Despite being a low budget independent film, this movie is better than 80% of any commercial film made in the Philippines. Not saying much for the state of movie-making in the Philippines. I tried to watch this film knowing that it was an Indie. The whole picture is shot using hand-held video cameras. The product is a jumpy, nausea-inducing thrill ride. I honestly was sea sick halfway thru the movie. But at the same time I had to finish it because the story was actually pretty good. I thought the locations used in the film were very typical of Anytown, Philippines. Many of the comments left here seem to think that it was the film-maker's fault for having slum areas and open garbage dumps. It's funny how every Filipino hates to see these eyesores yet we do nothing about them. Particularly funny was the typical sign "Bawal Tumae Dito" (by order of mayor). We have all seen this sign one time or another, and somehow this is accepted. We need to be told what common sense should have already made known to us. The film has much more substance and direction than your typical Filipino movie, I would love to see more.

This is not a film for those who think movies should be completely literal. This is not a film for those who want to be told what to think. This is not a film for those who want a nice neat ending resolving all the issues of the world. It is a film for those who seek out truth and are willing to face it regardless of what it may be.This is a journey into the mind of a terrorist. It's a chance to ask yourself, "How would I act were I forced to live in that world?" I can imagine this movie will get many violent responses in the negative as it forces you to look in the mirror. The movie is not meant to represent Manilla per se, but all places of unbearable poverty and the harsh attitudes such cruel reality breeds. The goal of this movie is to make you think and in that it works wonderfully and brilliantly, changing your perspective and leaving you with questions you never knew needed to be answered.The closest film I can think of to this one is "Men with guns", another piece of brilliant film-making that paints a point of view. Commentary films will never have mass appeal but there is a fine meal to devour here if you have an appetite for the truth.

While the entire movie was o.k. the major premise of the need to use bomber whose family have no interests in the bombing or terrorist act is an overkill. The whole charade can be simplified, if the terrorist take the money from him after closing the bank account. What the terrorist should do is just simply place the bombs themselves. I don't see any complexity in that do you? Because the plausibility of the whole movie is in question, it throws into question that the movie is somewhat contrived. Another movie of Paradise Now is much more straightforward and simple as well as low budget and was much better done.

Here's my mini review. the film's not bad. it's well edited and shot. But I feel the movie's trying a little to hard to be a video tour guide on the Philippines' slum areas and show non-Filipinos up close what poverty is like there. I'm not impressed with the story either. I've never felt Adam's life was in danger, and the voice on the phone was a joke (he sounds a little gay, IMO).I don't think "Cavite" is a hotbed for Abu Sayyaf terrorist activity. and most of the kidnappings in Luzon are done by corrupt military and police officers, not Muslim Fanatics. The Philippines is 90% Catholic IIRC. But I guess it would be much more dangerous for Gamazon to film it in Basilan, therefore Cavite, since most foreigners can't tell the difference anyways.How was it possible for Tariq (the phone caller), to follow Adam wherever he goes (from squatter areas to open fields to little alleys) without being seen? Is he god or something? - The unseen caller is always lecturing and preaching. The caller ordered Adam to eat a "balut", drink soda from a plastic bag, and go to a cockfighting event so that Adam can "experience" the Filipino culture and reality... Blah blah blah...somebody said the movie's about how poverty will make Filipinos become suicide bombers or terrorists. But I think that's wrong. The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country with only a 5% Muslim population. Most Filipinos are poor Catholics, but you don't see them becoming suicide bombers, no? And Osama bin laden and the 19 9/11 hijackers are not exactly poor people.