Magnifico (2003)

A different way of telling a story

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

This title can best be described as a '' Pay it forward '' on the Philipines. Without the glitter and the glamor of a Hollywood flick, it tells the heartwarming story of a young boy from a poor family, trying to arrange the burial for his grandmother. Of course he teaches the so called adults around him that they have to break their lethargy around certain choices to get further in life.I had to get used to the simplistic way of filming. It felt a bit cheap, comparing to most of the similar films made in the U.S. But as the story evolved, I also started to like this simplicity because of the authentic view it gives us of poverty in the Philipines. It never felt artificial, as most of the American movies with similar themes usually do. Its characters are humans of flesh and blood, and although their acting is stiff and sometimes uncharismatic, they feel natural. But still, at the end I felt a bit hollow. This usually happens when I liked a movie but when there is some aspect that doesn't really fulfill my expectations. The ending is cheesy, predictable and far from original. It doesn't surpass the level of those cheap '' based on true stories ''- movies or anything inspired by the books of Danielle Steel. And to add more criticism; the soundtrack is incredible awful.My conclusion: At the end it's not that great, but that doesn't mean that I couldn't like this cute story. Especially the scene in which our little hero measures up the size of his grandmother is truly heartwarming. This is for the sensitive moviegoers, cynics shouldn't even bother to try it!

This movie "Magnifico" is one of the most extraordinary films of all-time and it's worth watching in a lifetime! There maybe a lot of sad stuff on this film, but hey: film is set to poverty.Jiro Manio's character (as Magnifico) is one of the amazing characters on this film even though his character is the lead of this film. It has shown that his character has been responsible for his family and care, and it has made the audiences surprised. I'd say, Jiro Manio - Even though his a kid, he has played a very tough roll on this film but he act very awesome and his took parts very well.This movie can be really sad to watch but this shows the life of people in poverty and what's the people like in the province in the Philippines. There are no negatives about this film, and there are no conflicts etc. This is the only drama movie that was made as the best and the extraordinary film that was made in the Philippines. This movie has also been the best picture in other Film Festivals as well.I'd say, this movie is a 10/10 even though it's a really sad film to watch. But this is something to watch and this is something that no one has seen the best that was created in the Philippines.

This film was shown here in London during the Foreign film exhibition together with other remarkable Filipino films like Imelda, American Adobo...etc....the venue was a bit small( Riverside Cinema)thou the number of Filipinos base in London is quite large now but still of many reasons, Non Filipino viewers are more than our "Kababayans", i cant say that Filipinos are not movie goers cos it's not true. Maybe because most of them here are westernised now, so they prefer to watch English spoken films.....well thats a sign that they are so easy to adapt(positive outlook in life). The ticket is very reasonable and if you will rent a pirated DVD from Filipino supermarket they charge more and very bad reception. It was well advertised too that so many fliers and leaflets were given away in all Filipino shops, remittance office, Filipino beauty saloons and anywhere as long as there is Filipino......But why so limited of Filipino watched it????? It is because most of them(Filipino) has no culture and cant appreciate the real art.... its a shame and sad to admit but its true. where is the nationalistic campaign of us before that goes this way???....TANGKILIKIN ANG SARILING ATIN.....We need more films like this to uplift our country and people in the world map.

A Filipino cinematic gem that went largely unnoticed during its commercial run. Thankfully, it got the acclaim it truly deserves when it won both the grand prix and children's jury prize -- a feat never before achieved -- in the 2004 Berlin Film Festival.A Palanca-winning story, masterful directing and great acting from just about everyone in the cast, but most specially child actors Jiro Manio, Isabella de Leon and the boy who played Manio's best friend, combine for a viewing experience you will remember long after the credits roll. Poverty and death do not beg for sympathy and tears in this movie, but they are likely to fall just the same.Could be veteran (though nonetheless underrated) director Maryo J. delos Reyes' most heartwarming, uplifting film.