There has in recent weeks been a useful lesson in the lengths to which sporting administrators will go to keep a sporting competition going in the face of COVID headwinds, provided that competition is an essential part of the contracted program of content. His “cap ceremony”, handing out the Stars insignia to the debutants – Rogers, Wakim, Avendano and Crone – was a moment of significance, also more than a little mirth. Maxwell, proudly a representative of Fitzroy Doncaster whenever he gets the chance, admitted to meeting several of his teammates for the first time in the Junction Oval nets. On Sunday, as COVID-19 continued to play havoc with summer, that’s more or less exactly what was required to get a Melbourne Stars XI onto the field to play the Perth Scorchers.Ĭrone (0-16 from two overs), Rogers (32 from 25 balls), Wakim (20 from 24 balls) and Avendano (6 from 5 balls) all gave it their best shot in the circumstances.īut as it turned out, all the batters were dismissed by international standard opponents – England’s Tymal Mills, Jason Behrendorff and Agar as the Stars (130 in 18.5 overs) fell well short of Perth’s 8-180.Īt least (and you could probably have heard the relieved sighs of broadcasters from the moon) the Stars were still captained by Glenn Maxwell, arguably the biggest name in the BBL itself. Avendano’s last hit, a sprightly century at North Sydney Oval, did not necessarily prepare him for the wiles of Australia’s T20 spin bowler Ashton Agar.Įver since the men’s Big Bash League expanded Australian cricket’s footprint from six state teams to eight city-based clubs, the competition has weathered occasional flak about dipping too deeply into the ranks of grade cricketers. Loreños (“Alagwa”) demonstrates his knack for building suspense and a sense of desperation.Įven Siege Ledesma’s “Shift,” about the “relationship” forged between boyish Estela (Yeng Constantino) and her gay friend, Trevor (Dominic Roco), and Keith Sicat’s convoluted “Woman of the Ruins,” about mysterious Maria (Alessandra de Rossi) who reappears on an island seven years after she inexplicably vanishes, have their charms.But it was something more of a hike for Wakim (Lindisfarne and Tasmania) and Justin Avendano (North Sydney) to make their way into the Stars’ camp. In Ian Lorenos’ profanity-ridden “Saturday Night Chills,” happy-go-lucky bosom buddies, Mark (Rayver Cruz), Jeff (Joseph Marco) and John (Matteo Guidicelli), belatedly discover that the risks are bigger than the losses when they decide to make a quick buck via gambling and odds-betting. It breaks the triteness and predictability of mainstream storytelling, but does so without alienating viewers. Mes de Guzman’s terrifying but flawed “Sitio” puts a disjointed spin on Michael Haneke’s “Funny Games,” about Jonas (John Prats) and his sisters who find themselves being held hostage by their ancestral farm’s caretakers!īy channeling Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Jet Leyco’s four-act “Bukas Na Lang Sapagkat Gabi Na” is a must-see, because it astutely dramatizes the terrifying and discombobulating horrors of organized religion and militarization. But, the film’s biggest draw is Vivian Velez’s subtle, egoless characterization as a candle vendor in Quiapo-who sells illegal abortifacient pills on the side. Like 2009’s “Bakal Boys,” Ralston Jover’s “Bendor” effectively mirrors the desperation of its poverty-stricken protagonists.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |