News: Top Filipino comedy "You're My Boss" starts international roll-out April 10, 2015!

"That Thing Called Tadhana" director Antoinette Jadaone scores another big hit in Star Cinema's "You're My Boss"!

TFC@theMovies brings the current number one Filipino romantic comedy this April to US, Canada, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Spain, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Singapore, Japan, Australia & New Zealand

REDWOOD SHORES, CA, April 8, 2015 – Even for her first major studio film under ABS-CBN Star Cinema, white-hot independent Filipino film writer-director Antoniette Jadaone, who is coming on the heels of the box-office and critical success of her "That Thing Called Tadhana", was willing to take risks.  While You're My Boss - which she also wrote - falls under her solid romantic comedy genre, she took the challenge of directing an untested on-screen partnership in two international Filipino superstars: Coco Martin and Toni Gonzaga.  

The result?  You're My Bosshas grossed Php65 million in just three days of showing in the Philippines.  The film opened on Black Saturday, went head-to-head and toe-to-toe with powerhouse Hollywood movies like "Fast and Furious 7", and more than held its own at the box office.

TFC@theMovies is bringing this latest rom-com blockbuster to U.S. and Canada starting April 10; Milan and Rome, Italy and Copenhagen, Denmark on April 12; Paris, France on April 12-19; UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman in the Middle East and Australia/New Zealand on April 16; Vienna, Austria on April 18-19; Madrid, Spain on April 19 and TBD in Oslo, Norway; and Athens, Greece, Singapore and Japan on April 26.

You're My Bossis far from just being your usual case of rich girl-poor boy, love-hate storyline.  It's a role reversal for the characters of Pong (Martin) who is the humble assistant of Georgina, an alpha female of a boss.  When Sir Albert (Freddie Webb), their company's Chief Commercial Officer, goes on sabbatical, he assigns a very important deal to be handled by Georgina.  When she meets with the client, Mr. Najimoto, the latter refuses to discuss business with anyone face-to-face except with the head honcho.  Enter clueless Pong who Georgina conveniently introduces, under pretense, as the boss.  Thus, the deal is on with Mr. Najimoto, and so is the make-believe arrangement between Pong and Georgina.

Fans and critics rave over the steady story-telling of Jadaone and the on-screen chemistry between Martin and Gonzaga as their characters adjust to their new situation:

"With a script by Jadaone & Yoshke Dimen, this movie is filled with witty, quotable dialogue in relatable situtations, which isn’t surprising. It can be snarky, just like Georgina’s initial interactions with Pong. It can be sweet, just like Georgina’s interactions with Pong as they start to get to know each other. What it ISN'T is unfunny, bland, or just plain terrible."  - Kieff Iporac, TheTalkingSign.com

"The film’s greatest strength is its focus. Once the two main characters are put together, there’s hardly a scene where they are apart. They interact with each other almost exclusively, the film giving them time to develop something meaningful." - Philbert Ortiz, ClickTheCity.com

"You're My Boss proposes that this extraordinary circumstance of a lie... is the setting for romance to bloom between two opposites... (and) the idea of a 'boss' is redefined from the professional to the personal. There's an organic quality to her (Jadaone's) story-telling that it never spoon-feeds the audience, instead she lets the narrative unfold naturally and in a very realistic and human manner."  - Wanggo Gallaga, Juice.ph

 "We've been pretty busy this Spring offering one original Filipino rom-com after another to the world and being thankful that the moviegoers are watching and loving them," said ABS-CBN Global Head of Theatricals and acclaimed film, TV and concert director John-D Lazatin.  "You're My Bossunder true 'galing ng Filipino' hands of my colleague, Antoinette, and the acting skills and charisma of Coco and Toni, is guaranteed to give movie audiences a rollicking good time in the theaters.  It's a movie that all members of the family will enjoy."

For more information including the theater listings visit the following links:

U.S. and Canada | https://www.tfc-usa.com/youre-my-boss/
Middle East | https://tl-ph.facebook.com/TFCMiddleEast
Europe | https://www.facebook.com/TFCEurope
Australia and New Zealand | https://tl-ph.facebook.com/TFCAustralia
Singapore | https://tl-ph.facebook.com/TFCSingapore
Japan | https://tl-ph.facebook.com/TFCJapan

Watch the lovely trailer below....

News: Blockbuster Filipino comedy "Past Tense" opens in US theatres

TFC@theMovies brings current number one Filipino comedy film to 38 theatres in the U.S. and 13 in Canada starting December 5, 2015 

REDWOOD SHORES, CA – The last time Kim Chiu and Xian Lim teamed up on the big screen under award-winning director Mae Cruz Alviar - which was just in early 2014 - their film Bride for Rent grossed over P326 million ($7.2MM) in the Philippine box office.  Versatile comedienne Ai Ai de las Alas co-starred in Sisterakas, an entry of ABS-CBN Star Cinema to the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival, which earned over P391 million ($8.7MM).  These two films are now the 7th and 4th, respectively, highest grossing films of all time in Philippine cinema history.

TFC@theMovies is giving moviegoers in North America the holiday gift of a jolly ho-ho-ho and a barrel of ha-ha-ha when it brings anew director Cruz-Alviar, the love team known as "KimXi" and the genius zaniness of De las Alas in a wild comedy ride of a movie called, Past Tense, to 38 theatres in the U.S. and 13 in Canada, starting this Friday, December 5.

"This is a 'feel good' time for every member of the family, a season of joy and laughter," said ABS-CBN Global Head of Theatricals John-D Lazatin. "With this winning team, viewers will find themselves rolling on the floor with the laugh-a-minute barrage of jokes, comedic characters and situations.  The beauty of this is you can tell that the artists are immensely enjoying themselves in this movie and that energy is contagious.  This is a true laugh trip.  It's a fun way for TFC@themovies to wrap up 2014."

Can You Change The Past Without Messing It Up Further? 
This fresh rom-com presents the story of Belle (De Las Alas) in 2034 who wakes up after being in a coma for 20 years.  The last thing she remembers is getting into an accident while chasing after her boyfriend Carlos (Daniel Matsunaga) to apologize. She learns that Carlos died the same night that she got into an accident. Belle couldn’t believe how her life turned out.

Belle was given a chance by Papa Time (Benjie Paras) to time travel to 2014 to correct her mistakes, but as the 2034 version of herself.  In doing so, she finds out things that make her decide to change the course of the past. First, she learns that Carlos is a bad guy for her after all and that her best friend Babs (Lim) is in love with her. She then decides to make her younger self (Chiu - yes, no kidding) fall in love with Babs hoping to get Carlos out of the picture and to avoid the accident.

In the process, things go out of her control, putting Belle's future life at risk of becoming even worse.

See you at the movies!

XXX
Raymond Lo

News: Filipino comedy "Edsa Woolworth" opens in US and Canada Nov 14!

ABS-CBN TFC's holiday offering "Edsa Woolworth" will open in US and Canada theaters on Friday, November 14.

The film stars Filipino comedian Pokwang in the titular role. “Edsa Woolworth" is a film that looks into a blended Filipino and American family whose members, at first glance, have everything clashing – personalities, lifestyles, life goals, name it. If you were to match a whole family, this one’s a mismatch. But the journey each member takes to look beyond what doesn’t work and focus on what does – within themselves and with others - is a story that will resonate among many families nowadays. In the end, it's all about love and values.

With the always brilliant funny girl, Pokwang, in the title role, expect generous moments of laugh-till-it-hurts hilarity in EDSA Woolworth. Expect some daring, too, especially with her character’s relationship with charming Chad Bauer, played by American actor Lee O’Brian. Their easy chemistry ignites onscreen and brings the audience into their private space, whether to swoon, laugh or cry.

The interesting family dynamics come into full play through the spot-on acting by the very capable supporting cast. The film assembled the dignified Stephen Spohn as Papa Frank Woolworth, the talented Ricci Chan as Boni Woolworth, and Prince Saruhan as the angst-ridden twentysomething Paco Woolworth. Enriching (or complicating) their lives are popular “Adobo Nation” co-host Lee Robin Salazar as Patrick and Princess Ryan as Shayne.

“Edsa Woolworth as a character is Pokwang. In her name alone, you can see already two cultures, two races, put together. It stands out; so do Pokwang’s character and her family in this film, in more ways and reasons than one,” said director John-D Lazatin.

Watch the trailer below:

See you at the movies!

XXX
Raymond Lo

Film Review: "The Trial"

John Lloyd Cruz, Gretchen Barreto "THE TRIAL"

If one wants to be kind to the Star Cinema film "The Trial" by director Chito S. Roño and looks at it as a comedy on the hilarity of the justice system in the Philippines and the awkward integration of homosexuals into mainstream Filipino society then you will find yourself applauding the effort of the writers and the filmmakers. But sadly you will be reminded much too often that what you are watching is a melodrama carefully packaged as a socially relevant discourse on the following: rape, the haphazard justice system in the Philippines, social media, mental retardation, homosexuality, infidelity, death, marriage, and many others. The film attempts to cover so much that it feels like watching a distilled teleserye.

It's too bad because, for the first time in a long time, Gretchen Barreto acted her part quite well. Yes, she's supposed to be a psychologist but she was mostly a grieving mother all throughout and her blank, expressionless face worked to her advantage this time.

Richard Gomez was a disappointment however. The veteran actor has the build of a lawyer but the poorly- written court scenes did not do him any favor. John Lloyd Cruz was mildly effective and, oftentimes, his performance as a high-functioning developmentally disabled individual reminds you of how he usually acts "cute" in his regular rom-coms (I am not sure if it was how the character was researched by the writers).

Character actress Sylvia Sanchez has the meatiest part in the film as the lesbian mother of John Lloyd's character and, except for a few badly-written lines, she delivered the best performance in the movie. The actor who played her gay wife in the film was hilarious but it added nothing to the character.

The movie deliberately withheld one key plot detail until the predictable climax which was setup similar to a key scene in "A Few Good Men" when the two marines finally decide to tell the truth. The editing is the film's biggest strength which, to some extent, made the exposition more interesting but the lack of credible conflict and tension only led to a lackluster and dull finale.

Rating: 3 stars

xxx
Raymond Lo

Chito Rono's "The Trial" hits US cinemas!

Filipino director Chito Rono's latest film "The Trial" started its US theatrical run yesterday. The movie is playing in more than 30 cinemas all across the United States. To check for theaters and screening schedules near your city, click on this link: http://www.tfc-usa.com/schedule/

Produced by Star Cinema, the top film company in the Philippines, "The Trial" gathers some of the finest talents working in local cinema today. Roño worked on the story and screenplay by Kriz G. Gazmen, Ricky Lee and Enrico Santos. The sterling cast is led by John Lloyd Cruz, Gretchen Barretto, Richard Gomez, Enrique Gil, Jessy Mendiola, Sylvia Sanchez, Vivian Velez, Vincent De Jesus, Benjamin Alves, among others.

A Curious Case: Flaws and Secrets

The marriage of lawyer JULIAN (Richard Gomez) and developmental psychologist AMANDA (Gretchen Barretto) is already crumbling. Aggravated by the tragic death of their only son, their relationship now is beyond any chance of mending.

That chance came when one day Julian and Amanda encounter a curious case. RONALD (John Lloyd Cruz), a person with intellectual disability, is accused of raping the niece of a renowned university head, BESSY (Jessy Mendiola). The already curious case becomes more intriguing when they learn that Ronald was their son’s best buddy.

Amanda is hired by Bessy’s camp to look into Ronald to prove his lucidity and intention – hence, implicating him of the crime. However, as she tries to get to know him, the truth about Ronald and his relationship with Bessy and her deceased son all unfold before her. Believing that Ronald could have not committed the crime, she withdraws from Bessy’s camp and decides to help him.

Working together, Julian and Amanda exert every possible effort to acquit Ronald of the crime. Little do they know that his case would mean facing the truth about their broken family – something they have forever lied to themselves about.

I invite you to watch the trailer of the "The Trial" below and then proceed to the nearest theater near you to watch the movie in full.



See you at the movies!

XXX
Raymond Lo