Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

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

tavm As an American of Philippine descent, I was very interested in watching this documentary of the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. I watched in bemusement as she kept claiming how her people loved her while there were many of the country's citizens holding signs protesting her and her husband, then-president Ferdinand Marcos, for abuses they committed like declaring Martial Law so the Marcos could stay in power indefinitely. It took the assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino and the eventual election of his widow, Corazon, as president to force the Marcos into exile to Hawaii where Ferdinand died in 1989. Besides vintage footage of them and of many other protests, you see Mrs. Marcos swaying her charm with Muammar Gadaffi, Henry Kissinger, and, no, I couldn't believe it either, George Hamilton who sings "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" substituting "Imelda" in place of "Baby"! She also recounted her encounter with songwriter Irving Berlin who, after hearing her sing "God Bless the Philippines" (to the tune of "God Bless America"), gave her her own song called "Heaven Help the Philippines". The fact that many Filipino residents still revere Imelda is the result of her charm and always dressing up for the occasion. And her legacy, besides many of her criminal charges, is two of her children, Ferdinand, Jr. and Imee, getting elected in their chosen office. All in all, Imelda was quite a fascinating documentary directed by Ramona S. Diaz.

rotildao Saw back in 2003 at the Landmark Theater in Chicago. I thought this documentary was banned from USA. Well, I know they took out of theaters after a couple of weeks by an intervention from Imelda's lawyers, that's all I can remember about that episode.A very focused documentary where fantasy, mysticism and folklore become the foundation for mockery of a whole nation when the reality of an iconic figure is revealed. The worst thing is to remember that me and a girl I was with at the time look at each other thinking: Michael Jackson! Sad but true! I laughed with a heavy conscience afterward. Even though it seems you wish to respect their suffering or their autistic (kinda of) delusions, and I mean Imelda and Michael Jackson's, you simply can't go against the facts presented by her lunacy, and the similarities with Jackson's.Unpleasant for some, I know because I saw Filipinos leaving the theater back then. Despite all the "cruelty" against Imelda's image, a masterpiece of documentary!

hoffm3 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.

marie 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.