Cast:Sam Milby, Bea Alonzo, Derek Ramsay, Coney Reyes, Nikki Gil

Script by:Jacquelline Franquelli, Vanessa Valdez

Direction by:Lauren Dyogi

Producer:Star Cinema

Synopsis:

Isang preschool teacher si Lara (Alonzo) na namatayan ng almost perfect na asawa, si Oliver (Ramsay). Limang buwan pa lamang silang kasal nang bawian ng buhay si Oliver dahil sa aneurysm. Seven months after his death, hirap pa ring maka-move on si Lara. Sa pagkamatay ni Oliver, may mga naiwang mga bayarin tulad ng lease ng preschool na itinayo nito para kay Lara, pati na rin ang bayad sa kanilang red pick-up. Dahil hindi sapat ang kinikita niya sa preschool, kinailangan ni Lara na paupahan ang condo unit nila ni Oliver at tumira na lamang sa kanyang mother-in-law, si Kate (Reyes). Hindi nagtagal ay may nag-inquire na possible tenant, si Chris (Milby). Dito magsisimula ang kanilang mala-love hate relationship--- nagsimula sa friendship, sa pagtutulungang maka-adjust sa pagkawala ng kani-kanilang mga asawa, hanggang sa hindi na nila maipagkakaila ang kanilang attraction para sa isa’t isa.

Rebyu:

Maganda ang storyline? Check. Nakakakilig? Check. Nakakaiyak? Check. Nakakatunaw ang mga tingin ni Sam Milby? Check check check.

But no movie is perfect. Tulad na rin na no spouse is perfect – kahit na iyon ang tingin ni Lara kay Oliver, the perfect husband. When asked by Chris kung nag-away ba sila ni Oliver nang nabubuhay pa ito, ang sabi ni Lara, isang beses lang. “When he broke my heart… and that was when his heart stopped beating.” Can’t blame her, no doubt na nasa honeymoon stage pa lamang sila nang agawin ng aneurysm si Oliver. Naalala ko tuloy ang pinsan ko who died while sleeping. Barely two months before his wedding nang bawian siya ng buhay. Nang ibalita sa akin ng mother ko na patay na si Paulo*, ang unang tanong ko, “Alam na ni Wendy*?!” Si Wendy na girlfriend ni Paulo for 8 years, si Wendy na walang ibang minahal kundi ang pinsan ko. Si Wendy na isa ring preschool teacher at nagmamaneho rin ng pulang sasakyang ipinundar nila ni Paulo out of their joint savings! Naalala ko rin ang ka-yahoogroup kong si Shey* --- walong buwan pa lamang silang mag-asawa ni Terrence* nang atakihin naman ito sa puso.

The issue of death is never easy. Kaya naman there’s something about mourning, about being left behind, about being Lara and Wendy and Shey na you will want to be there and help them cope. Kaya rin siguro even if I am not really a Bea Alonzo fan, feeling ko kaibigan ko siya habang pinapanood ko ang pelikula. In other words, the story is intriguing, the storytelling effective, the acting convincing.

Isang version ng plugs ng pelikulang ito na malimit mapanood sa ABS-CBN ay iyong montage of interviews sa mga celebrities kung saan sinasabi nila ang mga favorite nilang eksena sa pelikula. I think Toni Gonzaga picked up Lara’s scene with Kate, and Kris Aquino loved the church scene. I particularly liked the scene where Lara was crying inside her pick-up, talking out loud as if she was talking to Oliver, who is now dead for months. The lines were so real, walang pretension na maging poetic --- dahil diba, ganun naman talaga sa tunay na buhay, kapag emotional ba tayo, may kebs pa ba tayo sa sinasabi natin?

However, I can’t say the whole film is free of those mushy lines na alam mong isinulat para pang-trailer material. I can remember around 5 lines na parang kinuha sa book of quotations, hindi natural ang dating. At dahil produced by and intended to be shown in mainstream cinema, hindi mawawala ang mga elements na pang-formula. Mga kilig moments na nakita mo na sa ibang pelikula --- in fact, sa ibang kapwa nito Star Cinema films in the past! If a storyline such as this was written, produced and directed by someone else, malamang mas makakaasa tayo ng mas bagong atake at approach. Tama ba namang gawan ng back-to-back na eksena sina Milby at Ramsay na parehong nagtanggal ng shirts? Why can’t local movies and even TV shows veer away from scenes that obviously just want to show off the actors’ mala-pandesal abs?

Speaking of being Star Cinema produced, you can expect na may at least isang eksenang naroon ang mga almost forgotten personalities sa reality shows ng ABS-CBN. I particularly spotted Janna, Jomy, Manuel, Ram, Jose and Vanessa of Fear Factor.

Coney Reyes and Nikki Gil, sadly weren’t maximized. Bitin na bitin ako sa moments ni Ms Coney, at sa mga eksenang naroon siya, katiting lang ang linya niya. At si Nikki Gil? The girl has talent. She was effective in the now defunct afternoon soap Pieta – bakit parang naging functional lang ang appearance niya?

I like the fact that this story has no kontrabida. I like the fact that Milby’s role is that of a pa-cool guy. Maangas at diretsahan magsalita. I also realized that he looks better with almost unkempt hair than his nakadikit-sa-anit hair in his previously-ended primetime soap, Only You. I like the way Oliver pops in and out of a scene smoothly. Hindi nakaka-jolt. Hindi nakaka-off ang pagsulpot-sulpot niya. Romantic pa nga, in fact. I like how Chris challenged Lara na magpakatotoo, na kalimutan muna ang pagiging isang preschool teacher na pati mura niya ay “naka-alphabet,” how Chris helped Lara try to be independent by traveling alone to Zambales, eating out alone in a restaurant, park her pick-up without damaging nearby vehicles, etc. Direk Lauren’s treatment of this montage was funny yet heartwarming.

Some flaws however, ay tila ba nakalimutan ng writers na i-explain man lang kung bakit walang maasahang ibang source of income si Lara after Oliver’s death. He surely would’ve insurance and other benefits from the job he used to hold while he was still living. Sigurado namang nuong nabubuhay siya, hindi naman siya maglalakas-loob na bumili ng sasakyan at preschool kung wala siyang savings at inaasahang malaking halaga kada buwan. I also don’t know if I missed it, but I don’t remember any explanation how Sam Milby could have a dad like Dick Israel. I mean Israel is good-looking in his own right, but there are a lot of other actors who could very well fit into the role. Hindi mo rin maririnigan ng American accent na gaya ng kay Chris ang kanyang family members sa pelikulang ito.

Some memorable lines were Chris’ “How can he (Oliver) be a good husband when all he’s ever done is make you feel like there’s nothing good left in life since he died?,” and Lara’s “Yung mga ka-age natin, ngayon pa lang nagpapakasal. Samantalang tayo, bata pa tayo… ang haba pa ng buhay natin, pero we’ve already lost the one person worth living for.” When Lara said her birthday is coming up, but she doesn’t know what she will celebrate – her 25th birthday or Oliver’s 1st death anniversary, Chris replied with this, “Mas importante yung naiwan kesa dun sa nang-iwan.” When Chris was pursuing Lara who wants more time to grieve Oliver’s death, he said, “Kung gusto mo, I’ll make sure I won’t die before you do.” And when Lara turned down Chris’ love, she said, “Ayokong kalimutan ang asawa ko. Masyado mo akong pinapasaya, nakakalimutan ko tuloy siya.”

Even Candy Pangilinan, who plays Lara’s bestfriend, said it truthfully when Lara asked her is she’s being unfaithful to Oliver by entertaining Chris, Pangilinan said, “ Paano ka nagtataksil sa kanya eh patay na nga siya?”

Actually, kung susumahin, that line in a way says what the movie is about – a young widower’s struggle to move on after her husband’s death and her dilemma of whether she should allow herself to fall in love again. Sa halagang P170.00, I was entertained. May kamahalan lang kumpara sa kung sa SM Cinemas ko ito pinanood, pero dahil sa rift ng Star Cinema at SM, I had no choice but to watch it in the more posh Robinson’s Galleria.