Fated To Love You... a cute but cliche story

I knew already about Fated To Love You (FTLY) specifically when it began to broadcast in Taiwan.  It created so much buzz because of its romantic story and Ethan Ruan (Hana Kimi) who became one of the A-list Taiwanese actors after the show. But I just watch it recently because at that time I opted to watch They Kiss Again of Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng than this show.

Review:

                FTLY follows the cliché story of poor girl meets rich boy. The difference is they make the story more mature because the lead characters are in their late twenties and they had baby in between their love story.

                Joe Chen as Chen Xin Yi is the famous sticky note girl who has no outstanding appeal. The character is comparable to other protagonists we already know be in Mexican, Korean and Filipino drama series. What gives life to her is the destiny of meeting Ji Cun Xi (Ethan Ruan). It’s like if she doesn’t meet him her life is simple as that forever but not with Cun Xi who’s madly in love with Anna (Bianca Bai) and running a big  family business.   Good thing she has Dylan (Baron Chen) who’s not only supporting her but also secretly loving her.

                The show is cute in tickling viewers’ heart; they had special treatment for the common scenes we expect to happen.  I like the running chickens in the last episode, the bullying of Cun Xi in the club where Dylan and Chin Yi is dating and other stuff like that. Then, I admit I cried when Chin Yi had accident, lost her baby, and afraid of meeting Cun Xi. I’m not a mother yet, but you can relate to her agony as a woman.

                Most of the comedy antics in the show are good, except that they tend to become noise and not that funny at times. The outstanding characters in the show are the grandma of Cun Xi (Tan Ai Zhen), mother of Xin Yi (Lin Mei Shiu), and Anson (Na Wei Xun). Although in many instances you’ll wonder if Anson is real man.

                Among the four lead characters, I rather pick Anna as the colourful one. You’ll angry with her actions but you clearly know where’s she’s coming from. I just don’t like that strawberry cake thing, which is very corny!  Dylan is ideal man who almost perfect but not appealing for he’s preachy and Mr. Know-It-All.  

                To be honest, I started watching the show on its 11th episode (which in my theory where the highlight or the major turning point really happens mostly in Taiwanese series).  Why? For me, you’ll only feel bad how poor girl Chen Xin Yi is in the first 10 episode. But there’s nothing wrong of watching those 10 episodes, I just choose to directly watch where the transformation happens.

Reflection

                If you follow, I stated in the review that I cried when Xin Yi had miscarriage because of an accident. It would not happen if in the very start Cun Xi was in love with her or at least firmed in being responsible with the mother of his kid.

                Imagine the horror of bearing a child of a man who’s not in love with you and doesn’t mind the baby (we’ll in the show Xin Yi believes that). Not all women are strong enough to raise their kids physically, emotionally and psychologically.  They look down in their self and feel bad for their kids.

                So I think women should  be careful, be love and be brave. 

Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang

Even without the invitation of my friends, I’m interested to watch Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang (and My Kontrabida Girl). It was because the movie poster and trailer looked promising. Something out of the box from the common horror/thriller film in the local cinema. In addition to that, I learned also that this movie was adapted from independent film that also directed by Richard Somes.

The thing is if someone would say that this awesome, I disagree. However if someone would say that this is not good film, I also disagree. Corazon had plus and minus points. Let me highlight these things in bullet points.

Plus points:

Erich Gonzales – I commend Erich for taking a role that is far from pa-tweetums and that she only looked good on screen. Though she had beautiful face and fantastic screen shots in the movie, she had also crazy-eerie- ugly scenes.  You might wonder why she did something stupid but as an actress who just giving justice to the demand of the director or script, she’s amazing.

                She’s hot in those suggestive scenes with Derek Ramsey.  I know that Derek is one of the sought-after hunks, but in the film he really looked old for Erich. But she didn’t exude that awkward gap.  I also commend her for those scenes when she’s getting cracked and wild.  At the start of the film, you would not imagine that she could be like that because she’s very firm and proper. I also like her acting in the part when she finally realized what she have done.

The Plot – I think this the savior of the film. You could cite so many bad sides but at the end, you would think after all it had good premise. “Mapa-oo nga ka” or “puwede!” It was trying to give you an idea that far from what expected but very believable.

Minus Points:

Editing – This is the aspect that I hate the most in Corazon.  There lot of transition of scenes that were not tastefully done and annoying. It also, I think, the reason why I notice that movie also had lack of continuity.

Cinematography – it’s actually could be in the plus points because of the cinematic shots but since, again, of bad editing it was affected. I also notice that it always been Derek had beautiful shots. If I’m going to cut those scenes, I can use it for a clothing line commercial. Hehehe.

                                Those Derek in the woods-scenes were redundantly done.  Okay, we knew that he’s pain in finding Corazon and maybe in realty in you would stay in one place to remember someone… but not in the woods in always beautiful daylight.

Screenplay – You know, you could let pass the technical problems in Corazon. An ordinary moviegoer would not mind that.  But the script for me is very important factor of a film.  I hate some dialogues and some stupid scenario like these two:

·         What’s the point of Techie Agbayani’s character? I wish they got some no name actress to play that so you would not mind her. Sayang, I thought there’s something about her. I rather choose the parts of Maria Isabel Lopez, minus her so big but so light patron statue.

·          Everything was running smoothly with Corazon being in her insanity. I just don’t like when she thought to wear that costume and when she visited her husband. In many days that she didn’t take a bath with all those dirty-yucky things in her body, I don’t believe you couldn’t wake up if she’s on top of you?  Eh ‘di ba this is not your unusual Aswang movie?

Unofficially Yours…laugh on top of the bed

Since I’m not into television for years, it is refreshing to see again Angel Locsin acting in a movie. With John Lloyd Cruz (JLC) and even it is not heavy drama, I can say that at last she got acting project with someone who knows how to act well.

Unofficially Yours is romantic comedy but unlike other John Lloyd Cruz’ movies specifically with Sarah Geronimo it is a little bit daring.  It is my first time to watch love scenes from a Filipino film that I just laugh and laugh.  Definitely, John Lloyd knows comedic timing and makes you cry.

Angel too can be laughable but in this movie she’s in the serious side.  Actually, I couldn’t relate with her character’s aim but somehow it’s how she carried it that made it sense.  She’s effective in portraying a woman who’s in control in the situation and career-oriented.  She’s also good when she delivered her long acting lines in the last part. The scene was just too long to watch but definitely her good acting was there. My friends who watched with me in cinema commended that her outfits were fab. Hopefully she gets more movie projects.

On John Lloyd, my ultimate comment is he’s awesome. I don’t care if he doesn’t have abs or aristocratic face, he’s good actor and he delivers what I want- romance and laughter. Even in the acting scene, people in the movie house gave him affirmative comments more than Angel when in fact Ces (Angel’s character) carried heavy burden and she was a victim too. I’m not a total fan of John Lloyd but in acting, two thumbs up!

The supporting cast was tastefully delivered their part. I once read Edgar Allan Guzman’s said that he’s very happy to be part of the movie and he refused a TV project to prioritize this one. Well, it was only supporting and you had short exposure compared with your other films but you were cool in the movie man.  I couldn’t measure the state of my laughter whenever you were present.  Boom Lubrusca and Panying were also had superb performances. On the other hand, the family of Macky Galvez (JLC’s character) gave warmness in the movie.  

However, of all the supporting cast, it was K Brosas you would notice easily. With her punch lines and facial expression, even she’s only in the background she could steal the scene.