1. BECAUSE it’s been a long time since we last saw a mix of action and political drama on the same screen. 10,000 Hours is a great break from the rom-coms, slapstick comedies, and franchise stories submitted to the Metro Manila Film Festivals each year.
2. BECAUSE despite being fast-paced, the movie’s plot is easy to follow. You may already know why Robin Padilla is running his ass off throughout the whole film, but you’ll still keep on guessing where he’d end up.
3. BECAUSE Bela Padilla went behind the camera and wrote parts of the film. People may know her as a starlet who shares a striking resemblance to Bea Alonzo, but Bela Padilla can do more than just act — in fact, she is one of the four bright minds who completed the story the film is based on.
4. BECAUSE you can just feel the struggle of the Philippine society with each and every shot. The scenes taken in the streets of Quiapo may showcase the poverty in the country, but they also show that it pays a lot to live a decent life. At the same time, the film feeds its audiences with previews of how corruption sets people apart, with the leaders they look up turning into predators who are killing their constituents bit by bit, day by day.
5. BECAUSE it’s nice to watch Pen Medina fighting off the bitter cold of Amsterdam. The versatile actor was named Best Supporting Actor for his role. If you watch his scenes closely, you can see Pen shiver either while walking with a limp or bickering with Robin Padilla, all the more making his character portrayal authentic.
6. BECAUSE the film doesn’t look like a patchwork of historical anecdotes that took place during the past three decades. While it explicitly stresses that it is only inspired by true events (particularly that of Ping Lacson going AWOL a few years ago), you cannot immediately say that the movie is a work of fiction. It just feels so real, from beginning to end. And yes, you can factor in the movie’s open ending: where is the Philippines bound for, with this kind of system? Just the same, all you can imagine is a dark future, i.e. fade to black.
7. BECAUSE it is very rare to see Bibeth Orteza in Botox. To those who know Bibeth, we are all used to her being a funny lady (who can miss out on her exaggerated Bisaya accent?). But in 10,000 Hours, Bibeth plays the role of the President of the Philippines, with the sharp look and tone-downed voice, and a no-nonsense persona. Seriously, she acts more statesmanly than other presidents we know.
8. BECAUSE the film hired actors, not stars. Okay, fine, Robin Padilla is a star, but the rest of the cast are actors, including the new faces who took on the roles of his children, the president’s top generals, the prison inmates, and even the hunkylicious Antonio Aquitania! Well, Ketchup Eusebio’s ice breaking chops may be a little out of place, but he did succeed in making us smile.
9. BECAUSE it is directed by Bb. Joyce Bernal. The gripping tale of Philippine politics boxed into a movie frame, with matching crude cinematography that matches the standards of Hollywood. Who could’ve guessed that it was made by the same woman behind the likes of Rufa Mae Quinto’s Booba or Eugene Domingo’s Kimmy Dora? In 10,000 Hours, Bb. Joyce just proved that female directors of her calibre have a place in this industry dominated by biological males.
10. BECAUSE Robin Padilla exceeded everyone’s expectations. From being the celebrated bad boy of the ‘90s to that of an occasional action star of the 2000s, Robin has finally matured. We no longer associate him with the rugged torn jeans, muscle shirts, the signature pose and facial expressions, or the name he usually bears in his previous flicks. In 10,000 Hours, Robin Padilla became the Robin Padilla, a full-fledged actor whose name we will never forget.
