Looking for a brighter future in metropolitan Manila, Oscar Ramirez and his family leave their miserable life in the rice terraces of Banaue, in the northern Philippines. In the sweltering capital, where all kind of perils lurk in every corner, Oscar catches a lucky break when he is offered a steady work for an armored truck company and the senior officer Ong takes him under his wing.
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 8 wins & 11 nominations.
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
Boasts the stock characters and situations, sentimentality, foreshadowing and melodrama of soap opera. Yet by cleverly blending these ingredients with those of an action caper, the pic presents a fresher appeal.
– Alissa Simon,
Variety,
29 Jan 2013
fresh:
It's pacy, engrossing, and Jake Macapagal's turn as the plucky schmuck protagonist is stellar
– Trevor Johnston,
Time Out,
17 Sep 2013
fresh:
The movie works as a contemporary look at desperation in crime-riddled Manila, but it's also as deliciously old-fashioned as the late '40s-era film noir "Kiss of Death," and nearly as entertaining.
– Rob Nelson,
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
31 Mar 2014
fresh:
As bleak as a Dickens novel, yet twinned with a contemporary heist drama, Metro Manila straddles two worlds in telling the story of a desperate family man who moves from a small farm to the city.
– Linda Barnard,
Toronto Star,
18 Sep 2014
fresh:
Proof that you can't go wrong with the same old story.