The Twilight Saga: New Moon

4.5/5

Awesome, HOT, and incredibly terrific, New Moon is every Twilight fans’ ecstasy!

As Stephenie Meyer ‘s Twilight saga continues in its second installment, Bella (Kristen Stewart) found herself happy and contented with her smooth sailing relationship with gorgeous vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). But an unfortunate incident at her 18th birthday party thrown for her by Edward’s sister brings their bliss into a halt. Edward decided to leave, totally convinced that Bella is better off away from vampires like him. Depressed and grief-stricken, Bella got fond of engaging in reckless activities because of the hallucinations it brings. Bella also grew closer to best friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) in the absence of Edward. For a moment, she took comfort in the arms of Jacob but not for long as it was revealed that he is a werewolf. And given the fact that vampires and werewolves are eternally at war with each other, Bella found herself torn between two men very dear to her heart and if it’s not enough, both are very much in love with her.

I am a big fan of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, setting aside my obsession with it and being totally objective about this movie, I have to say that it lived up to the great expectations of fans. First and foremost it is one of the best decisions Summit made to replace Catherine Hardwicke as director. If only Twilight was directed like this, maybe it has sustained fans’ and non-fans’ anticipation of the sequel. But be that as it may, I’m pretty sure New Moon will still do well in the box-office.

Chris Weitz did a marvelous job with Twilight’s second installment. Just BRAVO! The core, essential flow of the plot was perfectly executed. It didn’t confuse moviegoers whether they have read the book or not. It’s not like Twilight wherein the storyline jumped from A to E then B to P and viewers were just shocked in astonishment with “What the heck is this, Catherine? Are you sure you can direct???” Call me boring but in my own honest opinion, movie adaptations should always stay close as possible to its book counterparts. After all, that’s the main purpose of it, to give life to the book’s story through audio and visual media and not altering it. What is really praiseworthy about New Moon is that it stayed as accurate as possible with the book. It’s a tough thing to do given the fact that they had to compress the book into a 2-hour film. And let’s face it, the books were all phenomenal and fans of these types of literature wouldn’t want major alterations in the storyline. I believe one of the reasons why New Moon’s way way way better than Twilight was because it stayed faithful to the original text that made millions fall in love with Meyer’s characters and narrative. Hands down to Chris Weitz for the excellent depiction of major scenes which were all the way I have imagined them to be. The necessary and vital components of the story were all chronologically present in the film and really smoothed out the general flow. There was also right amount of suspense in this movie which is essential in the general feel of the plot.

I will never forget to commend Melissa Rosenberg, who wrote the screenplay for doing such a wonderful job in this movie. She also wrote Twilight’s screenplay and last year in my Twilight review I did say that her worked sucked but now I am truly contemplating if she’s the one to blame for Twilight’s rottenness or the director. But overwhelmed with her work with New Moon, I’d like to think all the blame was really on its infamous director, Hardwicke. Of course details were so much richer in the book but including the essential dialogues into the script was just perfect! It made readers smile in sheer outpour of emotions and surely did with viewers too.

Special effects were superb! Action sequences were more realistic and depicted excellently. I love it when the pack transforms into wolves. And the chasing sequence of the wolves and Victoria was just awesome. Cinematography was also a lot better this time. Over all editing was passable though of course in some scenes the film still fails to depict and make the idea of “time passing by” believable. Backdrops, locations, and shots were all just perfect and totally complemented each other. I’d also like to take note that the make-ups and prosthetics leveled up in this movie.

Acting wise, this movie fails big time but what the heck this movie is not intended for Oscars. And the market to which this movie is intended for doesn’t really care about best acting performances. Kristen Stewart in my opinion should really thank whoever the reason for her being cast as Bella Swan. She will always be remembered in Hollywood pop culture as Bella in Twilight but not because of her acting. She acts so rigid and not at all convincing. I really felt Bella’s pain when Edward left her and almost cried, that is, when I was reading the book. But watching Kristen in those particular scenes where she could have showcased herself, I couldn’t bring myself to cry cause to me she looks like someone suffering LBM and badly needs to run to the bathroom.

Thank God Robert Pattinson is HOT because he couldn’t act! He’s such an eye candy; a deliriously delicious vanilla ice cream you’d like to lick forever. But that’s just it. I love his accent…his voice is still heaven to me but the way he delivered his lines, seriously?! I do believe that Pattinson’s strength is really in his facial expressions and boy oh boy his eyes are his best asset. Despite his bad acting, I still think he is HOT and I’ll say it again, Robert Pattinson can send you to your wildest orgasmic mode!

Taylor Lautner is nothing but a shrimp to me. Desirable, mouthwatering, almost glorious body but completely unattractive. He did have his moments in this movie and he delivered most of the powerful lines in this installment but his stiff delivery makes him ineffective as an actor.

The inclusion of Dakota Fanning is fantastic! I love her! Up until this very moment, I’m still mimicking her facial expression and the way she delivered her infamous line, “This might hurt just a little.” Love it!

Of course I also drooled over the wolf pack. Dammit! Their buddies were OMG!!! HOT HOT HOT! And they’re handsome ha except Sam. He doesn’t appeal to me but Embry, Quil, and omg PAUL!!! Dammit! YUMMY!!!

This second installment in the Twilight saga, is a must watch movie. It’s a whole lot better than the first one. It improved in a lot of aspects and will totally bring you to the mystic world of vampires and werewolves. Fans will of course take time to fall in line and watch this movie but I think even non-fans should watch! After all, it’s very enjoyable. And it is a reminder to us all that NOTHING CAN EVER MATCH THE PAIN AND LOSS OF BEING SEPARATED FROM THE ONE YOU LOVE.

In My Life

5/5

Acting in its finest! Just when you thought a movie almost close to perfection will never be possible again in Philippine cinema, comes Star Cinema’s “In My Life” which in my opinion, is the Best Movie of 2009 and one of the Best Movies ever produced in Philippine Movie History.


Shirley (Vilma Santos), a librarian, annulled, and mother of three is a lady who has been stuck with the old ways. She’s so used to the comforts of her life’s routines that she has blocked any new changes in her life and in the lives of the people around her. Everything has evolved with time except Shirley. But her life soon welcomes change when she moved to New York and lived with her gay son (Luis Manzano) and his partner, Noel (John Lloyd Cruz). As Shirley adjusts to life in New York, unconsciously, through the exquisitely deep and special romance of two men, she’s been able to open her life to a fresh new start and gradually allow change to consume her for the better.

I am trying to deduce something wrong or at least irrelevant with this film and I can’t think of any. I can’t even think of something that went wrong with this film. The script is just perfect. It’s never inadequate nor is it overly exaggerated. What’s truly remarkable about the script of this film is that it’s as real as it can get. The scriptwriter did a magnificent job for I never felt like I am watching a movie. The script’s honesty and grasp of genuine human emotions made me feel as if the scenes were really happening right in front of my very own eyes. Every line was perfect. Every confrontation scenes and dramatic moments were all straight pierces to the heart. Every dialogue was just flawlessly choreographed and as truthful as it can possibly be. The plot and all the inciting incidents of the movie were properly laid down and were brilliantly executed. Director Olive Lamasan didn’t do a wonderful job but an almost perfect, unbelievably great direction. The execution of the film’s dramatic voice was breathtakingly awesome! Every scene was perfectly placed in its right sequence. The editing and the entire motion factor were just excellent in every aspect of the film.

You would expect that the milieu or what we call the general feel of the movie is just a tear jerking, overly dramatic feel but what a perfect offset to the heavy drama are the sensible humor carefully intertwined with the story’s narrative. Also, this movie’s realistic narrative and story telling is superb beyond any description I can possibly think of.

Also, I have to mention that one of the best characteristics of this movie is the exceptional character building especially with the core characters. The fictive world of the movie is very much humanized because of the excellent character building. The Core Characters’ internal and external conflicts were properly ironed out even their quirks which are a very very important aspect of character building to create character hooks.

I can go on and on and on pointing out all the best qualities of this movie, “In My Life” but I think everyone will agree with me that the biggest come on of the movie, is the acting of the three major characters. For two hours I didn’t saw Luis Manzano, John Lloyd Cruz, and the great Vilma Santos. I was so drawn to their characters and they gave life to their respective characters in such a way that the audience will totally forget that they’re only portraying fictitious movie characters. WOW! And again I say WOW to acting in this movie.

Luis Manzano is the biggest surprise of in terms of acting. We know Luis as a good host and comedy actor but a dramatic actor? Some may have doubts; some may even raise an eyebrow. But lo and behold, he can act. He can cry. As a matter of fact one of the scenes that made me cry was when he was apologizing to Ate Vi in the park for once again disappointing her as a son. For his first dramatic movie, Luis Manzano did a good job!

John Lloyd Cruz is without a doubt one of the best if not the BEST ACTOR of this generation. He is the only actor who has the right to spit on Christopher de Leon’s (Maging Sino Ka Man, 2007) face and slap Vilma Santos in a scene. I bow down to this man. Wow! Every facial expression, every gesture, every dialogue, this man… this actor… has perfected his acting in front of the camera. He deserves every aspect of success his career can ever achieve for without a doubt, he is one of the finest actors in Philippine Movie History. Again allow me to say, JOHN LLOYD CRUZ IS JUST THE BEST!

I am a true-blue Vilmanian ever since I was a kid and liberating myself with any biases, I believe every Filipino, and even a Noranian can never deny the fact that MS. VILMA SANTOS is one of the GREATEST ACTRESSES in the history of Philippine Cinema. A VILMA SANTOS only comes once in a lifetime! WOW! ATE VI never fails to leave moviegoers in awe. Just when I thought she has already showcased her acting prowess in its every dimension of it with her tons of past movies, I am so wrong! Her acting in this movie is not only new but mesmerizingly inexplicable no matter how I turn my head around. She doesn't even need to cry hysterically but you can feel every bit of her character’s pain. She flawlessly gave genuine emotions to Shirley’s character in every body movement, dialogue, facial expression, etc. WOW! Just WOW! To everyone she’s The Star for All Seasons but to me, SHE IS THE ACTRESS! THE GREATEST of them all!

I believe it’s about time a story like this penetrates mainstream cinema. Gay relationships are so profuse nowadays that it deserves a serious narrative that’ll show the ups and downs, the genuineness, and the sincerity of gay romance. This is another look to gay relationships. Totally veering away from just the comedy dimension mainstream Philippine cinema has created for it or the indie movie understanding that gay relationships are just all about sex. It’s about time gay relationships are taken seriously in Pinoy movies. And maybe, I hope, this is one vehicle for Filipinos to see relationships of this kind as nothing but just the same as heterosexual relationships and treat it with proper respect that it deserves.

I watched this movie in its opening day, I’ll watch it again this Sunday and yes, I can get enough because I’ll still secure a copy when the official DVD is released. “In My Life” is the kind of movie that no one should ever dare to miss. It’s not every year that a movie as good as this will be produced. It’s not every year that a movie produced is as worth watching as this one. If there’s one movie you shouldn’t miss in your entire life, it’s this one. You’ll be missing a lot if you never watch this movie. It’s one of the BEST!

Kimmy Dora

4/5 stars

Comedy at its best!

Twins Kimmy and Dora (both played by Eugene Domingo) are heiresses to the multi-billion Go Dong Hae empire. Conflict arises mainly caused by the differences between the twins’ personalities. While Kimmy is all-brains and ruthless, her sister Dora is caring and thoughtful although a little slow, mentally. The twins’ personalities always clashes as Kimmy is very much jealous of the attention and special care Dora is getting from their father, Luisito Go Dong Hae, and from Johnson (Dingdong Dantes), the apple of her eyes. As peculiar events transpired, Kimmy and Dora finds themselves switching places with Kimmy in the hands of kidnappers and Dora now the CEO of the Go Dong Hae empire.

I’d like to say that this movie didn’t disappoint at all. There was enormous hype and promo for the movie and it’s all worth it. This movie stands apart from all the other comedies the Philippine movie industry has been producing these past few years because this particular movie actually offers a different type of Filipino humor, a comedy that has value. It’s not the cliché overly corny comedy we’ve all watched a thousand times before. Kimmy Dora actually tells a story with a perfect blend of stuffed comedy and passable drama.

There was never a dull moment in this movie and I never felt as if scenes were just included to fill-in the time as many mainstream comedy movies in the Philippines now do. I have to point out that though Kimmy Dora falls under the comedy genre and it’s obviously produced just to entertain and make moviegoers laugh, producers made sure that the storyline and the script itself is actually worth watching. And it proves that not because this is comedy, the narrative flow of the movie is already unimportant. I say kudos to its scriptwriter, Chris Martinez. I am so a fan of the works of this man. Editing was also worth mentioning above others because every scene was perfect in the story’s time line and this is a very important aspect many comedy films nowadays take for granted. With a beautiful editing like this, audiences will be drawn deep into the story even though the plot is just very very light. This is the only comedy movie Direk Joyce Bernal directed that I actually enjoyed. I am a big big fan of her romantic-comedies and only now can I say that she’s also good with comedy movies.

EUGENE DOMINGO IS THE BEST! A STAR IS BORN. I am a fan of Uge since time immemorial. If I admire her talent before, I adore it now. I believe everything with regards to this movie is perfect timing. This is the perfect launching material for a talent like Eugene’s. In my opinion, she deserves every title being given to her today because she’s really a one of a kind actress. Her comedy is genuine and spontaneous. And she can affect audience with her drama. With her versatility and innate acting abilities, I dare say, EUGENE DOMINGO IS THE ACTRESS of all our lady comedians nowadays. She is a precious talent and really THE ONE AND ONLY! Hail to the Diamond Comedy Queen and hopefully, the 2009 Box Office Queen!

Kimmy Dora is in every aspect a worth watching movie because aside from the laugh it’ll give you, it’ll also unconsciously touch you in many ways. And hello naman just for Uge’s talent being showcased in this movie it’s already a must watch. I am saying this now, this movie is worth every peso you will pay for it and I believe this comedy movie will be one of the classics Philippine cinema has ever produced. Super congratulations to Spring Films and Ms. Eugene Domingo.

The Time Traveler's Wife

3/5 stars

Beautiful, romantic, tear-jerker but insufficient in many ways, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” just wasn’t enough.

Henry (Bana), is a librarian with a genetic disorder that lets him travel through time. It’s an uncontrollable disorder that throws him in the past or in the future naked, and totally lost where he is. One thing though was constant in his time traveling…Claire (McAdams). Claire first met Henry in her childhood, in the meadow near her parent’s home. From then on, Claire was a recurring character in Henry’s time traveling. By chance of fate, one day, they finally met when Henry’s not time traveling, in the library where Henry is working. They soon fell in love and got married but how can their romance go on with Henry’s genetic disorder causing him to always disappear and making Claire wait till who knows when he’s coming back?

First and foremost, I wasn’t able to read the book. In a way, I’m glad I didn’t because there’s still a little satisfaction left in me to give this movie credit for an attempt to depict Audrey Niffenegger’s masterpiece into the big screen. I’d like to believe that the epic theme of Claire and Henry’s romance diminished in the movie adaptation. There are just so many untied loose ends totally disrupting the movie’s romantic element. The development of romance wasn’t executed very well thus leaving the audience in a rush to follow the character’s build-up from falling in love to “I Love You”. The story in general is a little confusing with the use of the concept of time traveling. Gladly, the idea that Henry was naked when he time travels saves the audience from further confusion. At least you know that there’s something constant and that when he’s naked in the scene, that means he’s time traveling. Direction was passable but if the director was more technical about the effects maybe he could have executed the time traveling clearer. In such a way that it doesn’t add more bizarreness to the already complex storyline. Because of the plot’s complexity, the confusion that arose from Henry’s constant travel back and forth makes the movie a little mind-boggling but nonetheless, the romantic element was still intact.

What’s very very commendable about the movie was its cinematography. Wow! I specifically loved the part when Claire and Henry’s daughter was born and to save running time while showing the years that passed, frames were interconnected to each other that simply created a delight for the eyes. As I’ve said I wasn’t able to read the book but I am not very happy about the movie’s script. In my opinion it wasn’t written very well causing flaws in the build up of romance as well as in the movie’s over-all development of tension in the plot. Also, the script lacks a lot of important dialogues that will draw the audience flow with the plot. If this movie was trying to pull off a “show! don’t tell” case, I dare say it wasn’t successful at all.

Rachel McAdams, I think is our generation’s Meg Ryan only, with better acting. She was perfect for the role of Claire and her facial expressions are admirable. I love the fact that McAdams was able to convey different emotions with just her facial expressions. She doesn’t have to be hysterical but by just looking at her, you’ll be able to feel her pain or any other variety of human emotions needed in a particular scene. Eric Bana wasn’t superb in his acting but rather okay. There were scenes that his acting was insufficient that’s why some scenes appears to be raw if we’ll talk about the emotions that should be conveyed. What I have to say about him is how HOT he is. As in OMG!!! If only for his hotness, I am so drawn to this movie. One star in my rating is actually for Eric Bana’s hotness!

In many ways, ”The Time Traveler’s Wife” is still worth the watch. I am not saying it’s superb but it’s ok. It’s confusing and mind-boggling at times but concentrate on the romantic element of the plot and surely, this movie is very much enjoyable. It’s very heartfelt and touching. I was actually super crying during the last 30 minutes of the movie. Once you get the flow of the plot, you’ll already be drawn to the character’s love story which in my opinion is true love in its truest form.

After watching “The Time Traveler’s Wife” I realized that we all wait for true love. We all dream and wish for it but sometimes love takes a lot of effort. A lot of times loving breaks all conventions that we human beings are all just bound to adjust for love. They say at one point, we all have to wait. But there’s no denying that waiting is never easy and it’ll never be easy in any situation. But I guess what the story of “The Time Traveler’s Wife” is trying to tell us is that ultimately, SPACE AND TIME IS THE TRUEST TEST FOR TRUE LOVE. And no matter what happens, no matter how long, no matter how painful, your true love will wait for you.

And I Love You So

4/5 stars

Full of emotions, romantic, and sexy, “And I Love You So” is this year’s HOT movie everybody shouldn’t miss.

24-year old Pres-school teacher Lara (Bea Alonzo) suddenly lost her almost perfect husband Oliver (Derek Ramsay) when he suffered brain aneurysm on the very day of her birthday. Grief-stricken by the passing away of her first and one great love, Lara didn’t know how to pick up the pieces of her heart and continue living when the one person worth living for is already gone. Dying together with the love of her life is her will to continue living. For her every waking morning is another day of misery. But like any other widow, she forces herself to move on and carry over the pain. Starting over came hand in hand with other life problems for Lara and in a series of chance encounters she met Chris (Sam Milby), a hot, playboy, newly-separated from his wife club DJ who will tremendously help her in starting a new beginning. As they grow closer to each other and romance made its way, can their love survive the conflicts of their broken hearts? Can Chris really help Lara let go and make her fairly love him too? And ultimately, will Lara be able to open her heart and give love a second chance?

Director Lauren Dyogi’s big screen comeback, I must say, showed a lot of improvements from his other films namely, “All My Life” and “Now That I Have You”. There were of course glitches but at least his execution is improving. I just have to point out that probably one of the few problematic executions in the film was Bea’s realization that she’s been mourning for quite sometime already. What? Just by looking at her engagement ring and wedding ring? It seems too raw for a turning point like that.

The build up of romance in my opinion is admirable. Its execution is very good. I saw and more importantly felt how first it was just attraction from Chris and gradually falling for Lara and finally he fell in love; the same goes for Lara’s character. I am pointing this out because it is very important in a love story or any stories for this matter that there’s proper implementation of the sequence of events. In that way the emotions of the audience flows along with the story. I also have to mention that the kilig moments in this film were really WOW. I can’t help but bite my lips giving in to so much kilig.

The movie’s main plot and script is very remarkable. The story itself is not new to us, we’ve probably seen it in another movie or perhaps on TV but because of a very beautifully written script, you wouldn’t notice that this story has been done before. Again, I regard Star Cinema and the script writer, Vanessa Valdez (I hope I got it correctly) for a script that’s not cheesy and not at all exaggerated. This is the kind of script that of course because of its genre, there are portions which seems to be out of this world already but what I’ve noticed with Star Cinema over the years is that their scripts are more and more realistic as time goes by. Genuine human emotions are depicted and stories are very realistic. I am so glad that the Philippine film industry today, Star Cinema to be specific has veered away from the “I love you I can’t live without you. Please don’t leave me” kind of scripts. It’s so refreshing and now Filipino love stories have become sensible enough.

Another high point of this movie is its take to a very heavy story and yet you don’t feel like it’s too much for you to bear. The drama in this movie is just enough. The addition of certain comedians to the cast is also a wise move because it balances out the tone of drama and pain already set at the beginning of the movie. As I’ve said it is very praiseworthy of Director Lauren Dyogi of how properly he executed the screenplay in such a way that even though the movie is dealing with drama and at times comedy, still, the romantic element of the movie is intact and dominating the entire movie.

I also have to mention how beautiful the shots were. Scenic view was just awesome. Cinematography was also a two thumbs up. I personally love the scene where Lara was letting go of Oliver and while she’s saying her final goodbye before she threw the locket where she’s kept Oliver’s ashes, Bea was in a boat with big cliffs of rock in her background, wow! It’s amazing!

Bea Alonozo and Sam Milby’s overly publicized love scene was shot very very well. Cinematography was just perfect. It was fierce and passionate but romantic in many ways. Skillfully done I must say. And yes, this is probably Bea’s most daring love scene to date.

In a recent interview Bea expressed her anxiousness about this movie because it is her first time to be paired in the big screen with other leading men after her consecutive box-office movies with love team John Lloyd Cruz. Also, this movie is her coming off age movie. She said she did this movie because she wanted people to see that she’s now a lady, an actress in her own right. I’d like to believe this movie did justice to that. Bea has arrived. Her acting is magnificent. Not over acting, not hysterical, just enough for her to convey Lara’s angst, fears, and pains. Indeed, this story is perfect for her. Director Lauren Dyogi was able to let the lady in Bea Alonzo shine.

There’s so much improvement in Derek Ramsay and Sam Milby’s acting in this movie. Truly, these two actors have come a long way. Not only is Derek Ramsay sizzling hot but hey the man can really act. His eyes are his best acting asset. Maging Sino Ka Man really honed Sam in many ways. One moment he’s the hot, irresistible bad boy then he’s the charming boy-next-door you’d love to bring home to mom. For two hours inside the movie house I forgot a Piolo Pascual is existing for boy oh boy Sam Milby is HOT!!! Also, aside from Derek and Piolo, Sam has the best abs among the actors in our generation!

“And I Love You So” is not the type of movie that’ll later on be a classic. Its plot has been depicted in visual arts many times before but this movie I have to tell everybody is the one you wouldn’t wanna miss. It’s a breather from all the romantic-comedies these days. It’s a sensible movie that’ll teach you how to deal with the pain of a lost love. It’ll show you that there is life after mourning and that ultimately, at a certain point, we all have to LET GO and open our hearts again. After all, LOVE ALWAYS DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE.

The Proposal

5/5

Enjoyable, funny, and filled with just enough romance, “The Proposal” is a romantic-comedy at its best!

Addicted to romantic-comedies as I am, it is a given fact that I will watch this in its opening day. I was actually aiming to see the sneak previews last week for I really can’t wait but I didn’t get the chance. After months of eager anticipation, this movie didn’t disappoint me at all. As a matter of fact, it’s now one of my all-time favorite romantic-comedies.

Facing an unexpected deportation after her visa renewal was denied, antagonistic, bitchy, and unsympathetic publishing house editor-in-chief Margaret Tate (Bullock) forces her hunky, naïve assistant, Andrew Paxton (Reynolds) to marry her. With a promise of promotion to being an editor, Andrew agrees with Margaret’s charades setting his own conditions. When government intervened, the two were forced to head to Alaska for a weekend with his family. Totally selling the lie, Andrew and Margaret were faced to an impromptu wedding at his hometown. Little that they know, as they spent more and more time together, they’ve gotten closer on a personal basis and have fallen in love. But at the eve of the wedding, Margaret couldn’t bring herself to stick to their plan and deceivingly say ‘I Do’ in front of Andrew’s family she’s come to love…

Being predictable is an inevitable element of a romantic-comedy. But what differentiates this movie among others was that there was a substantially rich story, cleverly written script, and excellent acting from the actors all rolled into one. The great combination of these three cinematic elements created a movie that made use of the cliché romantic-comedy formula but making you forget its predictability. Once you watch the movie, you will not notice time for you’ll be simply drawn to the story as it unfolds. It was hilarious at a certain extent and you’ll notice how fresh the comedy the story is offering. It veered away from the cliché comedy we’ve already watched in hundreds of romance-comedies over the years. There was ample amount of romance to stimulate our hopeless romantic side. Also, I wanna point out that the build up of romance between Andrew and Margaret didn’t appear as a rush. That’s one of the reasons why this movie sets it apart from other movies of its kind because the romance was properly executed. You as an audience wouldn’t question how the characters fell in love that fast as a matter of fact, while the romance was building up, you will feel how the fictitious love story is possible in real life. Just like with her 2008 hit, “27 Dresses”, Director Anne Fletcher was able to execute a love story that’s not so larger than life impossible. She was able to show it with so much realism in it.

There was an undeniable chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. A romantic-comedy will never be successful without this fundamental element and make no mistake Bullock and Reynolds’ chemistry will make you believe that this love story is happening in real life…right in front of you. Their acting was just enough for what every scene demands. Sandra Bullock with her charisma and wit is gorgeous and just right in this movie. Ryan Reynolds…a new matinee idol is born! He’s perfect for the character of Andrew and his innate calm, innocent humor was just the best, flawlessly combined to his boy-next-door appeal. And boy can I just say he’s jaw-droppin’ HOT HOT HOT!

With its wonderful balance of romance and comedy perfectly woven to a fantastic story, very well written and never exaggerating script, fine acting, and properly executed love story in camera, “THE PROPOSAL” is the romantic-comedy event of 2009! It is a love story that tells us love can never be boxed in how long or short time you’ve known a person for you to love him/her. It can happen overnight, over a weekend, who knows? But when love happens, it just does. You just gotta deal with it in every possible way. This movie is worth the wait and certainly worth the 160 bucks.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

3/5 stars

Entertaining, passable, and witty, this romantic comedy is a run-of-the-mill movie still worth your time and money.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is a story of a commitment phobic guy who wants to salvage his brother from committing the biggest mistake of his life—getting married. Connor Mead (Matthew McCounaughey) is a well-known photographer who thinks “love is comfort food for the weak”. He cares nothing but get a woman in bed and leave her afterwards. Reminded by her personal assistant that he is due for his brother’s wedding rehearsal, Connor makes a trip back home to convince his brother that tying the knot is a mistake. On the brink of totally ruining his brother’s wedding, Connor was visited by three ghosts that showed him the past, present, and future of his relationships. Starting off with his beloved uncle, idol, and mentor, Uncle Wayne—who appeared to him because he doesn’t want his nephew’s life to end up just like his. This trip back home for his brother’s wedding also reunited him with his childhood sweetheart and love of his life, Jenny (Jennifer Garner). And together with the three ghosts, Jenny will make Connor realize how awful his perspective of love has turned out to be.

Very very predictable, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past will remind us of the classic Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” ghosts-visiting-in-one night formula. The movie’s narrative is rich in substance that weren’t all maximized by Hollywood’s usual just to kill the runtime clichés. Very bad because the story has depth and some real sentiments that could’ve appealed more to the audience but the use of too much stereotypes has diminished the intensity of some great emotions in the film. However, bearing in mind that this movie belongs to the romantic comedy genre, being formulaic and predictable shouldn’t really be much of a concern because it is but normal that at the end, we already know that the boy and the girl will end up with each other. Not a shocking ending after all. Aside from the usual kilig and some sense or lesson you will deduce from the story, the characters’ journey to get to their resolutions in these kinds of movies is the main point of watching romantic comedies. With the ample humor and just enough twists and turns in every character’s conflict, it balanced out the tedious clichés used in the narrative. Just by that, this movie is really enjoyable.

McCounaughey was perfect as Connor Mead. I don’t think anybody in Hollywood is as right for the character as him. Garner on the other hand was a bit of mediocre in this film but in overall assessment, she’s ok in this film. But I have to say, there was nothing as in 0 chemistry between McCounaughey and Garner. In my opinion, Jennifer was never the leading lady type. The supporting cast really shined in this movie. They are another reason why this film is still worth watching.

Though not the kind of movie you would expect from the pairing of two big stars like McCounaughey and Garner, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is a very entertaining movie. It’ll make you laugh at certain points and will also touch you without you noticing it. Conflicts and resolutions in the movie are unsurprising but the screenplay was very very good and that alone redeemed this movie. I say this movie is still worth it, because it’ll entertain you, make you feel kilig, and most importantly the movie will remind you to never run away from love because at the end of everything, nothing beats the feeling of waking up in the morning in the arms of LOVE.

25 Random Things About Gorgeous Dave

1. Sometimes, I wish I'm a straight guy. Surely, my life will totally be different. Not that I'm not happy being gay. It's just that maybe choosing a normal path will bring peace to me. Maybe the care and love of a girl is more pleasurable and satisfying than a man's love I'm forever longing for. Maybe I'll make one of the best husbands in town. Maybe I'll make a loving and caring dad. Maybe having a wife and children is what will make me truly happy.

2. The most romantic sexual fantasy I've ever imagined up until now is with my first year college General Psychology professor. His initials? M V.

3. I have gerascophobia more commonly known as fear of growing old.

4. I adore Kris Aquino! I wanna talk like her, be like her, think like her. I wish I'm Kris Aquino in my next life.

5. It's my dream to have my own talk show someday. I love to talk, talk, and talk. I feel like there are so many things I want to share. I really want to host and interview people.

6. I love being inside a bookstore, particularly, Bestsellers, Fullybooked, and Powerbooks. National kasi is so ingay and so gulo, i feel like there's always a fiesta. Whenever I'm inside a bookstore, I feel so calm and peaceful. I love being with books.

7. I'm in cloud nine everytime I buy a new book. I just love love love books! Of course, I also horde books. Hello? Even Kris Aquino still has plenty of books wrapped in their original plastics. What's important is I find time to read them one by one. To date, I still have 40 unopened books, still wrapped in their original plastics.

8. After reading all my K! The Kris Aquino Magazines, I put them back in their original plastics and store them in a place no one can make pakialam and make them sira.

9. Call me selfish but I don't like lending my books, CDs, DVDs, and magazines. Having them all in my room gives me peace of mind. It forms part of my self-security knowing that I have a copy of this issue or this book at home. It gives me joy to know that no matter what happens, I already secured a copy.

10. I have an obsession with jeans. I don't know what it is about them but they make me really happy. To date, I think I already have a hundred or close to a hundred.

11. All my clothes are color-coded according to the color wheel. And they hang inside individual garment plastics.

12. I so love Chuck Taylors for life!

13. I hate it when people accidentally or intentionally steps on my shoes. I feel like, "How dare you? This shoe is more expensive than you are!"

14. I can eat KFC Fried Chicken and their gravy for a month and still crave for it.

15. I go crazy when something goes wrong in my computer.

16. I feel like crying everytime my internet connection is down. It makes me crazy.

17. I'm such an OC! I double check everything. I want everything to be in order. I want all my files organized. I always double check (often times more than double check pa) if I've locked the doors, have I passed the requirement? Have I clicked the submit button? Have I place it on the right place? This sometimes bugs me na.

18. I am a frustrated singer. I really wish God blessed me with a magnificent voice.

19. I super love YAEL YUZON's voice!

20. I hate having to borrow things. As much as possible, I want to have my own because I don't want to have an utang-na-loob.

21. I dream of having a healthy, long, serious relationship someday. One like Boy Abunda and Bong Quintana have.

22. I'm an expert when it comes to loving from a distance as well as unrequited love.

23. I want to have an affair with a married guy. Forbidden is HOT!

24. In my dreams, I wish to have the wildest sex of my life with Robin Padilla!

25. After all the pain and heartbreaks I've gone through, I still believe that love will come to me. I still believe that special someone who will give me the unconditional love I'm dying to have will one day cross my path and finally appease my distressed heart.

He's Just Not That Into You

4/5 stars

Filled with enough drama and obvious humor with sufficient mix of fine acting, every chick flick fan in town shouldn’t miss this movie at all! I’m a self-confessed one so first day, first screening, I went and watch it at Gateway Cineplex 6.

Based on the self-help book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, He’s Just Not That Into You is a story of love and relationships in general. It tells us that men after all, were not that complicated. If he didn’t call you back after the first date or didn’t bother at all to call you after the first encounter, no need to obsess about figuring out why he didn’t call. It’s as simple as what the title implies.

What is very very remarkable about the movie is the way it was adapted. The book is a self-help one and how they created a wonderful plot and how the lives of each character are intertwined is awesome.

Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a girl who longs for love but lives under the impression of our society’s stereotypes that if a guy does this, that means he likes you. Obsessing about why her latest date Conor (Kevin Connolly) never called again after the first date, she started stalking him and laying down all the possible reasons why he never called. In a sudden work of fate she met Alex (Justin Long) who happens to be a friend of Connor’s, Alex then enlightened Gigi of the reasons why his friend never called and gave her pieces of advice why most of the time, men never calls after the first date. On the other hand, Gigi’s officemates have their own relationship problems with the men in their lives. Beth (Jennifer Aniston) is committed into a long term relationship with Neil (Ben Affleck) but doesn’t want to marry her. Neil is friends with Ben (Bradley Cooper) who was forced into marriage by his wife Janine (Jennifer Connelly), who’s also an officemate of Beth and Gigi. Ben felt that his marriage was a torture. He then met and slept with aspiring singer and yoga instructor, Anna (Scarlet Johansson), who’s friends with Mary (Drew Barrymore), a girl who doesn’t mind looking for Mr. Right in Myspace. Together, they unraveled the ecstasy and misery of being “in a relationship”.

He’s Just Not That Into You is one of the best chick flicks I’ve ever seen for it doesn’t only entertain but it also tackles many relationship issues that almost everyone can learn from. This movie is not only enjoyable but somehow, it answers basic issues and questions about love, relationships, dealing with the opposite sex as well as the same sex that we tend to obsess about. This movie also reminds us of how simple some things in life can be if we just go with the flow and stop obsessing about it. If it happens, it happens. As easy as that. Ultimately, the movie proves to us how complex relationships gets but no matter how crazy and problematic they are, all of us still longs to be “in a relationship”.

There are two lessons I’ve deduced from the movie that I personally can relate to: first, if you’re single and you’ve tried almost every possible way you can think of on how to find love and the man for you, maybe it’s time to shift focus. Maybe it’s time to move on from looking for love and believe that there are other things bigger and brighter for you and love will come eventually. Sometimes we are so overshadowed by the idea of looking for love that we are missing a lot on the joys and surprises it gives us when love is the one who’ll come knocking at our doors.

Finally, love comes to those who never tire to hope, who never lose faith that someday, somehow, that special someone who will treat you as the sole exception to all his rules will sweep you off your feet and prove to you that you are capable of loving and being loved.

He’s Just Not That Into You is not only a movie worthy of your time and money but more so, it is a reminder to us all that no amount of disappointments, failures, heartaches, and pain can ever stop us from risking it all for LOVE’s sake.

Marley & Me

5/5

Marley & Me is the first movie I’ve seen in the grandeur of a movie house this 2009. I went to watch it at Gateway Cineplex a week after its premiere. I am not an animal lover especially, dogs. I grew up fearing dogs; considering them as a threat that could end my life anytime. I know that Marley & Me is a story about a dog but when I saw the trailer in late December 2008, I told myself that I’m gonna watch this movie because underneath the central story of a dog, the movie hits a couple of valuable lessons that are all close to home and are inspiring in their own ways.

Based on an autobiographical book essay collection of columnist John Grogan, Marley & Me followed the life of John (Owen Wilson) from the time he and his wife Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) got married, the glory days of his career as a columnist, to the time they had children and moved to another state. The highs and lows of the story started when the couple isn’t ready yet to have a baby and so they adopted a dog and named him after the singer Bob Marley. Beyond the lovable features of Marley, he turned out to be the world’s worst dog. Unruly and stubborn, Marley humps to people and chews almost everything in his way. Even a trainer has given up on him. But despite this downside, the movie balances Marley’s bad behavior with candid and tender dog and human bonding moments. As the family grew, Marley learned to adjust with it too. Being a constant companion in private family moments, his presence though at times annoying became a must for John Grogan’s family. Their moments with Marley also became the most cherished moments of their lives. Years passed and with the help of the boisterous behavior of Marley, John and Jenny’s family learned some of the valuable lessons in life coupled with precious family memories they will all carry in their hearts forever.

I refuse to be technical about Marley & Me for it is good as it is. Instead, I’ll share some of the lessons I learned from the movie:

1. Sometimes, the worst characteristic of a person is what makes us love them. At times, we think we hate it, we hate them, but as we dig deeper, we’ll realize that these qualities are actually the magnet that draws us to them and makes us love them whatever their flaws are.

2. Relationships, specifically marriage entails with it responsibilities that doesn’t only require love and understanding but most importantly, commitment and dedication in the most profound sense of the words.

3. Letting go is as important as the air we breathe. Nothing is permanent in this world and as we live our lives, attachments, whether it is physical, emotional, or psychological, at one point in our life, has to say goodbye and we have to be ready for it. This doesn’t mean not allowing yourself to experience these emotions but knowing when to stop and say goodbye is the key.

4. Lost is a tool for us to be better. We’ve all experienced loss. Loss of a once magical love, loss of a loved one, loss of victory. Loss. It’s never easy and we may not understand the analogy there is but these failures that caused damage in us are nothing but instruments for us to struggle and be the best that we can be.

5. Family. We may not approve of them all the time. We may not always be in harmony with each other. But at the end of the day, we are still thankful that we all belong to one. For no matter how crazy we are, in the midst of whether stability or turmoil in our lives, they are the ones who have and will forever make us feel special and extraordinary.

Marley & Me will surely make it to everyone’s list of favorite movies for it is a movie that hits close to home. Everyone can relate to it one way or the other. It’ll not only make you laugh and cry at the same time but with its heartfelt story, it’ll surely touch everyone. THIS MOVIE IS A MUST WATCH!

Boy-next-door...

It's been months now since I first saw this adorable bachelor who lives inside the compound beside our house. Since then, I became very fascinated with him. At first, he appeared to be very mysterious but I know that underneath his irresistible smile, is the guy every girls and gays (for my benefit) will surely die for.

There’s something about him that captivated me. Until now, I’m not really sure what it is about him that entices me. It could be his perfect smile, his undeniable charisma, or his obvious over the top kindness. But above all, as of this writing, I believe I’m enthralled to him because I know deep inside that he is the man I want to end up with. Ever since I was a kid, I have this illusion of the guy I would want to be my life partner. How I want him to be, his appearance, the way he carries himself, his job, his quirks, his voice, etc. It’s just amazing how this guy in my imagination came to be true in the person of my bachelor neighbor.

Soon after I first saw him, my fascination became infatuation and eventually became a mild obsession. We (me, my mom, and my sister) gave him the code name boy-next-door. I say I’ve already crossed my boundary of a mild obsession since there are instances that I find myself thinking about him from the time I wake up till the time I close my eyes and sleep. Even worst, lately, he’s also the subject of my dreams. It has already been part of my daily routine to check from time to time if he’s already home. It is a must for me to know where he will park his car every night. Every morning, between 6-7 am. if I’m awake, I’ll go out and take a peek outside our gate to see if his car is still parked where he left it the night before. And if luck is on my side, he might be on his way to his car at the same time I will go out and check outside our gate. I fancy about him day and night. Often, I find myself wondering what he maybe doing at that particular minute. Or what his friends are like? I feel like I should know all about him.

Weeks have passed and I am more and more drawn to him as the information about him came flooding in our doorsteps. His name, his plate number, where he works, who washes his clothes, how his girlfriend looks like, who’s with him in their house, where his parents are, what flavor of Gatorade he drinks, where his province is, how many siblings he has, where he plays basketball, and so on and so forth.

There are just so many things about him to adore and love about. His perfect smile will make everyone weak to the bones. His praise-worthy teeth glitter as he flashes his grin (or in Bella Swan’s term to refer to the Jacob grin that makes her soft, “my grin”). His perfectly messed hair is a head-turner. His lovable chinito eyes are inexplicable. His positive aura that come hand-in-hand with his smiling face will surely brush worries away. His respect for the elderly is adorable. His love for kids is very endearing. His politeness and good heartedness is engaging. His fondness to sit in the floor while watching TV is awfully charming. His cooking for his girlfriend is downright applauding.

In the words of our other neighbors, he’s someone who wears his heart in his sleeve, someone who doesn’t have any harsh bone in his body. He’s not the makalaglag panty’t brief kind of guy nor is he perfect but his good heart and adequate sex appeal makes him the best candidate for The Sexiest Man Alive.

Sometimes, I hate myself for wanting to know more about him, for making extra efforts to steal quick glances on him. For no matter how expert I am with this matters brought about by my vast experiences in infatuations and unrequited love affairs, I still fall and fall over and over again with the mishaps of an unrequited love or whatever you call this obsession of mine. I’ve tried very hard to remind myself that his life is independent of mine. And that he doesn’t care about me. Sometimes I hate him for being who he is. But no matter how incredible the pain is afterwards, nothing compares to the seconds I would see him, see his smile. It’s as if I’m falling into an ocean of him but he’s not there to save me when I drown.

Sometimes I think maybe I’ve become addicted to the bitter-sweet emotions these experiences bring. Maybe I’ve come to love the pain it gives, pain from the fact that no matter what I do, what I say, he’s not mine and he will never be mine. Or maybe I’ve come to love the numbness it brings afterwards from the fact that I don’t have someone like him in my life who loves me the way I should be loved. Maybe.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and I’ve never felt so down and unloved than these past few weeks. By saying unloved, I’m talking about love in the romantic sense of the word. Am I asking for too much? Am I asking for an impossible thing? Is someone to have and to hold not part of my existence? Is looking/loving from a distance my destiny? Is this the price I have to pay for choosing this kind of life? Is this what I get in return for being blessed in other aspects of my life? A little LOVE is all I’m asking for…