Graceland
Synopsis: In this unpredictable and tightly-paced thriller, family man Marlon Villar—a longtime chauffeur to corrupt Filipino politician Manuel Chango—is faced with an unthinkable predicament when he gets ambushed while driving both his boss’s twelve year-old girl and his own daughter home from school one afternoon. In the chaos of the kidnapping attempt, things go horribly awry and Marlon’s daughter is taken and held for ransom instead. Desperate to save his daughter, Marlon must navigate the conflicting motives between the ruthless kidnappers, untrustworthy Chango and determined detectives eager to name him a suspect without letting on the wrong girl was taken hostage. As events progress wildly unaccording to plan, Marlon, Chango and their families are forced into a rapid downward spiral of deceit and betrayal that will leave no one innocent.
Genre
Rated
Language
Run Time
Subtitles
Starring
Menggie Cobarrubias (Mr. Manuel Changho)
Dido De La Paz (Detective Ramos)
Leon Miguel (Visel)
Ella Guevara (Elvie Villar)
Marife Necesito (Mrs. Marcy Changho)
Patricia Ona Gayod (Sophia Changho)
Yam Wilson (ChiChi)
Angeli Bayani (Lina Villar)
Archie Adamos (JoeJoe)
Directed by
Written by
Produced by
Sam Rider
Edited by
Ron Morales
Jorge Olortegui
Composer
Steven Schoenberg
Production Designer
Cinematographer
Awards
San Diego Asian Film Festival - USA - 2012
Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature
Gasparilla International Film Festival - USA - 2013
Audience Award - World Showcase (Ron Morales)
Nominations
Tribecca Film Festival - 2012
2nd Place: Audience Award
Official selection
Official Selection: Fantasia Film Festival - 2012
Official Selection: Fantastic Fest - 2012
Quotes
Graceland ... has a ruthlessness rarely attempted by its North American counterparts. - Adam Nayman, Globe and Mail
A potent combo of hostage thriller and high-impact morality play. - Richard Kuipers, Variety
A tense, twisty cinematic artichoke brimming with moral complexity and intriguing shades of gray. - Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times
The social and economic pitfalls facing the vast urban underclass of Manila's sprawling metropolitan area are depicted with unflinching regard in Ron Morales' observant low-budget Filipino feature, a blend of ruthless crime drama and grim thriller. - Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter
A nerve-shredding Philippines-set thriller made with such skill that its low budget barely registers. - Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post
Press
Rotten Tomatoes - 84% Liked - [Rotten Tomatoes]
