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Heneral Luna is knee-deep into his Oscar campaign in the US. The film is currently being screened in various US cities, including Los Angeles, California where it got the attention of the Los Angeles Times.
The paper ran a short but positive review on our favorite movie of the year. Writer Michael Rechtshaffen called Heneral Luna, “a fittingly theatrical portrait of larger-than-life Philippine Revoluntionary Army commander Antonio Luna, portrayed with considerable gusto by John Arcilla.”
Can we say that again? “Portrayed with considerable gusto by John Arcilla.”
While the five-paragraph review is mostly just an introduction to General Antonio Luna, it is keenly peppered with subtle praises such as above.
The review put both director Jerrold Tarog and John Arcilla on the spotlight, first calling Tarog’s approach as “unapologetically mainstream”, and then calling Arcilla’s performance “charistmatic”.
“Heneral Luna would not be mistaken for more serious-minded art-house material, but there are certainly less lively ways to be taught a history lesson,” the LA Times review ends.
Damn right, we say. About time history escapes the doldrums.
Photo: Heneral Luna/Facebook
