Cesar Montano Movies
John Dahl directed this war drama based on the true story of one of the most daring military actions of World War II. In the waning days of World War II, General Douglas MacArthur chose to make good on a pledge that he made in 1942 -- that he would return to the Philippines after he and his troops were forced to retreat. However, MacArthur's determination was more than a matter of pride. Over 500 American soldiers were being held in Cabanatuan, a notoriously brutal prisoner of war camp in the Philippines operated by the Japanese army, and MacArthur wanted to see to it that they made it home. MacArthur chose Lt. Col. Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) to lead the Sixth Ranger Battalion on a mission 30 miles behind enemy lines to infiltrate Cabanatuan and liberate the American prisoners. With the help of Capt. Prince (James Franco), Mucci leads his men on a life-or-death raid against forces known for their savagery. The Great Raid was based on William B. Breuer's book The Great Raid on Cabanatuan: Rescuing the Doomed Ghosts of Bataan and Corregidor, and also stars Joseph Fiennes, Connie Nielsen, and Marton Csokas. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, (more)
A fisherman's wounded spirit begins to give out as he loses his hold on his livelihood in this drama from the Philippines. Fredo (Cesar Montano) is a fisherman who has endured more than his share of hardship in life; his wife and child both perished in a boating accident, and today Fredo approaches each trip to the sea with the angry determination of a man out for revenge. Fredo commands a crew of young people from poor families as he takes his rattletrap ship into the ocean in search of fish that live along the reefs, snaring catch with an illegal netting system. Not all of Fredo's youthful sailors are willing to put up with his abusive arrogance, however, and even his father Dado (Pen Medina) and close friend Botong (Jhong Hilario) have grown weary of Fredo's tirades. Fredo's body is beginning to betray him as well, and as he and his crew damage the sea's reef beds in search of fish, no one is certain how much longer he will be able to continue. Muro-Ami was shot primarily at sea, and is distinguished by its fine photography and vivid portrayal of the fisherman's life. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cesar Montano, Pen Medina, (more)
- 1999
- NR
A three-hour epic on the life and struggles of poet and patriot Jose Rizal, the national hero and martyr of the Philippines, this film was commissioned to mark the 1998 centennial of the country's independence from Spanish colonial rule. Rizal was a remarkably educated man; not only was he a writer, but he was also a painter, sculptor, doctor and surgeon, teacher, natural scientist, economist, engineer and theologian. He was an excellent fencer and marksman; he studied at colleges in Europe, America and Asia, traveled to many different nations and could speak twenty-two languages. He was a champion of his country's independence, a Filipino Gandhi who faced the firing squad at the age of thirty-five for inciting rebellion. He was the instigator of the Philippine revolution of 1896-98, the first national uprising against a colonial power in Asia. He also wrote two books, Noli me tangere and El Filibusterismo, which sought to increase his people's political awareness. Director Marilou Diaz-Abaya deliberately avoids a historical lesson. The Rizal of her story Cesar Montano is thinking back on his life and writings from his prison cell in the fortress of Santiago; the characters that appear are a blend of the real people, friends and enemies as well as those he created in his books. The script is solid, with a contribution by Diaz-Abaya's long time collaborator, Ricky Lee; the soft tones of the cinematography helps to create an atmosphere of magic appropriate to the story of a legendary hero, and the acting by Cesar Montano is quite remarkable. Jose Rizal was screened as part of the Panorama section of the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cesar Montano, Joel Torre, (more)
