MOVIE REVIEW: ENGLISH ONLY, PLEASE (MMFF 2014) Movie Review, PopWatch English Only, Please follows the story of Tere Madlansacay (Jennylyn Mercado) as she is hired to be a Filipino tutor by Julian Parker (Derek Ramsay), a Filipino-American who wants to mend his broken heart. The story arc, from the get-go may seem a bit too formulaic and predictable, but the various elements that work together to build the story are able to make it into something witty and enjoyable. What makes this movie work is that from beginning to end, it is able to capture the essence of Filipino culture, most especially its languages – Filipino and English. Having on-screen translations of words from English to Filipino, in relation to what is happening to the story all the more makes this effective as it represents what it is to be a Filipino in today’s age. It does not only make use of popular culture – as other comedies use in exaggeration, but also shows the daily musings of different Filipinos, may it be the presence of the concept Filipino time, the film’s favorite quip “traffic sa EDSA” or even encountering Koreans who want to speak Filipino. More than this, the movie also touches on the struggles not only of love life but everyday life; no matter how overused the breadwinner problems Tere was facing seemed to be, it was still very fitting in the movie’s context. What makes this movie even more of a delight to watch is the comedy. From beginning to end it is filled with scenes that will make you laugh, without the movie trying to be funny in an obvious way; it makes use of the situation itself as a source of entertainment. For a movie that has a Romantic Comedy genre, it made me laugh more times than a stand-alone comedy that was The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin. With this comes the ever-pressing matter of #hugots which is portrayed in almost every scene and are very effective in making up for a very likable and relatable story for the audience. Along with a great story comes the great pair of actors in the movie. Individually, Derek Ramsay and Jennylyn Mercado portray their characters convincingly, with the former effectively playing a Fil-Am with baluktot Tagalog (a role that would normally be portrayed by the likes of Sam Milby) and the latter having bursts of energy and comedic timing that is on point. Their pairing may be unlikely (in fact, I didn’t really feel 100% chemistry between the two), but it works, giving just the right amount of kilig for the audience. Ramsay and Mercado definitely deserve their Best Actor and Best Actress awards from the MMFF 2014 Awards given their performances in this movie, which just really goes to show that with just the right script, actors can really excel and perform well. Overall, English Only, Please, utilizes the right combination of story, acting and the direction of Dan Villegas, and makes up for a must-watch entertaining treat for the hopeless romantic or even those who just want to have a good time watching the 40th Metro Manila Film Festival.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 15:42:09 +0000
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