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VALENTINE'S REVIEWS

Reviews by Vives Anunciacion
More of a comedy than a romance, Music and Lyrics is the surest date movie this year, unless one is a womyn who likes womyn, in which case, Rome and Juliet is the sweet choice. Whether it’s the cutesy Music and Lyrics, the deeply poetic The Fountain, or the female love story Rome & Juliet, siguradong may date movie opening today na bagay sa girls, sa boys, bakla man or tomboys.

Music and Lyrics
Written and Directed by Marc Lawrence
Starring Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore
*** (3 stars)

The Fountain
Written and Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Starring Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz
** ½ (2 ½ stars)

Rome and Juliet
Written and Directed by Connie S. Macatuno
Starring Andrea Del Rosario, Mylene Dizon, Rafael Rosell
** ½ (2 ½ stars)

Although Music and Lyrics features a fictional icon from the greatest decade of music, the movie doesn’t actually play any 80s song. The movie is about a former 80s pop icon who struggles to revive his musical career but instead finds romance unexpectedly.

Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) formerly of the 80s pop band Pop, is asked to compose a hit song for the current pop diva within three days, otherwise he can declare his musical career laos. Enter Alex’s talky plant attendant (taga-dilig ng halaman) Sofie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), who helps Alex marry her rhyme with his rhythm. In short, they’re a match made in musical heaven.

What makes Music and Lyrics work is Grant’s spot-on comedic timing, despite the bland screenplay and uneventful storyline. You can pair Barrymore up with anyone and she will still be as cute as the day she appeared in E.T. A romantic comedy with an 80’s reference but with absolutely no real 80’s music (this so NOT 13 Going on 30), Music and Lyrics is melodious to the everyman’s funny bone.

Conversely, Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain is almost a conceptual love story with the barest storyline and an excess in interpretative visuals. The story, spanning thousands of years, is about the search for the legendary Fountain of youth.

Hugh Jackman plays Dr. Tommy Creo who is in search of a cure for his dying wife’s (Rachel Weisz) cancer, but the movie crisscrosses between a Spanish-era conquistador’s search for the tree of life in Guatemala, the present day Creo and the future Creo who is in a bubble spaceship on his way to a dying star. Sounds confusing? Not so, it simply isn’t that easy to understand. Pretend it’s a music video with random scenes minus the music. What a disappointment from one of the most promising US directors in many years.

Lastly, Rome & Juliet is a light drama, light lesbian romance (well, light everything) from newbie director Connie SA. Macatuno and CinemaOne Originals.

Andrea del Rosario plays pre-school teacher Juliet engaged to marry a young politician (Rosell), when she meets and falls for the wedding planner Rome (Mylene Dizon) (or more accurately, the bride-to-be seduces the female wedding planner). Family and friends collide when the all-female couple decide to fight for their all-female love.

Unconventional the concept may be, Rome & Juliet plays out like an L-Word version of the OC where beautiful people abound (check out how many tisoy guys there are in this movie) and gender issues enumerated (stereotyping, labeling, gender specification of roles, etc.)

Good performances abound from Dizon, del Rosario (even Rosell) and Tessie Tomas, who plays Juliet’s conservative mother. Yes, the conservative mother wears eyeglasses and ganchillos. A movie against stereotyping actually needs stereotypes to tell its story.