Dan Villegas' "Always Be My Maybe" - Defining Relationships in Contemporary Society

In what could be one of the year’s most adorable cinematic turns, Arci Munoz plays Tintin, a makeup artist-cum-beauty vlogger who wears her heart on her sleeve. In online videos, she shares beauty tips and laces them with no-holds-barred stories about her heartache. But after getting spurned by her occasional lover (Victor Silayan) for another girl, Tintin breaks down in a video episode that went viral. Six months later, she meets a kindred soul Jake (Gerald Anderson) who himself is heartbroken. Their awkward meet-up turns into an engaging overnight gabfest that eventually settles into comfortable companionship. Have they conveniently friend-zoned their relationship? After all, they admit to not being attracted with each other. Or aren’t they?

Dan Villegas’s “Always Be My Maybe” delves into the mechanics of contemporary couplings through the unlikely friendship of two characters who are trying to pick up the pieces of their broken hearts after their respective relationships have failed. What’s instructive is the conflicting points of view on the different stages of hooking up. I am reminded of the situational dilemma in Cathy Garcia-Molina’s insightful “Unofficially Yours”. This could be its companion piece.

More than anything, the narrative is a precarious reflection of the current sexual mores that pervade in modern-day romance. While intercourse used to pretty much define a relationship (i.e. “definitions” are made before consummation), these days, such emotional scrutiny is taken into consideration post-coitally: did he cuddle, did she stay longer than necessary, was there discussion on the state of affairs? Permissive society has become the norm, instead of being the exception. I do have qualms about a few of the scenes. When Jake shows his studio to Tintin, asking her to pose for him, she offers to show her tattoo – and more, and in the process ends up shedding off all her clothes. So much for sensible and pragmatic cinematic heroines, right? As Jake would rationalize it, “sex is different from making love”, but such is the excuse of cads who just want their concupiscent catharsis.

Interestingly, the character of Jake seems too comfortably close to home for Gerald Anderson. Was the character written with him in mind? One would suspect because Anderson essays his role with sincerity and charm. Moreover, you could sense a morsel of danger in his dealings with Tintin. Is it the nature of “man” as the sexual creature that’s coming into the picture? Anderson is easily “pa-fall” without doing much. His ability to transcend this beyond the celluloid is impeccable. He would be remembered for this role. It doesn’t hurt that he has this easy, albeit complementary chemistry with Arci Munoz.

Munoz, on the other hand, hits the cinematic jackpot. She has triumphantly tempered her depiction of an acerbic heroine with just the right emotive concoction. I keep laughing every time I hear her complain about Valentines Day: “Sino bang nag-imbento nun… ipapatumba ko talaga!” 

If there ever was perfect characterization, hers would be the new gold standard. By this, I am saying that, after watching the film, it would be hard to picture another actress playing Tintin. Munoz absolutely disarms, you can’t help but root for her despite occasionally embarrassing choices. Munoz owned Tintin’s every candor, manner and style. She’s the modern-day Filipina who loves wholeheartedly - body, mind and soul. In her moments of belated epiphany, she laments, “Di ko alam, naibigay ko na pala ang lahat.” Sometimes, loving isn’t counting how much you’ve shared of yourself. We sometimes throw caution to the wind so we can love without restriction, beyond fences and borders. But in this dilemma, there is a cautionary tale. Emotional investments, like finances, don’t always make great returns. When they do, we’d all be in the moon for it. Thus I am tempted to submit this as specimen for any sociological study concerning norms of contemporary relationship. It isn't exhaustive but it is a valid physiognomy of the subject.  

Director Dan Villegas succeeds to spin a discerning yarn that more than entertains. The script bristles with fresh and astute observations about life and relationships in modern society. The pace is brisk and snappy; the cinematic palette clean, the music unobtrusive. The supporting characters (Jane Oineza, Ricci Chan, Cacai Bautista, Victor Silayan) are a delightful coterie of meme-spewing souls you’d want them on your side when life begrudges you of a few smiles. The movie is funny, provocative, sexy, and current. If cinema makes you re-examine your relationships, then it would be the worthy medium for your time and patronage. “Always Be My Baby” is solid entertainment and should not be missed.       

Frolic & Logic-Free Fun in "Won't Last A Day Without You"

Picture her staring beyond the horizon. She lives her days alone – with no one to call as her friend. Most times, she feels displaced wherever she goes. To make matters worse, everything she does fails. But there’s a silver lining on her cloudy horizon: her boyfriend. She dotes on him. And he’s her lone source of happiness. Now tell me, isn’t she pathetic?

That’s the girl in Paul Williams and Roger Nichols’ 1973 song, “I Won’t Last a Day Without You”. But with a melancholic melody, the words suddenly turn romantic. People gush hearing Karen Carpenter sing it. After all, there’s romance and poetry in loneliness, isn’t there? Now fast forward to 2011. Sarah Geronimo plays DJ Heidee dispensing advice for a radio show’s Heartbreak Hotline. When her spirited spiels catch the attention of the public, Heidee aka George becomes an overnight sensation. One day, she receives a call from a heartbroken Melissa (Megan Young) seeking Heidee’s advice about Andrew Escalon (Gerald Anderson), Melissa's boyfriend, who has wandering eyes. After Melissa’s rants, Heidee lambasts Andrew on air and prods Melissa to drop her wayward beau. She did.

But Andrew stages a rebuttal that would: 1. Get Melissa back, 2. Summon a public apology, 3. Put Heidee in her rightful place. Heidee has to help Andrew get Melissa back – or he would lodge a complaint at the KBP to get her suspended. This throws the odd couple together, devising ways to woo Melissa back while Heidee “tutors” Andrew the ABC’s of romancing a girl: be attentive, be sensitive to her needs, bring stuff for her, take her to a romantic place, etc. But the unexpected happens, Melissa and Andrew fall for each other. Jeepers creepers! What to do?

Does Paul Williams and Roger Nichols’ “girl” even vaguely resemble the famous radio jock Heidee? Maybe… if you’re on lithium or carbamazepene. Otherwise, it’s a bit of a stretch. What I’m driving at is, when you’re titling movies, the title has to be relatable to the story, lest you shall be accused of having the brain of a hydra for connecting dots that were never there in the first place, right?

Sure, Andrew Escalon is stuff straight out of Harlequin novels. He’s good looking and edgy, and admits his mistakes. He seems successful, though someone who fails the nursing board twice couldn’t appropriately be called “smart”. But what kind of man needs a complete stranger to resolve his own predicament? Obviously, it’s someone who can’t pass his board exams on two occasions. LOL

Like most Star Cinema films, the ensemble of performers do well, painting a narrative palette rich with quirky characters who surround our protagonists. Joey de Leon, who plays Sarah’s dad (an aging rocker), I have to say, delights. The screen lights up whenever he’s in a scene.

There is some fun to be had in Heidee and Andrew’s bickerings. But with a hokey premise, director Raz de la Torre’s narrative hangs like an overbearing shadow. Sarah Geronimo and Gerald Anderson work well as a pair. They satisfy the requirements of a dramatic heroine and her romantic consort. But despite Geronimo’s beguiling giggles, we fail to see growth in her emotionality as an actress. Doesn’t heart break enveigle emotional heft? I’ve read another review that points to her “full control over a repertoire of emotions” – I ask what control and which emotions? Sarah tackles her character with dutiful demeanor, but it was merely perfunctory and desultory. Sure, she renders her character with “cuteness”, but cute isn’t a realist’s realm. In the real world, people would merely apologize instead of going the extra mile to do the legwork to court a girl for someone else. Why did she have to set up dinner for Andrew and Melissa again? That wasn't necessary. Wasn’t it enough that she went to Melissa’s house to try to convince the girl of her former beau’s intentions?

Gerald Anderson has fallen into a methodical system that conjures a character not quite dissimilar from his Powie in Jose Javier Reyes’ “Till My Heartaches End”. If Sarah steals hearts with her giggles, Gerald does so with his intermittent spurts of Visayan: "Hala!", "Grabe ka man gyud uy!", "Sexy ka man diay". Gerald has also learned to be comfortable with his on-screen emotions. He is consistent with characterization. Moreover, he has done away with excessive theatricality abundantly displayed in his teleserye “Budoy”. He is at once captivating and sympathetic. Anderson may just emerge as one of the best actors of his generation. Who would have thought?

Catch Me I'm In Love – Charm, Conceit and a Blockbuster

Someone was burning the midnight oil, conjuring catchy phrases and word combinations that could a blockbuster make. In his desperate bid for ideas, he comes off short in his semantics. In fact, you don’t exactly “catch” someone who is in love; you do the catching when someone is “falling in love”. Catch? Fall? Get it? So for the most part, this titling offers a certain disconnect, thanks to the simpleton responsible for such inanity.

But inanity does not the movie make either.

The movie follows Roan Sanchez (Sarah Geronimo) who works for an NGO, partaking outreach programs in the far reaches of Cauayan, Isabela. To her consternation, the President of the country takes her to task – she is to assist – and evaluate - in the community immersion of the US-bred Presidential son, Erick Rodriguez (Gerald Anderson). Though initially attracted to the unmistakable allure of Erick, Roan soon finds herself annoyed by the latter’s thoughtless whims and arrogant glib.

But as romcoms go, it didn’t take long for Roan to fall for Erick, and when 22 kids literally “propose” to her (aww shucks), who can say no?

Long before the dust settles, it becomes clear that Roan is too far removed from the glitz, glamour, and dining etiquette of her famous boyfriend – and she is awash with insecurity that can't be simply contained within a very public relationship. What’s a girl to do?

SAME CHICKEN

The movie takes its formulaic stride by banking on the chemistry of this new cinematic pair, and they surprisingly succeed. Is there a new grouping now? “Sarald” or “Gerah”, maybe? Hopefully less violent than the acid-spewing Kimeralds. Director Mae Czarina Cruz weaves her narrative by dressing her “chicken” differently, but really now, it is the same romcom chicken that we've seen many times over. “Quarrelling couple turns lovers” has been told ad nauseam, but this is undeniably a fan movie, thus much of its conceit is unforgivable.

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A month after it has opened, the movie has outlived newer releases (like Robin Padilla’s “Tum – My Pledge of Love”). It is raking the moolah that escaped “Hating Kapatid” too. (Sarah lost the "Box Office Queen" title because of the egg-laying capacity of that Wenn Deramas film). But on a more enlightened note, the film did NOT have a single product endorsement. This is mostly the hands of Star Cinema, who co-produced this with Viva Films. There were no intrusive spots on panty liners, pawnshops, or sing-along microphones. It made movie watching a more immersive experience.

On the technical side, the production is aided by brisk editing, a great location (the hanging bridge, the green fields of Isabela) and a spell-binding cinematography (Manuel Teehankee) that made a proper romantic canvas out of local color. Christopher de Leon and Dawn Zulueta make a perfect presidential couple while Arlene Muhlach and Joey Marquez, as Roan’s parents, typify the common folk adequately. Matteo Guidicelli (as Vitto) does well for his third-wheel role, but it didn't really have much to chew on, which is a waste. When Vitto suddenly drops a beat and raps his amorous advances, you are taken to hilarity. Matteo is a natural and he obviously deserves more screen time. Even the lovely Sam Pinto delivers a less stolid performance as the "other girl" who just might steal Erick away from "Roan of Caloocan". As plot devices, Sarah and Gerald are made to bicker and make up, they are even made to waddle in the mud and walk through glorious daylights, and as scenic as everything is, the whole narrative is nothing short of a fairy tale, albeit loosely based in reality.

Reality wont allow a “lowly” social worker to repeatedly and sarcastically call on a presidential son as “kamahalan” (your highness) regardless of how miffed she would be. Could anyone really call names on Jinggoy Estrada, Mikey Arroyo or even Kris Aquino whenever they act high and mighty? Or better yet, who in their right mind would send their son for a week's worth of community immersion to an NPA-infested province? As I said, the film is loosely based on reality – so it’s best to take it at face value.

Having said this, it is then a lot easier to masticate then swallow, and a fun time could be had at the movies. In fact, a great deal of this cinematic charm rests on a palpable chemistry – and then there is Sarah Geronimo!

SECOND SKIN

Roan is Sarah Geronimo, and the two entities become one. When Roan giggles, you believe that it hails from somewhere frolicky fun and fancy-free. So it is easy to see why people love Sarah. Even her dramatic moments are gradually taking form and gaining ground (the scene where she breaks up with Eric at the party is more than decent), unlike “You Changed My Life” (which was a better film than this one) where Geronimo obviously played to the peanut gallery more than emotionally investing on her role). This, I surmise, is a star-making role, and she gets a thumbs-up from this side of discourse.

THE DEAL WITH GERALD

If indeed we have forgiven the predictability and cinematic conceit of “Catch Me I’m In Love”, dealing with Gerald Anderson is another matter. Anderson has been getting high marks from us in the past. We have noticed how comfortable he has been with his portrayals, but such “comfort” has given him undue smugness. Even the most beautiful men of the world can’t be as self-assured as Erick. In several scenes, he comes off emanating self-love, I half expected he would suddenly pleasure himself on screen as he was too enamored with himself! Even if Gerald were God’s gift to women, he will be a better performer when he reins off his conceit. His Erick didn’t leave me charmed nor blushing. I was simply unnerved.

Brooding Matteo

Kim and Gerald Say Goodbye in "Till My Heartaches End"

Star Cinema films are rife with characters who always have issues with their families. Let's take a short roll call: John Lloyd Cruz's Migui Montenegro in "A Very Special Love" and "You Changed My Life" (who had to prove to his dad that he could run a company); Sam Milby's Nico Borromeo in "Babe, I Love You" (who needed to prove to his mother Laurice Guillen that he could succeed in the academic world; and Gerald Anderson's Powie Barredo ("Till My Heartaches End") is nothing different. He is the patriarch's bastard son who has to prove to dad Mark Gil that he is capable of dredging himself out of waitering. And what a great leap it is to finally have him succeed in the real estate business.

He meets Agnes Garcia (Kim Chiu), a Cebuana who's reviewing for the nursing boards. Sparks fly and the couple soon floats on a wave that takes Powie at the top of the heap. He is soon investing for condo units of his own; buying luxury cars for representation; and parading Agnes as his trophy girlfriend.

While Agnes' world revolves around Powie, the latter is starting to feel the constraints of her unwavering attention. How else would you feel if a girl tells you, "Mamamatay ako pag nawala ka!" It may sound romantic in novels, but in the general scheme of things, such sentimentality is nothing short of disturbing. When pressed with work, and you're bombarded with 5 dozens of text messages, do you fawn at her devotion? Shivers!

Kim Chiu delivers a one-note performance, no thanks to a myopic script that chose to showcase character evolution on Powie while Chiu's Agnes is left to mope around like an irritating wet blanket. But Gerald Anderson, as Powie, delivers a surprisingly intuitive performance worthy of the spotlight set on him. While Chiu stays afloat to survive a horrible screen persona, Anderson soars. He is charming and quite affecting, although he sometimes resorts to some bad facial affectations.

The narrative starts off compellingly, but soon loses steam. We are then made to endure a harrowing series of contrived, oft-repeated situations that grate through our patience. The film's middle 3rd is particularly tired and repetitious which is too bad, since this is a Jose Javier Reyes film. And Reyes hasn't done a bad rom-com in ages.

But just when we were ready to write it off as a forgettable flick altogether, Director Reyes pulls a brilliant trick out of his magical cauldron - and delivers a cinematic ending not usually upheld in mainstream romcoms! And if only for that, this sagging film is rendered its salvation!

RABID BEHAVIOR

With the hullabaloo surrounding disgruntled Kimerald fans (those acid-throwing threats, jesus!), it is clear how some elements of fandom could try to curtail the basic freedom of movie stars concerned. Since when were fans given the license to dictate the personal affairs of the stars they're supposed to emulate and support? That Anderson would appease these idiots by saying "They're not Kimeralds!" Who is he fooling? Not me! Eh sino yung mga yun, fans ni Maricel Soriano? O - baka fans ni Mahal at ni Mura! That's pretty hilarious, if I were to say it!

It was the right move from ABS-CBN to submit transcripts from these dictatorial nincompoops' Facebook shoutouts to the NBI so that these badgering fans shall eventually learn of their rightful place inside the comfortable confines of Manila City Jail!

What Godawful fans! If I were the artista, and these were my fans, dictating my every move - instead of being supportive of me, as Elizabeth Ramsey once said, "Magpapatuka na lang ako sa ahas!"

As for Kim, I shall forward what my yaya said about her - "Ayaw pag subra ug yaya!" (The last word is supposed to be pronounced with a glottal stop in both syllables.)

Don't you just hate weepers?

Gerald Anderson shines as Powie Barredo!

Kim Chiu is stuck in Agnes Garcia's self-pity!

Paano Na Kaya - Turning the Tables on Love

I am not exactly a fan of Kim Chiu or Gerald Anderson, but I like them both. They epitomize youthful exuberance, ambition and early success, and there’s nothing sweeter than seeing them grow before your eyes. They have evolved from hopeful reality TV stars into some of the biggest names in the business.

So their boobtube success finally translates into another movie together! Did we like it? Did we feel we got our P160’s worth? To be honest, I wasn’t jumping with joy when I left the theater. For one, we feel that the female protagonist is a study of embarrassment and shamelessness. I shall get to that in a bit.

Bogs Marasigan (Gerald Anderson) is caught in his own carefree world of fixing beat up cars and pleasing his girlfriend Anna (Melissa Ricks). And whatever he does, he takes his bestfriend Mae Chua (Kim Chiu) along for the ride – so Mae is licensed to hover ardently like a love sick puppy! After all, that’s what bestfriends do – or is it?

But cinematic relationships are not made in heaven as when Bogs gets dumped in favor of Anna’s boss. As he grieves for his lost love, Mae offers her affection and soon declares her love to the spaced out Bogs. He accepts! He is that impressionable! And all seems well at la-la land. Suddenly, Mae gets a make over. Her spectacles disappear; her hair gets a perm, then as luck would have it, Anna returns to claim what she feels is rightfully hers. Where does this leave Mae?

From the start, I had a problem with their relationship as “bestfriends”. This was one without a sense of entitlement. The narrative offers them on a platter without historical clarity- but for a stack of photo-shopped framed photographs; no high school or college past; no childhood memories – in fact, Bogs doesn’t even know JC (Robi Domingo) who was Mae’s childhood friend (JC once said he won’t ever marry anyone else but Mae). To encapsulate this, what they have is a one-sided relationship that’s based on Mae’s infatuation - and devotion. In my book, that doesn’t constitute friendship. Thus Bogs becomes a selfish prick of epic proportions – one who’s easily swayed by words - and one who attains epiphany as he flexes his biceps at the shower!

Kim Chiu is given half a dozen highlights and though she works hard with every morsel of her emotive capacity, she, unfortunately doesn’t make the grade. She falls short and appears shrill, her characterization superficial and spare. This was evident during her confrontation with her dad (Ricky Davao) at the dinner table; then again on top of a fire truck while a raging fire blazes over (an anticlimactic, badly executed scene). Kim’s emotive sincerity feels inadequate. I would have thought she had a lot of on-the-job experience after 3-4 years of teleserye, right? But all this is probably remediable with real life experiences. She is young and obviously talented - thus has a lot of potential for growth.

Gerald Anderson, on the other hand, has never been expected to pass muster as a dramatic actor. He has a face that’s too good looking to pass for a serious actor. In fact, except for being drop dead gorgeous, nothing much is expected from Mr. Anderson except look cute doing his noodle dance. Alas, how can we be so wrong? Gerald has been turning up very credible performances. He experiments with real emotions – he even gets too eager at times - and all this is manifested on screen. Whatever excesses should have been easily reined in by an intuitive director! In retrospect, Gerald comes off better than Kim. He could have been awkward is several silly scenes – like when he literally begs in front of Anna to stay with him while the new beau (Bernard Palanca) looks on; like when he professes his real feelings on top of a fire truck. Even his scenes with Zsa zsa Padilla (the delinquent mother ) are quite affecting.

Paano Na Kaya presents us with characters that aren't quite real. Do you actually buy Kim as this business girl who can sell 1,500 shirts in a day? Not when she stutters and shrieks in front of her irate customers, then even before she closes the deal, she turns her back and accepts a phone call, all the while calling her customers “Mga intsik…” within their earshot! Plus there were awkward lines that don’t belong in highly charged dramatic moments while the leading lady is shedding buckets: “Shinota mo ang bestfriend mo!” (And you hear the whole gallery laughing!) Mae was accusing Bogs something that she should have told herself. After all, she was the one who offered herself at the time when he was most vulnerable! She was the subtle manipulator!

So - shame on you, Mae! You deserve your broken heart! Ikaw kasi, “shinota mo” ang bestfriend mo!

As we left the cinema, we heard 3 girls saying, “Ampanget!” Then one of them giggled, “Pero ang pogi ni Robi!”

She was right! If Star Cinema needs a 3^rd body to cook up a triangle that can match up with Gerald’s boyish charms, Robi Domingo perfectly fits the bill! He registers handsomely and his features complement that of Kim’s. Robi looks ill at ease, even awkward in some of his scenes, but remember how bad Kim was when she did her first sitcom (“Aalog Alog”)?

Move over Kimerald, here comes Kimbi?

attention abs cbn

attention abs-cbn :

i heard my 5 year old cousin comment about gerald anderson's new look, "tita, did he bathe this morning?" hahaha! now, doesn't that say anything about what this new image thing is doing for one of my favorite new actors, gerald anderson? being young and looking unkempt, unshaven, and unglamorous doesn't bode well for a relatively young career. when he gets a little more mature, maybe, but this is the time for him to build a fan base - NOT alienate his fans. this EMO look isn't working. it doesn't make people - girls, particularly - root for gerald's character in the sunday afternoon soap, "my only hope". ako, when i get to watch it, i carefully watch that new young cutie xian. he is delicious and oh-so tall! and i used to not able to keep my eyes off gerald but the emo-freaky look turns me off major.

it just doesn't make me blush, but gag.