My Ten Favorite Things in 2005

2005 ends tonight, and for many people they welcome it with considerable relief. True, it has been a remarkable year, but what made it so owes a lot to the many scandals and tragedies that occurred in the last twelve months. Inevitably, 2005 is not a year people will look back on fondly. But I won’t go there. Not here. Besides, to review the year on a macrolevel is the media’s job.

Instead, below are my ten favorite things that I would always associate with the outgoing year:

Favorite Book: 10 X 10 X 10. Enough said. Ü

Favorite Comedy Film: It may not be as uproariously lowbrow as There’s Something About Mary, but The 40-Year-Old Virgin is just as funny and as sweet. In a movie full of several highlights, the body-waxing scene is my hands-down favorite. So painful and yet so hilarious to watch.

Favorite Day of the Year: It's a toss-up between August 8--the day I received a letter from the Palanca Foundation that I won--and September 1, the Palanca Awards Night. Enough said.

Favorite Filipino Commercial: Sure, the concept is cheesy, but the gorgeous photography, a memorable jingle, and retro vibe makes Sunsilk’s “Abot Kamay ang Langit” TV ad stand out.

Favorite Filipino Film: Independent digital films made their mark this year, and a refreshing plot and fine performances made Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros one of the year’s best Filipino films.

Favorite Gadget: The Canon IXUS 430 digital camera. My dad technically owns it, but I use it so often that I’m the one keeping it. My interest in photography deepened as a result.

Favorite One-Line Film Review: A friend of mine, Nick Pichay, is known for his hilariously bitchy one-line reviews. He said this of Ray: “Para siyang isang episode ng Maalaala Mo Kaya.”

Favorite OPM Band: Los Chupacabras, formerly known as The Forces of Evil. Ü

Favorite Oscar-winning Movie: Forget the criminally overrated Million Dollar Baby. Forget the flawed The Aviator. As far as I’m concerned, the wine-tasting comedy Sideways, which was released in the country this year, is the best American film of 2004.

Favorite Play: The Virgin Labfest allowed several unproduced plays to be staged by a major theater company last June, and the audience response to one of them, Dennis Teodosio’s Geegee at Waterina, was so positive that Tanghalang Pilipino is going to stage it again next month.

Here’s hoping for a better and brighter 2006. HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!