Genre: Romance, Drama
Director: Cathy Garcia-Molina
Stars: John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo

When I first heard that John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo would be doing a movie together after three years, my first reaction was “How in the world are they gonna top One More Chance?!” Not that One More Chance is a perfect film. But it was perfect for John Lloyd and Bea. It was one of the best mainstream Pinoy romantic drama movies I’d seen in recent times — well-acted, well-directed, well-shot, mature and surprisingly solid.

That said, Miss You Like Crazy is bound to be compared to its predecessor. But looking at the new movie as is, this has a lot of refreshing things to offer.

First, there was a deliberate effort to deviate from conventional Star Cinema movies and it was pretty apparent. The treatment is way different from other Cathy Garcia Molina films. For instance, there was an attempt to play with the timeline. We all know how formulaic studio romantic movies are and they seldom mess up the narrative flow. Also, how they “sectionalized” the film was not something that usual mainstream romance does. Each section is set in a different time and has its own premise, conflict and closure (but not really a resolution). These sections feel like incomplete short films but weaved together make up a good, insightful movie.

Second, the narrative veers away from the explain-it-all/show-it-all school of storytelling. When one section ends and another starts, the audience is left in a vacuum. A long time has been skipped and the audience is left wondering how much time has passed and what happened in between. It doesn’t assume that you are too stupid to assume or to discover for yourself what you missed. There’s a downside, though. It has a happy ending, yes, but that’s not the problem. The issue is how it gets there comes out of nowhere. It’s not established enough; it felt forced. It felt thought out in the last minute just so they could give the audience a happy ending. That’s the problem.

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Well, it’s not really a secret. I’m a big John Lloyd Cruz-Bea Alonzo fan. Not the type who storms to the premiere night armed with a tarpaulin, shouting “We looove you Lloydie! We looove you Bea!” But I have seen all their movies and TV series. Hehe.

What I love about their team-up is that they do not really resort to fooling the public, declaring they love each other or that they are an item. The viewers are well aware that they are not a couple. But whenever they are together on screen, they are able to make scenes natural, believable and effective (in terms of kilig and entertainment value). No gimmicks required.

One More Chance is one of my most-loved local romance dramas and I was sure thrilled when Star Cinema (ABS-CBN Film Production) announced that Bea and John Lloyd is having a reunion movie as the studio’s Valentine offering.

Call me jologs. Call me baduy. Call me whatever. I love them. I love Direk Cathy Garcia-Molina. I am seeing this movie. Opening day.

Sorry, fan lang.

Note: I originally wrote this article for Qool Media in 2007. And since it’s awards season once again, I figured it’s time for me to publish this on this blog. Just edited it a little for updates. Remember that this is a PERSONAL list and that it was written in 2007, three years ago. But feel free to add other actors that you think are underrated.

Life isn’t fair. Some people get too much while others get so much less that what they deserve. Like life, Hollywood is unfair, too. It is home to many celebrities who enjoy fame for absolutely no remarkable work. And then, there are those who have exerted so much effort and unparalleled talent but never really received any significant recognition.

From brilliant actors who are refused to be given a break to those who rock their roles no matter how small they are, you can produce a list of celebrities who are not given what they are due. Here is a list of ten FAMOUS actors and actresses in Hollywood but criminally underrated.

10. Sandra Bullock

Although many people would disagree that Sandra Bullock is overrated for all the fame and glamor she enjoys right now, it has to be noted that she CAN act. All the talk about her in tinsel town was not about how good an actress she was. Aside from her dazzling beauty and head-turning attitude that always make her top every most beautiful celebrities list there is, she is a total scene-stealer when it comes to acting.

Unfortunately, not all people realize that. Her portrayal of a woman in jeopardy in Speed isn’t a performance that Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson or Jennifer Aniston can deliver. She even completely kicked out Matthew McConaughey from the spotlight with her outstanding performance in “A Time to Kill.” Heck, even her very tiny role in “Crash” was well-celebrated.

(Update: Thanks to The Blind Side, Sandra got a challenging, heavy role in a good material and hopefully it pays off this year and be regarded as among her contemporaries such as Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman in the acting department.)

9. Jennifer Jason Leigh

Jennifer Jason Leigh may have lost a number of important roles in huge movies like The Terminator (to Linda Hamilton) and Hannibal (to Julianne Moore) but she’s definitely here to prove her worth as an actress. She has shown her acting prowess in several films, from Mrs. Parker and eXistenZ but she is surprisingly still not well-known in Hollywood and is yet to reach the dizzy heights of Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts. Still, she continues to give us brilliant performances but most of them are barely noticed.

8. Gary Oldman

Another great mystery in Hollywood is why Gary Oldman has never received any nod from either the Golden Globes or the Oscars. He isn’t named “The Chameleon” for no reason. Like Johnny Depp who looks so different in all his movies, Gary has already made a name for portraying a wide range of unusual characters varying international backgrounds. He delivers every performance with unmatched intensity that overpowers those of his co-stars every single time.

He is an incredibly talented actor who is still waiting for that moment when his formidable acting skills be recognized by any major award-giving body. Before that day comes, he will continue giving life to supporting characters and will remain one of the most underrated actors in the history of cinema.

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Last Thursday, Globe and Warner Bros Pictures invited me to the special screening of “The Hangover” at Greenbelt 3 in Makati City. The people were friendly. The cocktails were fantastic. The movie was entertaining.

Entertaining. Hmmm. A good friend asked me if “entertaining” was enough for me to actually like a film. I answered him with a confident “of course.” “Sometimes,” I told him, “I just want to see a movie to be entertained. I have a habit of checking my Film graduate self at the theater door before watching. I don’t expect to be bothered or hope that the movie would have a potential to change the world. Sometimes, I watch movies because I just need to laugh.”

The Hangover is one of those movies.

This Todd Phillips-laughtrip was something that could hit 11 in the 1-10 entertainment scale. Yes, I did not expect anything from this seemingly-another-Vegas movie but it turned out to be outrageously funny. It lacks depth, yeah, but what the heck. When you’re stressed out, all you need is a good comedy. And this film provides two hours of temporary escape to the horror-realities outside the theater. Props for that.

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I was at the French Film Festival a couple of weeks ago to see one of my all-time fave films “The 400 Blows,” directed by the French New Wave director that I more than worship — Francois Truffaut. It was the nth time I’d seen it; I lost count already.

The night before, Shy Guy and I went to see L’Esquive, and we really enjoyed it. Waaah. It’s such a shame that the French Film Fest is over. I guess I just need to wait for Eiga Sai 2009 (Japanese Film Festival) this July. I’m a sucker for foreign film festivals like that. Coz the films are really good. And it’s one of the rare times that I go back to my Film roots. And yeah, coz it’s free most of the time.

Anyway, so now that I’m film-happy and since we’re talking about national cinemas here, I’ll be listing the local films that I have seen this year and what I think about them. These are not film reviews, just some random thoughts.

BFF: Best Friends Forever (2009)
Genre: Comedy; Director: Wenn Deramas
Stars: Sharon Cuneta, Ai-ai Delas Alas, John Estrada

Have you seen the trailer? If you have, then don’t bother watching the film. Once you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen it all.

Seriously.

It’s funny, alright. But in between laughs you wonder, “My God, why am I laughing? Am I that shallow?” When the laughter subsides, you realize that the joke is empty, the scene is pointless, the movie is insulting you, and yeah, you’re shallow. I certainly laughed. But then again, I’m always shallow.

Sayang, after Crying Ladies, I was sooo excited to see Sharon Cuneta do comedy again. But the word “disappointment” won’t even match the way I feel after seeing it.

Somebody should really brainwash Wenn Deramas into quitting showbiz. I still don’t forgive him for ruining “Dyosa,” a TV series concept that could have been good but turned out insufferably ridiculous because it fell in the hands of a director who just loves slapstick and DJ Durano.  1.5

…

T2 (2009)
Genre: Horror; Director: Chito Rono
Stars: Maricel Soriano, Derek Ramsay, Mica Dela Cruz

Arguably the weakest among the Chito Rono horror trilogy, T2 started strong only to reach an anti-climactic twist. It was oh-so-well until the characters arrived at T2. That’s when it all came crashing down.

Sayang din. I like it’s horror road-trip feel. I love the entire going-to-Samar-and-back sequence. But gaaaah, why do they have to enter the Engkanto world?!

Even Maricel Soriano’s flawless acting can’t save the last parts of the film — especially the “school” finale; that was really lame and lousy.

Something is lacking in T2 that Sukob and Feng Shui have. No, it’s not Kris Aquino. 3.0

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Wuhooooo! After a seems-like-forever hiatus, I’m back, blogging.

The hell week is finally over.

I filed a week-long leave of absence for the Foreign Service Oral Examinations. It was tough, intense, and mind-blowing. Very. Waaaaah, I really hope I could make it.

One of the questions they asked me was, “Who’s your favorite Hollywood director?”

And I just stared at them for 10 seconds. I was beyond nervous. I didn’t know what to say. I don’t even have a fave Hollywood director. Wong Kar Wai and Francois Truffaut, yes, but they’re so not Hollywood.

The first name that came to my mind was David Fincher but I was worried they would think my choice was too violent. And then Steven Spielberg, and I thought they would think I was too juvenile.

And so I said, “Stephen Daldry.”

Poor me. Can’t even think of a much more famous director. But come to think of it, he really is my favorite right now. “The Hours” remains my all-time fave film, after all. And I really liked “The Reader.”

Another question they asked me: “Brilliante Mendoza has just won Best Director at Cannes Film Festival for his film about a young cop who raped and killed a woman and chopped her to pieces. What can you say about this?”

My answer? Hmm… I think I’ll just keep it to myself. Ehehe. My opinion is not very pretty.

…

Of course, days before the Exams, I was brushing up on my International Affairs. Was at Gloria Jeans Coffee in Tomas Morato/Timog a number of times. (Free Wi-Fi!)

On Monday, we saw Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson. Yum Yum. Haha.

…

Last Tuesday, we finally found a new home! So later this month, my friends and I will be moving to GA Tower along EDSA, a stone’s throw from my workplace.

…

Yesterday was our Barrio Fiesta in Lemery, Batangas. Perfect, perfect. After a gruelling, almost suicide-inducing Foreign Service Exams, it was time to PIG OUT!

I love fiestas. Basically because I love to eat.

Kudos to the Spaniards for injecting the fiesta tradition to our culture. Ahahaha.

…

So right now, I’m back in the violently jolting metropolis. Work’s piled up. So I gotta split now.

Hey guys, work-related lang. Please post your own top 3 things by commenting on this post. Please, please, please. Or you may also post it on your own blog. 

Just write down the Top 3 stuff that the category asks. Thanks. Heto saken.

TOP 3 FEEL-GOOD MOVIES (HOLLYWOOD)

1. Love Actually
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
OR The Devil Wears Prada
OR My Best Friend’s Wedding (andami, ahaha)

TOP 3 FEEL-GOOD MOVIES (ANIMATION)

1. Finding Nemo
2. Monsters Inc.
3. Wall E!

TOP 3 FEEL-GOOD MOVIES (PINOY)

1. Crying Ladies
2. Got 2 Believe
3. Jologs / You Changed My Life

TOP 3 FEEL-GOOD MOVIES (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

1. Amelie
2. My Sassy Girl
3. Love of Siam — hindi masyado happy ending pero eeeh, feel good pa rin

TOP 3 BEACHES YOU’VE BEEN TO AND WHY

1. Puerto Princesa, Palawan — clear water, awesome place. not crowded
2. Matabungkay, Batangas – Mababaw lang ang tubig sa ibang parts, tas ok mag snorkel sa iba
3. Sorsogon – may butanding! ahihihi

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Status: Terrified.
Music: Terrified | Kara DioGuardi feat Jason Reeves

• BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANDRE! It was his birthday last Saturday, February 21. I had a great time at his party despite the migraine. Slept in the couch while the rest were belting out diva and boy band songs. Haha. And Andre, alam ko minumura mo ako habang natutulog. Haha. Tangenamurin.
• I finally got to attend a blogger event! Haha. First time. I was a little nervous, though, coz I never really wanted to attend ANY blog event. Too shy for that. But I was so glad to meet Lio, Jehzlau, Ada, Benj, Coy, Eric, Joms, Fitz, and many others. Waah, sorry, I suck at identifying faces and remembering names. Plus, I spent most of the time hiding behind a sheet of paper.
• I met up with Kuya Ethan at UP Shopping Center last night to get the book he owed me, ehehe. Gaahd, I missed him so much. Hahaaaay.
• The Amazing Race 14 has started. Weeeeeh. So far I like the Asian siblings and the flight attendants. TAR is still my most loved reality show.
• American Idol Season 8. Hmmm. I’ll start blogging about it after the semi-finals. But as of now, Alexis Grace and Danny Gokey get my lovin’. And waaah, Anoop Desai didn’t make it. Wuwuwu.
• Speaking of Idol, in an email exchange, blogger friend Berg urged me to listen to “Terrified,” Kara DioGuardi’s collaboration with Jason Reeves. Well, right now, Kara is my most liked among American Idol judges. And Jason Reeves is looove. And Berg has a really, really great taste in music. So I took time to listen to it, and I was blown away. Here’s a live performance:




And I-I-I’m in love (I’m in love)
And I-I-I’m terrified…
I only said it ’cause I mean it
I only mean ’cause it’s true…

• Aside from the pretty song above, other songs that have been inducing LSS include:
  The Fray’s “Never Say Never”
  Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody”
  Jesse McCartney’s “How Do You Sleep?”
  Snow Patrol’s “Crack the Shutters”
  Craig David’s “Insomnia”
• Wahaha. I love the recently concluded Oscars. Knew Slumdog Millionaire would win but I would really be happier had it been The Reader instead.
• Kate Winslet made me cry with her shampoo bottle speech. At last, Winslet, at last.
• And Sean Penn, I adore you not just for your excellent portrayal of Harvey Milk but also for your speech:




I think it’s a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and their shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.“ –Sean Penn

• Nicole Kidman speaking and paying tribute to Angelina Jolie was my idea of award-show bliss. Made me giggle a number of times. Anne Hathaway was teary-eyed. Love her.

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I’m sorry, these are not exactly my idea of decent reviews but  my brain isn’t working right now. (Like isn’t it always?) And I really need to get back to work now-now. Wow, time is a scarce commodity nowadays.

Revolutionary Road (2008)
Genre: Drama; Directors: Sam Mendes
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Michael Shannon

Suburbia. Boring as it seems, suburbia is a deep well of materials for film and TV. The loneliness and grief found in suburbia, as shown in films such as American Beauty and The Safety of Objects, make me wanna thank God I’m living a cosmopolitan life despite EDSA and MMDA. Wala lang, nabanggit ko lang.

Revolutionary Road is about two people who are trapped in a predicament called “family.” Personally, I know so many people who call that walled place they stay in a “prison,” rather than a “home.” (My parents, for example, wahaha.)

The movie succeeds in showing the couple’s desperation to free themselves from their suffocating predetermined domestic roles and their frustration that led them to turn on each other, leading to the deterioration of their marriage and ultimately themselves.

Leo and Kate delivered painfully convincing performances, you’d forget they are the same couple in Titanic. Or that it is actually their reunion movie. I’m not a fan of Leo’s but he exhibited immense maturity in this movie. And Kate, well, I declare her name synonymous to the best of acting performances.

Although it’s not really an entertaining piece, or something I’d wanna watch (over and over) again, this is Sam Mendes’s best work. And it should have been nominated for Best Picture. Why, Oscar, why? 5.0

…

The Reader (2008)
Genre: Drama; Director: Stephen Daldry
Stars: Kate Winslet, David Kross, Ralph Fiennes

“What would you have done?”
”Is that kinder?”

These questions may not have an impact on you now but watch The Reader and you’ll see. And the funny thing is, the movie does not answer these questions. It just asks. And it’s up to you to find answers for yourself.

Only two emotions get the better of me: shame and guilt. Director Stephen Daldry and screenwriter David Hare (people behind The Hours) explored these emotions gracefully in The Reader. You can just imagine how much this film affected me, being someone always overpowered by guilt and shame.

The film’s plot centers on a sexual affair between a curious 15-year old boy and a 36-year old enigma, who turns out to be one of the Auschwitz guards during the Holocaust. Although it is an integral element in the film, The Reader is NOT a Holocaust movie. Or maybe it is. Wahaha. But whatever, it does not steer away from the absorbing illicit relationship between the two characters.

Kate Winslet is a standout. She attacked the role with a precision incomparable to any of her other performances. Her eyes scream her past. Also, the way she irons her underwear. And the way she closes doors. And the way she puts her foot in front of the other. Winslet was able to balance the guilt of a naïve former Nazi guard who does not know the consequences of her actions and the shame of an illiterate human being.

Given its premise, one may expect big scenes with larger than life confrontations, characters screaming their emotions out — histrionics in a typical Oscar-aspiring melodrama. But Stephen Daldry carefully avoided such scenes. Emotions are conveyed in ways too slow and subtle, the film gives you enough time to think. Think. Think. Feel. And then think again.

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Because updating Twitter and Plurk every whatever hour is too grueling a task for me (yeah, I’m lazy like that), why not deliver updates all at once every week? Wahaha.

• February na! Birthday season. Hahaay. Most of my friends are Februarians. And as I said before, unlike January which I have a love-hate relationship with, February is ALWAYS kind to me. And I know this year ain’t gonna be different. 
• Kelly Clarkson is baaaaack! Although I actually think that My Life Would Suck Without You isn’t one of her best singles, I’m just ecstatic she’s back on top, making history. Hihi. She now holds the record for Billboard’s greatest jump formerly clung under Britney’s belt. Eat that, Britney! (Kidding! I love Britney Spears, too.) Also, she’s the first American Idol to score two Billboard Number 1’s. I’m soooo happy for her. She’s my fave Idol ever. And Carrie Underwood. And David Cook… Aright. I have many fave Idols ever.
• I’m loving I Hate This Part by The Pussycat Dolls. Lovet. I gotta do eeeet… I gotta do eeeet… I gotta do eeeeeeeet…
• I’ve just found out that Boyce Avenue is coming to Manila. Somebody slap me now! I just can’t help getting giddy this early. They will be performing in the following:
  February 12 – SM Cebu, 6 PM
  February 13 – SM Mall of Asia, 7 PM
  February 14 – SM North Edsa, 5 pm
  February 15 – SM Megamall, 7:30 PM
  I’ve been in love with them since like the Cretaceous Period! I remember the time when their youtube pages had only a few views. Now, they’re getting bigger and more popular. I’m happy for them.
• I was at Red Box in Greenbelt 3 last Friday night with clients. And it dawned on me that boy band songs love me. I don’t know what he does to make you cry. But I’ll be there to make you smile…
• I’ve finally seen The Reader. I’m sorry Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader just stole my heart from you. Oscar Best Picture? The Reader for the win. (Kate Winslet is love.)  I’ll be posting my Oscar predictions and the second part of my Movie Rundown: Oscar Contenders post soon. I just need to see Frost/Nixon.
• Amanda Tanen of Ugly Betty is the apple of my eyes right now. But no, I’m not going straight. She’s more like my role model. My answer to the question: Whom do you want to be like when you grow up? Wahaha.

• I keep on finding myself in Trinoma lately. Actually, I don’t feel like going out lately. But I have to. Meetings. Groceries. My usual tambayan is at Dairy Queen in Glorietta 4. But Trinoma has been attracting me gravitationally. But it’s aright, Trinoma is my fave mall after all.
• I didn’t realize there’s actually a Froyo (Frozen Yogurt) place near my place. Yogurbud! Waaah. I know they have branches at SM Megamall and The Podium but I didn’t know there’s also one along Tomas Morato. Yaaaaay! Someone’s gonna be a regular!
• I’m buying a fridge. Yay. Finally, I can store as much yogurt as I want. And ice cream. And milk. And salad…
• Andre spent the weekend at my apartment again. So yes, there’ll be a Weekend with Andre Part 2.
• I was WTF-ing and WTF-ing when I read this report: A Filipino machine operator was reportedly sacked by an engineering firm in Australia allegedly for his toilet habits. A Townsville Bulletin report posted on news.com.au said Amador Bernabe, 43, a Filipino machine operator was kicked out of his job by the Townsville Engineering Industries (TEI) for using water, instead of toilet paper, to clean himself during toilet visits. (abs-cbnnews.com)
• Dear God, why is it sooo hard to quit smoking! Give me the determination to expel nicotine from my body.
  images courtesy of dessertcomesfirst.com and stereogum.com