Making a good sequel of a good film is unusual but making a
better follow up of a good romantic-comedy series was never heard of; in the landscape of Philippine Cinema.
Well folks, that was true until the film I watched a while ago.
We were in the mall past 12; had lunch and proceeded to
the cinema. The crowd was overwhelming considering it was Black Saturday.
Couples, families, barkadas and even loners took time to catch a glimpse of “It
Takes a Man and a Woman” in its first day of release despite the fact that
Hollywood films like “The Croods”, “The Host” and “GI Joe: Retaliation” are in
competition. I can remember the same scenario during the run of “Sisterakas”; bunch
of people in line waiting expectantly for their turns. I bet tomorrow (Easter
Sunday) would be more crowded than what have been today; if the same response continues, I’d
say this film’s total box-office turn out could be around 200-300 million; another
goldmine for Star Cinema and Viva Films.
Rated “A” by the Cinema Evaluation Board, expectations are
high to the third instalment of the Laida Magtalas and Miggy Montenegro love
story. They have been filming it for almost two years now; unavailability of
the stars was the main reason of the delay but it turned out to be a blessing as they
had more time to enhance the story and the script. Kudos to screenwriter
Carmi Raymundo (a twitter friend of mine, ehem.. ehem..) for a well-made, clever and engaging work.
The central point of the film is to give justice and
conclusion to the lead characters’ love affair. I’ll do my best not to give any
spoilers for the benefit of those who haven’t watched the movie yet.
For almost 4 years, Miggy and Laida grew apart due to some unfortunate circumstances in their individual lives. Miggy’s life started to mess up while Laida has to face her own family struggles. This is where the story’s conflict started to transpire. The way the story unfolds was good. It did not present the whole story in a chronological manner; the flashbacks and the characters’ recollections add an element of surprise to the movie. I just felt that Laida’s life in New York wasn’t completely told and Miggy’s relationship with Belle (played by Isabel Daza) wasn’t properly set; additional few scenes could have been added to show that for almost 3 years, he had good memories at least with his current girlfriend.
Despite of very small discrepancies in the story, the
whole film was a picture of outstanding visuals; the color and graphic was
sharp and rich, the New York scenes were surprisingly good as it turned out to
be flawless and the extras acted pretty convincing. I
thought first that the New York scenes would just be an added-value just to say that
the producers spent more bucks for the movie but the significance of those
scenes were incorporated well in the story, and it really shows in the film. The production design was great and
the musical score and sound was better and clearer compared to other Star
Cinema movies. On the other hand, there were some few editing mishaps but are
forgivable enough not to ruin the mood of the film.
I totally enjoyed Sarah Geronimo’s Laida Version 2.0; it was
basically the highlight of the movie. Cathy Garcia-Molina did a great job in
giving directions to Geronimo’s character as Sarah has a tendency to overlook
some details and blend her personality to the character she portrays. This was quite evident
on some of her movies. Nevertheless, Sarah did a remarkable job with the portrayal
and the way she carried herself in the movie; her performance as a young
Editorial Consultant based in New York really showed on the film. Her flirtatious
acts sell well to the viewers; the way she delivers her English lines with resonance
in an effortless manner is a great deal and enough evidence that there is no
other female actress who can play the character better than her. Can you
imagine Maja Salvador or even Marian Rivera throwing those lines? I bet, no!
She looked very pretty and stunning in the whole film; you’ll
see what I mean once you’ve watched the movie. The part where she looked best
was during the wedding scene; I’ve heard gasps from the people behind me and
realized that she’ll make a very beautiful bride someday.
Her dramatic scenes were handled carefully; Sarah has the
natural talent to make others cry and laugh at the same time, one asset of a
true rom-com queen.
John Lloyd Cruz’s portrayal of Miggy Montenegro as expected was splendid.
His performance in the film is a sufficient confirmation of his versatility in
his craft. An actor in the truest sense, he delivered a heartfelt piece without
overdoing it. His scenes weeping for forgiveness was almost real and his nuisance
to Laida Magtalas Version 2.0 is very entertaining. Once John Lloyd sheds a tear, everyone in the movie house follow. Swak sa timpla kumbaga.
Kilig and sweet moments are all over the film, the most
surprising was the last part; Sarah G. in lingerie for their honeymoon, what a
scene?! Bentang-benta talaga.
John Lloyd and Sarah’s chemistry exudes throughout the movie; there
is no much effort yet people and fans love to see them both together.
The supporting casts did well also; Matet de Leon, Joross Gamboa
and Gio Alvarez were the additional spice in the film; the movie is not that
fun without them while Isabel Daza delivered pretty well on her first acting
venture; she fit the socialite “third wheel” role and manifested the awkwardness that is being asked between the love triangle in the film.
Excellent script, decent story, good directing and pleasant
acting; “It Takes a Man and a Woman” has brought us to a “no better” conclusion
of a typical rom-com money cow that Filipinos loved.
The film in whole was very entertaining as the story flow
and dialogue is appealing and witty. Fans can definitely enjoy it while
non-fans might hate it at first but eventually will love it as it has the
makings of a great Pinoy rom-com classic.
