Maryo J. delos Reyes' "The Unmarried Wife" - Lines That Make The World Tremble

If it seems like Angelica Panganiban's high wire act in this flick is analogous to being in a great movie, let's thank the heavens and attribute this to brilliance and insightful performance. In fact, this fantastic actress admits to finding her role easy. Opps! Slip of the tongue? She did say that in an interview.

To be fair, there are situations in the story of Maryo J. delos Reyes' "The Unmarried Wife" that's cunningly relatable. In fact, I texted a friend who reminded me of the protagonist's marital dilemma. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Ann Victorio (Angelica Panganiban) is a fairly successful advertising director of a "morally upright" firm whose battlecry is the rather hypocritical "We take care of families". She's just been promoted so Ann tries to spend her time proving it was her boss' best decision since mankind discovered Skype and viber. But let me backtrack a bit.

Geoff (Dingdong Dantes) met relationship-weary Ann over coffee. Her mother's a screwed up floozy (Irma Adlawan) who has affinity to bad boys and boytoys so most of Ann's growing up years were spent convincing herself she wouldn't end up like her mother. She was ready to brush off romance until Geoff offered her free coffee. After a zippy courtship, Ann falls for the handsome rascal - and they find themselves in a blissful marriage. A son follows thereafter.

Unfortunately, not all fairy tale romances end up with princesses riding into the sunset. Real life happens and we eventually make choices too far removed from lollipops, roses and cotton candy dreams. The busier Ann gets, the more sexually frustrated Geoff becomes - so he finds a way to remedy his needs. But Ann catches him in flagrante delicto. Trouble in paradise. What did you expect?

As if that weren't enough, Geoff does it again just when Ann was softening up her resolve. For awhile, I was enjoying Ann and the mistress' (Maricar Reyes) heated exchange at a cafe. That could be the highlight of this film. But not quite. Angelica really takes command all throughout.

Ann reminds Cristina (Reyes), "Nuknukan ka ng tanga at utu uto." The exchange was too delectable I was ready to see Amor Powers join the fray. She reasons why she wonn't even dare slap the lovely chef,"Ayokong madumihan ang kamay ko. Wala akong dalang panlinis." At this point, I was ready to tap my stilettos and cry, "Bravo!" Cristina was of course bragging about her "bedside manners" but no need to convince us, Maricar. We have "seen" exactly what you're capable of doing. Tee hee.

Ann eventually meets laidback guapito Bryan (Paulo Avelino) who refuses to talk about his own failed relationship. While others try to seek catharsis through a talkfest, our flawless Romeo just wants to love Ann - and be her knight in shining armor. But something's not quite right somehow.

What becomes of Ann's marriage? Will Bryan give her a new lease on love?  

The answers are Facebook status-worthy. Yup, they're complicated. In this rigodon of couplings, a demented lady suddenly emerges from nowhere - Louise (Denise Laurel) who breathes, scratches and screeches like a scorned dragoness. While I realize that this was designed as the story's excuse from predictable triteness, the narrative strain seemed too abrupt and flimsily written. In fact, Louise was unadulterated caricature. She even changes her mind as briskly as shooting stars blaze the sky.


UNSYMPATHETIC

It is rather hard to sympathize with Dingdong's character, to be honest. This is a father and husband who would rather hump on his working day. Come on. Sex is pleasurable but in the real world, there is a time for canoodling and a time to earn your keep. 

So while his wife is busy, there's a slew of productive activities to be had, not the least of which is putting his big hands to good use. Like playiing his organ? Or his piano? Or ukelele. Tee hee. Dingdong Dantes is more than competent, and even intermittently compelling, but his character is rather pre-ordained like a total jerk. When he finally declares that he will wait for "forever", I couldn't help but think, until the next itch comes along? Besides, calamine lotion is cheap noh. Go buy yourself a barrel.

Paulo Avelino's character seems like an afterthought, written like a narrative device used to shift plots. In fact, he only appears 38 minutes into the movie, then disappears again. He resurfaces a good 73 minutes later to fulfill his third wheel duties. Of course I don't mind seeing more of his gorgeous face, but his character could have been fuller.

This takes me back to Angelica Panganiban who transforms a cinematic circus act into a legitimate heroine worth rooting for. For this alone, she validates what could otherwise turn into a mawkish urban melodrama. She is cinematic magic personified.

LINES THAT MAKE YOU GO...

If you love funny, silly, insightful, memorable or just plain droll cinematic lines, there's a cadre of them here. Parloristas and gay beauty contestants, take note! 

Angelica to Dingdong: "Huwag mo akong gawing parausan kasi mawawalan ng silbi ang kabit mo!" Fierce, right? Which husband would want to shag someone as briery?

Dimples to Angelica re:annulment - "Baka hindi kumampi sa yo ang batas at ang mundo." International crime of arbitration? 

Angelica to Denise (when the former was accused of breaking up an already broken marriage) : "Hinihingi ko ang isang bagay na kailanman hindi hiningi ng mga kabit ng asawa ko." Sniff! Sniff!

Bing Pimentel to Angelica (talking as a new employer): "I firmly believe that we are more than our mistake!" Miss Universe Q&A ?

Finally, Martin Escudero delivers his indellible contribution: "Ginagawa nyo kaming mga emotional punching bag para sa mga hanash n'yo sa buhay."

If only for these quotes alone, you ought to bring your pompoms to your nearest cinema and get ready to cheer! Go!

Read our featured post on Cinema Bravo and why we sometimes hate Web Criticism:
- http://makemeblush2.blogspot.com/2016/10/cinema-bravo-film-criticisms-execrable.html


#unmarriedwife   #angelicapanganiban   #dingdongdantes   #pauloavelino   #maricarreyes

Senior Year - When Too Much Stories Spoil The Narrative Broth

Jerrold Tarog's "Senior Year" follows the last 4 months in the lives of the graduating class of St. Frederick's Academy, a well-heeled Catholic high school in Alabang with a hundred stories to tell.

There's brainy and hefty Henry (Aaron Balana) who's expected to run away with the Valedictorian plum. He is, in fact, agonizing over his Valedictory Address even before the formal declaration of the honor roll. He harbors special feelings for Sofia, a pretty lass who's more concerned with her social status in school than saving her down-spiraling grades. She eventually turns to the sophisticated Solenn (Nikita Conwi) who moves like a queen and carries herself like the next royalty. Meanwhile, there's young love constantly teetering on the brink of breaking up - Bridget, a campus beauty, and Briggs (Daniel Lumain), the class lothario.

MORE STORIES

There are plenty more side stories that inhabit this cinematic platter, each one as interesting as the next: The female class toughie Bunda who is a constant witness to domestic violence; sports jock Carlo and his minions who terrorize their limp-wristed basketball team mate; the suffering Mitch who craves to join the in-crowd; the teacher who's enduring an abusive relationship; the seemingly harmless anonymous letters sent to Steph by someone who turned out to be a girl. Did you say "enough"?

At some point in the movie, we had to close our eyes to catch our thoughts. It was a demanding exercise following this parade of little stories because just when you're starting to warm up to a character, a new set is introduced. It is difficult to emotionally invest complete empathy when these stories are just superficially grazed through in slap dash fashion. As far as I am concerned, story telling has to have focus. And it's just mentally impossible to aim your attention on 2 dozens of characters laid out in a 2-hour cinematic palette. It's easy to rationalize that this indeed is a story about high school, thus it is peppered with a hundred-and-one characters, but still there has to be ample character definition set on major characters. Having pointed that: "Senior Year" is nevertheless a good movie. It is entertaining, if a bit muddled - and at times confusing.

RJ Ledesma takes on the role of the adult Henry, the class valedictorian. His wistful concerns - while he waits in the car - as his indecision mounts to a fervid dilemma is palpable: would he find the nerve to meet his former classmates at their 10th year anniversary? After all, he didn't become the physician that he was meant to be, but another call center agent. Dimples Romana, as the adult Sofia, provides warmth and a sense of denouement to the iffy tale of Sofia (deftly played by Roxanne de Boda).

Most of the young cast does well: energetic, charming, effusive in expression, but aren't most "kids"? De Boda, Nikita Conwi and Daniel Lumawin register very well, possessing the natural instincts that make actors effective chameleons, they could grace our screens in the coming years and I won't complain.

We have a problem, once again, with Ina Feleo who plays the adult Mitch, and Arnold Reyes as the adult Carlo. They appear at the Homecoming scenes with such smug demeanor, you could swear they devoured something absolutely piquant. Whatever it was, they didn't let us in on that. Kalila Aguilos makes a delectable cameo as the adult Solenn, we almost had to clap for the all-too-similar bearing of the two actresses who both played Solenn.

As to the little stories, isn't it a little too presumptuous to trouble oneself with a Valedictory speech 4 months before graduation? Four months is sometime November, which means there's a lot more exams, quizzes, preliminaries, finals. There's even the tallying of the extra-curricular activities to consider which Henry never seemed to bother with. Most of the time, he stares longingly at Sofia - or worry about his speech. Take my word for it, the speech is the last of your worries when you're running Valedictorian.

We have always admired Jerrold Tarog's story telling acumen. He is such a prolific litterateur that even his peanut gallery pleaser like "Shake, Rattle and Roll's Punerarya" is still a cut above mainstream clutter. Even his music is insightfully appropriate. He is yet to disappoint me as I am such a big fan of his "Confessional" as well as "Mangatyanan". Tarog is a major talent that we shall keep our eyes on in the coming years.

Daniel Lumawin aka Joseph Lumawin: photographs well.

WHERE'S THE MOVIE CROWD?

Now, I shall digress on this issue of patronage of Filipino Films.

Time and again, we have read from online threads and discussion boards the sensible thoughts of seemingly intelligent movie goers who, like myself, continuously complain about mainstream movies churned out by the likes of Star Cinema, Regal Films, Viva Films and GMA Films. But as God is my witness, where are these high and mighty intellectuals? In the first quarter of 2011, very few Tagalog films opened for commercial exhibition, 90% of them vomit-inducing crap! Finally, last week, two good films opened. They weren't Pink Films. Neither were they produced by the aforementioned mainstream film productions. They boasted of a good cast as well, since many people complain about amateur actors. So what is the excuse?

WHERE ARE THE WHINERS?

I watched "Mayohan" (starring Lovi Poe) at the Galleria with my friend Kyle. Aside from us, there were 2 lonely souls watching it with us! Four people came to watch "Mayohan" on a Thursday night! I watched "Senior Year" in Megamall on a Wednesday evening with my mom. Aside from us, there were 4 people watching with us. Six people came to watch "Senior Year" on a Wednesday evening! So I ask again. Where's the darn crowd? Where are these intellectuals who, like me, keep whining about the absence of great Pinoy films? By Friday, the execrable Catherine Hardwicke film, "Red Riding Hood" opened, and both good Pinoy movies were sent to oblivion. So without much fanfare, I say, "Shame on you, Pinoy moviegoers!" You all deserve the cinematic stool that's being fed to you!

Kainis!

Ina Feleo and Arnold Reyes: Embraced by utter smugness!

Dimples Romana is the grown up Sofia.

Ledesma, Romana, Feleo and Reyes, plus Che Ramos who plays the concerned teacher Miss Joan.

"Senior Year", like "Mayohan", had a two-day run at Robinson's Galleria and SM Megamall.