Reviews

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  ★★★★★ review by Leo Migraso on Letterboxd

  Definitely one of my favorite Filipino films. Well crafted. Well performed.

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  ★★★½ review by PUNQ on Letterboxd

  Jaclyn Jose won the award for Best Actress at Cannes for this, simply for acting filipino. This is reality to the core! A great Brillante Mendoza showcase of the not-so-subtle corruption that the Philippines' poor are faced with. Felt just like being in the squatters. You could almost smell it, that's how real it was.

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  ★★★★½ review by dph on Letterboxd

  The sociology of desperation. Fits rightfully among Mendoza's poverty gems. Reminiscent of Kinatay's best (nocturnal, violent) scenes and Foster Child's great (maternal) moments (Jaclyn Jose's deserved Cannes Best Actress plum). 3rd world Michael Mann, on meth. A-

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  ★★★★ review by John Raymond Celajes on Letterboxd

  Ma' Rosa showcases a raw, gritty and unflinching glimpse into the everyday lives of the poor and the horrible situations they face in the hands of the corrupt police amidst the Philippines' current economic and political climate. The fantastic performances of Jaclyn Jose and the rest of the cast make up for the framing and editing problems here and there. The acting is so authentic that it feels like watching real people in a documentary rather than actors in a feature film.

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  ★★★★½ review by Keflik Wu on Letterboxd

  菲律賓的現況真的非常糟糕，大嬸的最後一場戲實在揪心...
  
  得了坎城影后的菲律賓大嬸又是另一個不忍逼視的真實。毒品問題深植菲律賓的底層社會，腐敗的警察與官僚讓這些問題更加混亂。大嬸開雜貨店養不起一家六口，兼職賣點毒品好像是大家的共識，警察逮了你卻帶你繞進警局的秘密後台，私吞販毒的錢再獅子大開口勒索你，孩子為了把媽媽爸爸救出來要去賣電視、賣身、賣尊嚴。
  
  最後一場戲，大嬸好不容易當掉女兒的手機籌到最後一筆錢，多要了幾個零錢拿去買了一串炸丸子，汗水、淚水、炸丸子一口一口吞下去，看著對街平和的一家四口，是不是背後也有什麼說不出的故事？吃完團子、有了力氣還要回去把丈夫跟孩子贖出來。
  
  就像導演曼多薩說的，這是菲律賓首都的尋常風景。還好這部片不是拍現在這個總統的，要不然大嬸可能早就被打死了。喔～可能也不一定，打死警察就沒油水可撈了。

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