Quezon's Game

Last updated

Quezon's Game
Quezon's Game.jpg
Directed byMatthew Rosen
Written by
  • Janice Y. Perez
  • Dean Rosen
Produced by
Starring Raymond Bagatsing
Music byDean Rosen
Production
companies
Distributed by Star Cinema
Release dates
  • 16 December 2018 (2018-12-16)(Canada)
  • 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)(Philippines)
Running time
125 minutes
CountryPhilippines
Languages
  • Filipino
  • English
  • Spanish
Budget₱25 million
($500 thousand)

Quezon's Game is a 2018 Philippine biographical drama film directed by Matthew Rosen. The film centers on Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon and his plan to shelter German and Austrian Jews in the Philippines who were fleeing Nazi Germany during the pre-World War II era.

Contents

Premise

In 1938, Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon, military adviser Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with other notable figures, set out to rescue Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. Quezon simultaneously deals with a relapse of tuberculosis. [1] [2]

Plot

The film begins at a cure cottage in Saranac Lake, New York, with Manuel and Aurora Quezon watching a newsreel of General MacArthur arriving at Leyte, the liberation of Europe, and discoveries of the Holocaust. After the reel ends, Quezon asks, "Could I have done more?"

Back in 1938 Manila, Jewish-American businessman Alex Frieder receives a confidential telegram from a Chinese consulate in Vienna about the Holocaust. On the same day, Consul-General Jonathan Cartwright reports the arrival of the new chief of security of the German Embassy, Lt. Ebner, to High Commissioner to the Philippines Paul McNutt. He expresses concerns that Lt. Ebner, who is an SS officer, is a spy. McNutt dismisses his suspicions, arguing that the United States has a Nazi party and a spy would arrive in plain clothes.Frieder, McNutt, and Colonel Eisenhower arrive at a party where Manuel Quezon announces his project for the new Philippine capital, Balintawak. Alex Frieder privately informs them of the telegram he received and asks for help in bringing refugees to the Philippines. Quezon agrees but can only wait for approval from US Congress for additional exit visas. Meanwhile, the party singer Vera flirts with Quezon during the party, which results in a confrontation between Manuel and Aurora after the party. Lt. Ebner arrives at the office of German Ambassador Kaiser that same night. Ebner demands that the embassy fly the Nazi flag and warns of the Kristallnacht.

In November 1938, a newsreel reports that the Kristallnacht has begun and MS St. Louis is returning to Germany. McNutt asks Cartwright about the remaining immigration visas, which Cartwright answers to be around 200.Alex discusses the plan with Quezon, Eisenhower, and McNutt. McNutt informs the group of the number of remaining visas, which requires Quezon to convince the State Department for an additional 2,000 visas, a request that would be challenged by antisemitic officials. Alex places an advertisement in German newspapers that invite professionals who would work in Quezon's planned city. Eisenhower requests General MacArthur for any person to assist Quezon's plan. The general strongly disagrees, as he sees the Japanese invasion imminent in the Philippines.While McNutt works with Quezon reports to be sent to President Roosevelt, Cartwright enters their meeting, and expresses strong objection to Quezon's plan, as he states that the Jewish refugees would be a threat to national security. Later, Aurora discovers Manuel's condition through a blood-stained handkerchief. McNutt receives 10,000 names, but the group finds it difficult to approve all refugees without raising suspicion. Quezon suggests bribing Kaiser for additional visas in a meeting outside the embassy. In a presidential ball, Kaiser refuses the bribe but agrees to grant the exit papers. Lt. Ebner overhears their conversation, and allows the plan to move Jewish refugees to the Philippines.

McNutt disappointedly reports to the group that the US Congress has rejected the request for additional visas, and that they only have 210 visas remaining. Alex Frieder is angered by their plan's failure. Afterward, they proceed to list out the names to be excluded with remorse. On the next day, Quezon receives a call that the Secretary of State denied all visas and breaks down in his office. His relapse of tuberculosis worsens, but he continues his work as President despite advice not to do so.

Manuel Quezon delivers a press conference on racial injustice and border control in the Philippines. This causes protests in Manila against the US Congress' rejection of the visas for the refugees. The 210 visas and an additional 1,000 visas were eventually approved. The Jewish refugees all arrive one night in Marikina and are welcomed by the Quezon family, McNutt, and Alex Frieder. The film returns to 1944 with Manuel's question to Aurora. She repsonds that he has taken action at a time of apathy, and that his act will not be forgotten by every Filipino.

The epilogue reveals that over 1,200 Jewish refugees have been saved, although efforts to continue the operation halted during the Japanese invasion, and the futures of the Quezon family, Eisenhower, McNutt, and Alex Frieder's siblings and business. The credits roll features testimonies of the surviving refugees.

Cast

Production

Quezon's Game is a joint venture production of Star Cinema, iWant, [3] and Kinetek. [4] The film, which had a production budget of US$ 500,000, was directed by British-Jewish filmmaker Matthew Rosen. [2] [5] Production was finished by October 15, 2018. [2] Rosen spent three months on casting for the film alone. [5] The production staff initially could not find an actor to play as Manuel Quezon, but Lorena Rosen, while watching Pusong Ligaw, found its main cast member Raymond Bagatsing suitable for the role. [6] The film was primarily shot in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, a beach resort in Bataan. [7]

Lorena and Matthew Rosen were responsible for the film's original story idea while Janice Y. Perez and Dean Rosen wrote the screenplay. The film was produced to tell a relatively unknown account of President Manuel L. Quezon rescuing Jewish refugees from the Holocaust and temporarily providing them shelter in the Philippines. One of the challenges the writers dealt during the research phase for Quezon's Game phase was the lack of Filipino historical manuscripts that tackle the historical account. Thus, they referred to theses and dissertations made by Americans and corresponded with the descendants of Alex and Herbert Frieder, who played a major role in Quezon's plan. [8]

Matthew Rosen, a British-born Jewish immigrant who moved to the Philippines in the 1980s, became aware of President Quezon's plan after he learned that his Filipino wife and local children in Manila knew the lyrics to the Jewish folk song "Hava Nagila", while not being aware of its Jewish origin. Rosen started inquiring at a synagogue and its museum in Manila in 2009 where he learned about President Quezon's plan for Jews fleeing Nazi Germany. [9] [10]

Rosen wanted the film to be distinct from Schindler's List , as he described the film to as "about the horrors that man can do" and wanted Quezon's Game to emphasize optimism amidst a "time of darkness". However, he was advised by the producers to feature Quezon's Game "the Philippines' Schindler's List". [10]

Release

Quezon's Game was released in various international film festivals prior to its theatrical release. It was released in Ottawa, Canada as part of the gala event of the 2018 Cinema World Festival as one of the winning films of the 2018 Autumn Selection. [3] It was also an entry in the IndieFEST Film in California, and the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival in Texas. [11]

As part of the film's promotion, a VIP screening was held on May 7, 2019, at the Power Plant Mall in Makati where ABS-CBN also presented video interviews of Holocaust Survivors Margot Pins Kestenbaum and Max Weissler, who were both provided shelter in the Philippines by Manuel Quezon and currently reside in Israel. [11] The film's theatrical release in the Philippines was on May 29, 2019. [5]

Spin-off

A documentary series in iWant called The Last Manilaners: A Quezon’s Game Documentary was announced in August 2019. [12] The documentary, directed by Nico Hernandez and filmed in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and New York, was released on January 27, 2020 in iWant. [13] It discussed the experiences of Jewish refugees in the Philippines from Nazi Germany. [14]

Reception

Quezon's Game received mixed reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 45% of 22 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review. [15] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 36 out of 100 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [16]

The film received negative reception for its execution, uneven acting, and low production value. [17] Devika Girish of The New York Times expected that the film's premise would result in Quezon's Game be a political thriller, but became disappointed as the film was "stiff and sentimental". The portrayal of the film's antagonists, such as several Nazi and American characters, turned out to be "paper-thin" and crudely painted. [18] However, Girish and other critics considered Bagatsing's acting as Manuel Quezon as what redeems the film from being a "bare-bones production". Other reviewers included Rachel Alejadro's portrayal of Aurora Quezon [17] and David Bianco's role as Dwight Eisenhower effective compared to the supporting actors, although he looked younger than Eisenhower's actual age in the film's setting. [18] Several reviewers, such as Sight and Sound's Hannah McGill and ABS-CBN's Fred Hawson, noted evidence of budget constraints in the film's props, makeup, and acting performances. [19] [20]

Critics highlighted the film's exposition-heavy dialogue, which overshadowed what would have been a climatic confrontation in the film. [21] [18] The film's writing also turned as unsubtle in delivering the film's narrative, according to Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times. [17] The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck questioned whether the portrayal of Quezon's flirting with a cabaret singer was necessary, which he perceived as an attempt to incorporate "tired soap opera" drama in the film. [18] Other reviewers such as Hawson, however, commended the film for its visuals and acting. For Esquire's Mario Alvaro Limos, the film performed well in its storytelling and casting. He argued that although the filming location was influential for its accolades, its setting brought the characters in an "18th century vacationing" distant from Manila's urban setting. [22] Despite mixed reception of the film, the reviewers found the end-credits that feature testimonies of the surviving refugees emotionally moving. [18]

The film won at least 20 awards as an entry in various international film festivals. [11] In January 2019, Quezon's Game won 12 accolades at the Cinema World Fest Awards in Ottawa, Canada. [23]

YearAward-Giving BodyCategoryRecipient(s) and nominee(s)ResultRef
2018Cinema World Fest Awards [3] Award of Merit for Drama FeatureQuezon's GameWon [3]
Award of Recognition for DirectingMatthew RosenWon
Award of Excellence for ActorRaymond BagatsingWon
Award of Excellence for ActressRachel AlejandroWon
Award of Excellence for Supporting ActorBilly Ray GallionWon
Award of Excellence for LightingMatthew Rosen
Leo Santos		Won
Award of Excellence for Original ScoreDean RosenWon
Award of Excellence for Produced ScreenplayJanice Perez
Dean Rosen		Won
Award of Excellence for Set DesignRowella Talusig
Set Construction Group		Won
Award of Excellence for Sound DesignAnglea PereyraWon
Award of Excellence for Costume DesignRowella Talusig and Quezon's Game costume teamWon
Award of Merit for Color TreatmentAntonette GozumWon
2019 WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival [23] Best Foreign MovieQuezon's GameWon [24]
Gold Remi Awards for Best Art DesignQuezon's GameWon
Gold Remi Awards for Best ProducersCarlo Katigbak
Olivia Lamasan
Linggit Tan-Marasigan
Lorena Rosen		Won
Gold Remi Awards for Best DirectorMatthew RosenWon
20207th Urduja Heritage Film AwardsBest Heritage FilmQuezon's GameWon [25]
Best ActorRaymond BagatsingWon
Best Supporting ActorBilly Ray GallionWon
Best Supporting ActressRachel AlejandroWon
Best Actor in a Cameo RoleAudie GemoraWon
Best DirectorMatthew RosenWon
Best CinematographyMatthew RosenWon
Best Production DesignMatthew RosenWon
Best SceeenplayDean RosenWon

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Cabana, Ysh (July 26, 2019). "When is historical fiction acceptable? Film Review: Quezon's Game (2018)". The Philippine Reporter. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Quezon's Game". Film Freeway. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "ABS-CBN movie 'Quezon's Game' rakes in 12 international film fest awards in Canada". ABS-CBN News. January 11, 2019. Archived from the original on January 16, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  4. ↑ Unjieng, Philip Cu (May 10, 2019). "Quezon as humanitarian". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 Limos, Mario (May 16, 2019). "Quezon's Game: Movie Review". Esquire. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  6. ↑ Tariman, Pablo A. "Hava Nagila: The song that gave birth to Quezon's Game". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  7. ↑ Lo, Ricky (June 11, 2019). "Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar perfect set for Quezon's Game". The Philippine Star.
  8. ↑ Padayhag, Michelle Joy (May 19, 2019). "'Quezon's Game' promises to be a touching, educational historical film". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  9. ↑ Tenorio, Rich (February 20, 2020). "Little known Philippines' WWII rescue of Jews was capped by US interference". Times of Israel. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  10. 1 2 "The Philippines' Schindler: How this man saved 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust". ABC News. March 5, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 "ABS-CBN's "Quezon's Game" to Premiere in Cinemas". Film Development Council of the Philippines. May 24, 2019. Archived from the original on January 16, 2025. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  12. ↑ Anarcon, James Patrick (August 1, 2019). "GMA-7 stars Derek Ramsay, Mylene Dizon to do original series for ABS-CBN online platform". Philippine Entertainment Portal .
  13. ↑ "Holocaust survivors rescued by PH share their stories in iWant's "The Last Manilaners"". ABS-CBN News. January 28, 2020.
  14. ↑ Choa, Kane Errol (March 5, 2020). "Tales from Holocaust survivors who escaped to Manila". The Philippine Star . Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Quezon's Game (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Quezon's Game Metacritic". Metacritic. January 29, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  17. 1 2 3 Goldstein, Gary (December 16, 2019). "Review: 'Quezon's Game,' a stiff retelling of Philippines leader's World War II-era feat". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Scheck, Frank (January 23, 2020). "'Quezon's Game': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  19. ↑ Hawson, Fred (May 31, 2019). "Movie review: 'Quezon's Game' is an incredible tale of humanity". ABS-CBN.
  20. ↑ McGill, Hannah (March 2020). "Quezon's Game". Sight and Sound. Vol. 30, no. 3. p. 77. ISSN   0037-4806. ProQuest   2367794745.
  21. ↑ Clarke, Cath (January 29, 2020). "Quezon's Game review – second world war refugee drama lands with a thud". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  22. ↑ Limos, Mario Alvaro (May 16, 2019). "Quezon's Game: Movie Review". Esquiremag.ph. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  23. 1 2 "'Quezon's Game' named Best Foreign Movie in Texas fest". Manila Standard. April 23, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  24. ↑ "'Quezon's Game' named Best Foreign Movie in Texas fest". Manila Standard. May 27, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  25. ↑ "'Quezon's Game' wins big at 7th Urduja Heritage Film Awards". ABS-CBN News. January 2, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
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