Red Shoes: Yes to This Romcom

It’s been five days since Red Shoes was to have opened in theaters nationwide, but I’m writing this because RKLdG said that the Inquirer said that it started out well, but didn’t quite pull through until the end.  My feeble google attempt found this press release masquerading as an article.

I’ve been recommending Red Shoes to 3ima, Perry, our kasambahay Grace, my sisters, R, most everyone I know who watches movies, because, the die-hard Aga fan, Perry, had been unhappy with Aga‘s last movies.  My last Pinoy rom com must have been either Sa Hirap at Ginhawa, or Bituing Walang Ningning, whichever of the two Sharon movies came out later, movies that Fr. Nick Cruz had apologetically and smilingly assigned to us, his groaning students, in Film class.  CRA, die-hard Sharonian, was surprised that I was watching one of the two, and was happy that I could accompany her.

Perry never subjects me to her movies.  Whenever I went out with RSFDS or MF, I rarely get to see the movie that I want to see.  With all things, whether books or movies, R looks for values.  So does M.  One time, M and I went to a French Film Festival in Megamall.  We checked out the skeds either in an email or online.  M chose a Little House on the Prairie-type movie, which I grudgingly agreed to watch with her.  She wanted nothing to do with my picks.

As luck would have it, the skeds were not accurate and we ended up watching Vidocq and another terribly wonderful film, both of which M did not like at all haha.

When I asked Perry if she wanted to see Ang Paggagahasa ni Fe, she said that the title was a turnoff.

So Red Shoes is something that my girlfriends and I can enjoy as much as, say, The Holiday, or My Best Friend’s Wedding.  Red Shoes was not as good as the two, but certainly more intelligent than Pretty Woman, Sleepless in Seattle, or When Harry Met Sally.

I have no complaints on Marvin Agustin‘s acting–what parts exactly didn’t you like, Alem?–nor did I find the lines cheesy at all, though the twenty-strong Xavier teacher group, which reacted twice, would not agree with me.

At the open forum, my question was, if Marvin Agustin‘s character Lucas was a construction worker’s son, why was his English so good?  Scriptwriter James Ladioray said that it was the result of 3,000,000 kukos, referring to Lucas’ mom, a manikurista.

When I said this to CYdA, she went, Malay mo.  When I asked her, Oh yeah?  Like who?  Better than Willie Revillame, Erik Santos, Vic Sotto, Janno Gibbs?

She relented, no, not better than them.

Lucas and his friend spoke English like Ogie, Randy, and yes, Nikki Gil.  And both of them have English–spokening girlfriends. Lucas’ friend’s girlfriend even came from the US.

The day after I saw the movie, my parents’ masahista‘s niece was over.  I asked her for her name, and she said that she was Silamarie.  I later figured out that her name was Sheila Marie.

I thought that that proved my point, until I visited Lloyd Luna‘s website, where he recounts that he is a tricycle driver’s son.  Now that’s the kind of English that I would expect Lucas to speak.  Good enough to be a speaker, not out of place with socialites, but not perfect Filipino English.

Also, why do the girlfriends have to be English–spokening?  I would have preferred both couples to speak Taglish, emphasis on Pilipino.

Still, it gave me great pleasure to realize that the pairing of Lucas and Bettina, Lucas’ friend and his girlfriend.  Then I realized what Ladioray was saying, about the movie being layered.  Still, the girlfriends-of-the-same-feather could have been done using some other similarity, like being athletic, honors students, etc.

But the worst flaw of the movie for me was the repetitive “Alam ko na” to refer to the obvious or almost obvious sayings and the like.  I wish that I had written this review earlier, because the host said that since it was a week before opening, that the movie was welcome to suggestions.  Lucas’ English might be too pervasive to correct, but I wouldn’t mind cutting out the makulit parts.

I also found the dialogue on the putol na tulay corny.  That could have been turned to something more playful, as Nikki Gil‘s Bettina is.

An audience member mentioned the dubbing problems.  I especially wished that the dubbing be fixed during Tessie Tomas‘ character’s monologues, as they hit their marks all the time.

I think that the movie could have capitalized on its chick-flickness by including contemporary OPM like “Your Universe,” “”I Want to Be Alone with You,” “Swimming Beach,” “Halaga,” “Kasalanan,” “Hiling,” “Antukin” for Bettina’s US opportunity.

I hope to write about I liked about the movie naman, but right now, my mind’s on the Filipino Poker Tour.

Nestor Torre, on the script

Film Council notebook and pen, Space giveaway, press kit CD