When you talk of comedic movies in our country, you think of slapstick comedy, bumbling cops, Vic Sotto, Andrew E., comic hero spoofs, and of course, Dolphy. This formula has worked for years and the masses can't seem to get enough of this. This in mind, when the Metro Manila Film Festival comes, you will undoubtedly, find one or any of the mentioned to be an entry.
Desperadas is a great departure from that set-up. The story of four half-sisters struggling with their relationships may not sound inviting as it somewhat resembles Desperate Housewives, but this worked really well under the direction of Joel Lamangan.
I watched this movie with my cousin (when it finally came out) and neither of us were surprised when we saw that the seats weren't packed. I guess a lot of people didn't think this was any good. But, I mean, the writer was Roy C. Iglesias. Do they not know who that person was?
Anyway, as the story went, it was about four rich half-sisters and their problems between themselves and their romantic relationships. All with great careers save one; Patricia, the eldest, was the writer, Stephanie was a lawyer, Isabella was um... I'm not sure if she had any career as she's most seen partying most of the time, and the youngest, Courtney, was a swimsuit designer. Each actress portrayed their roles almost effortlessly; a special mention to Ruffa Gutierrez on this part. Even though Marian Rivera was a newcomer, she held her own, giving an astounding performance as Courtney.
Each sister had their own love woes: Patricia's husband felt inferior to his wife, Stephanie's marriage had no 'spark' in it anymore, Isabella was a single mom who doesn't want to get married, and Courtney's soon-to-be hubby suddenly converted into a Born Again Christian, which didn't suit well with her lifestyle.
All the actors performed really well here. Jay-R was a good actor (to my surprise) and so was Will Devaughn (so I guess he won't just be a model now, won't he?).
Despite the great acting, it's the script that i enjoyed most in the film. This was witty. This was fresh. This had a maid who knew the lines of Emily Dickinson, Gone with the Wind, and Parokya ni Edgar! I'm glad they didn't turn her into an Inday clone (search Inday's blog so you could have an idea).
I gave this movie an 8 for its (sort of) originality, approach in humor, cast, great direction, and decent acting. Please watch this film!
