Imelda (2003)

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This documentary chronicles the extraordinary and "imeldific" life of Imelda Marcos. The words opulent, lavish, and luxurious were not strong enough to describe her lifestyle, so another word had to be invented to describe her status. She led a life almost impossible to imagine. If not for documentaries like this that can provide us with the details of her extravagance, most of the students in this class might not believe the story. Besides wealth, Imelda also amassed great political power. She was known worldwide and had numerous interactions with various heads of state and other powerful people (like the pope). The film dealt with her history by sharing anecdotes, showing film clips, and through interviews with several people. The filmmaker had an incredible amount of cooperation from the Marcos family in creating this film. Interviews with two of the Marcos children, Imelda herself, and several other friends and family members were used to tell her tale. She had a lot of ups and downs through life from surviving the Japanese occupation, to becoming the "first lady" (and also a governor). She survived an assassination attempt. She also went from the palace into exile and later returned to the Philippines. Again, there were so many ups and downs, and again she led a very remarkable and ambitious life.The film was a fair portrayal, allowing Mrs. Marcos to tell her side of the story. The film also questioned her role in several scandals such as the construction accidents involved in the hurried making of her building projects, and the Aquino assassination. Imelda has an explanation for every controversy. She mentioned that she is often misunderstood. The film confronts her on these issues, and the perceptions that people have, but she explains that her perceptions are different as she sees things in their totality (unlike the rest of us). Imelda was also enigmatic in her views, and in a few scenes she was quite philosophical in explaining the world, the universe, and her place in it. I had a difficult time trying to follow her logic in order to make sense of it all, but I bet I am not the only one having this problem.Some of the issues discussed in the movie were the abject poverty that people lived in, while the Marcos's were swimming in wealth. The majority of people lived in poor housing conditions and lacked basic needs. Imelda chose to ignore their plight, and spend government money on fancy new buildings in order to bring forth the culture and arts that she felt they needed. She saw herself as a generous and giving person. When asked about her clothes and shoes, she stated that she was a role model and that she gave poor people and example and set a goal for them to achieve (to be like her). She further stated that people lived vicariously through her and wanted her to live that way. Other issues discussed involved corruption, media suppression, voter fraud, martial law, and the violation of basic human rights (while jailing dissenters). Mrs. Marcos denies such accusations in her normal delusional way, stating that there were no human rights violation complaints ever made against her or her husband's office.Imelda had a remarkable ambition that could have done so much more for her people.Diaz, R. (Producer), Diaz, R. (Director). (2003) Imelda Motion Picture. Philippines: United Pictures

Superb documentary on the hugely entertaining (her loopy theory of the cosmos and galactic order alone is worth the price of admission), absolutely appalling, diamond and shoe collecting former First Lady of the desperately poor Philippines. Apparently, Marcos attempted to block the doc's release in her home country, and one can see why. However, as she gets to speak throughout, she wasn't able to claim her words were taken out of context or that she was slandered. Happily for film-goers, her efforts to suppress the film failed. Documentarian Ramona Diaz combines archival news footage and interviews with Marcos sycophants, relatives, former employees, supporters and political opponents to present a very balanced and revelatory portrait of this truly ghastly woman, the epitome of small-town ambition run amok. Indeeed, this could be a biography of dictators anywhere. Having lived several years in the former Zaire during the era of the megalomaniac bandit Mobuto Sese Seko, I felt a thrill of recognition while watching the antics of the Marcoses. A needlepoint cushion on a sofa in Marcos' Park Avenue penthouse, one of her several international real-estate holdings, sums her up: "Better Nouveau than not Riche at all". In a chilling coda that proves people get the government they deserve and do not seem to learn from the past, Marcos' son and daughter win municipal elections and appear to be launching little political careers of their own.

Why Imelda Marcos would allow filmmaker Ramona Diaz to get as close to her for as long as she does is anyone's guess, but this is documentary film at its best. At 70, Imelda is every bit the royal: charming, poised, beautiful, grand. "Imelda" is an excellent character study in power, greed and delusion.Some of my favorite moments in the film: * Anytime Imelda opens her mouth, especially when she espouses her views on beauty, truth and love: give people enough rope and they hang themselves.* George Hamilton serenading Imelda aboard her yacht: "I can't give you anything but love, Imelda." * Female security guard at the Imelda Marcos Shoe Museum who whispers to the camera that she sometimes sneaks in and tries some of them on.* Imelda dancing with Henry Kissinger * Imelda's description of the assassination attempt against her, "And he used such an ugly instrument. At least he could have tied a little bow on it or something." * Comments from opposition are sometimes deadly accurate: "She built so many public works, she had an edifice complex." This movie is available on DVD. Hard to find, but more people should see it. What it provides that I have never seen before is a closeup of one of the world's most notorious she-villains and the global power circles where she once strode.... in fabulous pumps.

Everything concerning the documentary was controversial and very high profile.But when I saw the film, I realized that it had a reason for it to be as it is. The whole documentary, holds many interesting facts. It answered a lot of questions concerning our former first lady and things that are related to her. The film makers did their share of research really well because the whole movie (from beginning to end) had extensive information.It has featured the aspects/angles that you might see (or not have seen) of Mrs. Marcos and her life and lifestyle. This documentary might change one's opinion about Mrs. Marcos (-Be it a negative or positive one).This is a must-see film.