Ronnie Lazaro Movies

Celebrated writer and director John Sayles uses America's occupation of the Philippines at the dawn of the 20th century as an analogy for several more recent political and military blunders in this period drama. It's 1900, and Rafael (Joel Torre) is the leader of a village in the Philippine countryside. Rafael is well respected by the locals for his sense of decency and fair play, and as the United States military takes control of the islands, Lt. Compton (Garret Dillahunt) is eager to work with him in an effort to win over the people. However, since Rafael and Compton don't share a common language, they must use Padre Hidalgo (Yul Vázquez), a local preacher who doesn't trust the American colonizers, as an interpreter, while Compton's commander, Col. Hardacre (Chris Cooper), is openly contemptuous of the Filipinos. Meanwhile, as Rafael tries to maintain a fragile peace for his people, his brother Simon (Ronnie Lazaro) has organized a band of rebels determined to protect their homeland and drive the Americans out, and Rafael finds his loyalties sorely tested. Amigo received its world premiere at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Lav Diaz's nine-hour drama Heremias stars Ronnie Lazaro as the title character. He is a traveling craftsman who, early in the film, decides to separate from the group of fellow merchants with whom he has been traveling. During his time alone, a vicious hurricane leaves him without his ox or any of his goods. As he wanders, he learns a great deal about the various people he meets upon his travels. He eventually sees a group of drug-fueled teenagers plan to rape a young woman. Although he attempts to tell several people about the plan, nobody listens. He eventually reaches an agreement with God that if he goes 40 days without food, the girl will not be harmed. Heremias is the first half of a two-part story. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Ritualistic rapes and pagan sacrifices are at the center of this melodramatic Filipino film, directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna. Thanks to an El Nino-inspired drought, a remote village's crop withers and dies. Villagers fear the re-emergence of a long-quiescent death cult that demands the oblation of young maidens. When newly-arrived priest Father Joey (Tonton Gutierrez) notices a marked decrease in his congregation, everyone fears the worst. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Blood, sweat, and betrayal in the South East Asian jungles is what drives this action thriller about sleazy Canadian diplomat Carl Pimmler (Michael Ironside), who sends Peter Kernan (Matt Salinger) and his wife Johanna (Sam Jenkins) into deepest, darkest Cambodia to deliver "medicine." When the two realize the true nature of the items they are toting, they struggle to flee for their lives. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

This poorly received sequel to the classic 1957 movie The Bridge over the River Kwai, is also based on a true story, as told in the book by Joan & Clay Blair, Jr. This story begins where the previous one left off, with the blowing up of the marvelous bridge. Here, the Australian POWs are rounded up to be shipped by rail and sea to Japan to serve as slave laborers. They have many harrowing experiences and near-escapes. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In a fast action drama about vigilante justice, good-looking Bobby (Rudy Fernandez) is out to take matters into his own hands ever since his policeman father was killed by gangsters. Lucky for Bobby, he works at a gunsmith's and has developed a super-gun that gives him an edge against his enemies -- and those enemies are expanding to the police as well. Gun-toting, lead-slinging, bullet-happy Bobby shows no mercy as he goes after a gang lord and his henchmen. Firing him up to ballistic heights is the fact that his girlfriend was murdered by these same men. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this flawed and overly long film, an aristocratic Spanish family caught in the throes of World War II in the Philippines has to make an escape into the jungle to survive the invading Japanese. Their members include the grandfather, several women, many servants, and two young men. One of the mothers in the group is snobby about herself and her money and passes this attitude on to her daughter. Another woman and one young man demonstrate exceptional bravery, and even the young man's new girlfriend shows spunk. But in the end, it will be lucky if the family can survive their own internal conflicts, let alone the four years they must hide out during World War II. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi