Family man Marlon Villar is the longtime chauffeur of Manuel Chango, a notoriously corrupt Filipino politician. One day as he and his daughter accompany his boss’ preteen daughter home, their car is ambushed and, in the ensuing confusion, the wrong girl is kidnapped and held for ransom. Determined to rescue his child, but trapped between the competing motives of Chango and the kidnappers, the unassuming driver’s life takes a sudden, terrifying turn that propels him into a horrifying downward spiral. As events unravel, Marlon, Chango, and their families become entangled in a game of deceit and betrayal that will leave no one innocent.
Ron Morales has crafted a twisty underworld thriller that dares to take viewers down the rabbit hole of Manila’s seedy underbelly, exposing a carnival of corruption, exploitation, and shady double-dealings lurking just below the surface. Both entertaining and disturbing, Graceland is a gritty and gripping crime thriller with weight, weaving plots of political corruption and human trafficking into a kidnapping-gone-wrong narrative, making for one intense and unpredictable ride. –Tribeca Film Festival
Graceland” (what an ironic title!) aims to criticize the Philippine society, showing criminality, corruption, and hypocrisy as part of the day-to-day life. Review and Rating: http://alwayswatchgoodmovies.blogspot.com/2013/04/graceland-2012.html