‘Graceland’ Review

Release Date: April 26th, 2013 (Limited)
Available on VOD March 28th, 2013
Director: Ron Morales
MPAA Rating: NR
Film Pulse Score: 7.5/10

Graceland is a dark tale of morality and consequence set in the seediest areas of the Philippines where everyone seems to be a least a little bit corrupt.  It’s not an easy film, both in its message and its content, however any story that tackles heavy subjects such as this are not meant to be a breeze. Corrupt politicians, child prostitution, kidnapping, and murder; these are the elements that round out this taut thriller that features some incredibly powerful performances and a captivating story full of twists and suspense.

The film focuses on Marlon (Arnold Reyes), who is the driver for Manuel (Menggie Cobarrubias), a very corrupt politician who has a penchant for underage prostitutes. One day, while transporting he and his boss’s daughters home from school, someone disguised as a police officer hijacks the car and attempts to kidnap the girls.  Now, Marlon must work with the kidnappers in order to get his daughter home safely.

There’s much more to the plot than what’s mentioned above, however this is the type of thriller that’s best served cold.  The less you know, the more you’ll gain from a film like this.  That being said, it’s difficult to discuss specific plot points without giving away some of the great twists this movie has to offer.

Looking at the broad strokes, Graceland does well to make the viewer question the morality of many of the decisions made by the characters. Though it’s nearly impossible to imagine, I found myself wondering what choices I would make if I were in the same position as Marlon.

Though the pace of the film feels brisk and the slightly ambiguous ending felt a little too abrupt, there are many layers to this onion. Each character has his or her own defined set of motives and the tightly woven script does well in fleshing that out.

Visually, Ron Morales succeeds in making us feel as dirty and grimy as the locations in which this film takes place. Dark alleys, garbage dumps, underground child sex brothels, all looking as pleasant as they sound.  It’s not a pretty film, but then again, it isn’t a pretty world these people live in.  Most of the camerawork is done with handhelds, which adds to the overall realism of the film.  Morales also takes an unflinching approach to the shots, not shying away from showing us the truly disturbing side of this story.

Graceland also proves once again that Drafthouse Films has become a force to be reckoned with in the distribution game.  Though most would stay away from buying this film simply due to the grim subject matter, like Bullhead, Drafthouse saw something special and in this movie and I once again tip my hat to them for taking a chance and exposing the world to another great piece of cinema.