Ang humahataw na movie review ng English Only Please ni Atty. Ferdinand Topacio!

There’s no doubt about it, if Atty. Ferdinand Topacio did not become a topnotch lawyer, he surely would be a fantastic entertainment columnist of the broadsheet variety. Honestly, napakahusay niyang magpahayag ng kanyang opinion tungkol sa mga concerts at pelikulang kanyang napanonood and I can say with full unadulterad conviction that he’s very much capable of upstaging the reigning broadsheets columnists of late. Hahahahahaha!

Read this one and be the judge.

Obviously ay mega impress si Atty. Topacio sa comedy flick nina Jennylyn Mercado at Derek Ramsay that’s why he gave a glowing review of it. “Make no mistake about it: ‘English Only, Please’ is Jennylyn Mercado’s movie,” he asse-verates beaming. “To be sure, Derek Ramsay was a revelation, showing that he can give a multi-dimensional performance, and the support was consistently competent. But the movie could not have worked without Ms. Mercado. The female protagonist — Tere Madlangsacay — was a role that she has made her own: the character inhabited her, it became her, she became it, until 15 minutes into the movie, there was no more Jennylyn, only Tere,” he pleasantly intones.

Wow! I’m absolutely speechless! Hahahahahahahahahaha!

Anyway, the plot of the movie, so says the famed and controversial lawyer, “is ‘same old, same old’ romantic comedy: boy meets girl, they don’t like each other at first, they get to know each other, fall in love, quarrel and get back together again. No spoilers here.”

But the trick, according to Atty. Ferdie, is in the execution. “It’s like navigating the ‘traffic sa EDSA,’ a recurring dialogue in the movie. You can traverse it in an old taxi, or you can ride a Benz. You’ll get to the end either way, but the ride is definitely more satisfying in a Mercedes.”

Ano’ng say n’yo? Hahahahahahahaha!

According to the famed lawyer, the director and writers of this movie did take us for a trip on a Mercedes Benz. The lines are purportedly smart and witty and worthy of a second viewing. The cinematography, as seen by the meticulous eyes of Atty. Topacio, is pleasing without being overwrought. The cha-racter development are infinitely several cuts above the usual cardboard roles.

“It’s a funny mo-vie,” he articulates, “that does not insult your intelligence (Is Bossing reading this?) And did I mention that Ms. Mercado’s acting blew my socks off?” he further intones humoring himself for being so impressed with Ms. Mercado’s brand of acting.

Just to show how compelling Jennylyn’s acting in the movie is, he asse-verates that the Tere character is richly-textured and finely-nuanced, “with every facial expression, every vocal inflection, every gesture aimed at displaying the character with great consistently. With a detailed backstory to reference, the wonder of it all is how Ms. Mercado manages to essay her role with a total absence of visible technique and a clear absence of dramatic effort; in other words, she makes it seem so seamless and effortless, the characterization just flowing out with ease that Tere becomes extremely believable and plausible.”

In the event that Jennylyn becomes consistent with her acting, Atty. Topacio believes that in a couple of years, she could be at par with the likes of Bea, Sharon, Judy Ann and his fave actress Claudine Barretto.

Anyway, what supposedly makes the movie throughly enjoyable is that the inevitable lover’s quarrel and the wild finish, is handled in a way that is not heavy-handed, avoiding much of the cliches, resulting in a fresh take. For lack of a better simile, the movie’s allegedly comparable to making love to an old familiar lover who has cut and dyed her hair, had cosmetic surgery and a total wardrobe change: you already know how it feels like, but you will discover something pleasantly new.

How so intuitive and wildly perceptive indeed! Hahahahahahahahaha!

Anyhow, for the parting shot, Atty. Topacio’s urging all of you to enjoy EOP. Knowing that it may have purportedly singlehandedly saved the 2014 MMFF from the blandness of its other ho-hum offerings.

Hahahahahahahaha! How so very Atty. Ferdinand Topacio indeed.

ni Pete Ampoloquio, Jr.