starring	Coco Martin Mercedes Cabral John Regala Julio Diaz Jhong Hilario Lauren Novero Maria Isabel Lopez
Music by	Teresa Barrozo
Cinematography	Odyssey Flores
Editing by	Kats Serraon
Release date(s)	2009
Country	Philippines
Language	English Tagalog Filipino
IMDb profile

Kinatay (The Execution of P) (Butchered) is a Filipino independent film directed by Brillante "Dante" Mendoza and written by Armando "Bing" Lao. The film premiered at the 62nd Cannes International Film Festival on 13 to 24 May 2009, as a finalist for the Best Film (Palme d'Or) and Best Director categories. It is the second of Mendoza's films to make it to Cannes, the first one having been Serbis in 2008.

1 Plot and narrative
2 Cast
3 Reviews
4 Awards
5 References
6 External links
7 Citation

[edit] Plot and narrative

The story revolves around a young criminology graduate who wants to earn money so he can marry his girlfriend. Someone invites him to try a job that will earn him $2,000. The young man decides to accept, before he realizes that the job involves killing a woman and chopping her to pieces.

Originally, the movie was to be titled "Chop-Chop." Mendoza has said of the film that "The narrative perspective is sociological. It reinforces the power of the super structure, albeit the structure is operating on the other side of the law. Characterization is behavioral and spontaneous. The characters react instinctively and in real time."

[edit] Cast

Mercedes Cabral - Cecille
Julio Diaz - Kap
Maria Isabel Lopez - Madonna
Coco Martin - Peping
Lauren Novero - Boy Chico
John Regala - Sarge

[edit] Reviews

"Kinatay, screening in Competition, infinitely darker [than 'Serbis'] but an equally strong depiction of modern-day life in the former American colony that some are comparing to Gasper Noé's 'Irréversible.' Frankly, most people will find Kinatay (it means 'butchered') either unremittingly tedious, harrowing or vile. Possibly all three. Mendoza is no gore-hound. He's more serious than Noé. This is a fiercely moral and horribly unforgettable denunciation of societal corruption." -- Kinatay at Cannes 2009, review by Sukhdev Sandhu

"There are few prospects more alarming than a director seized by an Idea. I don't mean an idea for a film, a story, a theme, a tone, any of those ideas. I'm thinking of a director whose Idea takes control of his film and pounds it into the ground and leaves the audience alienated and resentful... Here is a film that forces me to apologize to Vincent Gallo for calling "The Brown Bunny" the worst film in the history of the Cannes Film Festival." -- What were they thinking of? by Roger Ebert

"Kinatay (which means “butchered” in Tagalog) is a nerve-shredding exploration of crime which is both repellent and grimly compelling. Offering audiences no relief or redemption, it is perhaps most notable for its daring in attempting to capture the moment a young man crosses the line into irrevocable evil." -- Kinatay by Mike Goodridge

"Unlike such other Mendoza works as "Foster Child" or "Serbis," which capture with warmth or exotic social phenomena distinctive to the Philippines, "Kinatay's" sketchy slice of crime world nastiness can be found anywhere. This makes it a hard sell even to art houses, as their target audience often looks for stronger cultural flavor." -- Film Review: Kinatay by Maggie Lee

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[edit] Awards

62nd Cannes Film Festival (2009)
- Best Film (Palme d'Or) (nominated)
- Best Director (winner)
Sitges International Film Festival (2009)
- Best Director (winner)
- Best Original Soundtrack (winner)