Screwball comedy with a delicious twist

Film review: Here Comes the Bride

Forget those three-in-one offerings of some of our favorite ice-cream makers! Thanks to Chris Martinez’s directing and screenplay-writing, we have Here Comes the Bride, and it’s an extra sulit five-in-one package, one movie with five wonderful comedic performances. A co-production of Star Cinema, Octo Arts and Joji Alonso’s Quantum Films, Here Comes the Bride boasts of impeccable ensemble casting; with Angelica Panganiban, Eugene Domingo, John Lapus, Tuesday Vargas and Jaime Fabregas all producing winning dual portrayals... and more!

It’s screwball comedy with a delicious twist. To set the scenario: One very timid, chaste bride (Angelica) has chosen the day of a solar eclipse for her beach wedding. Ninang at the wedding is a hard-as-balls old maid lawyer (Eugene), best friend of the bride’s mother (Cherry Pie Picache). Ringbearer is a spoiled child whose persecuted yaya (Tuesday) is being courted by the family driver. Lolo (Jaime) to the groom (Tom Rodriguez), is sickly but still harbors lecherous desires; while among the team of makeup artists/hairdressers for the wedding is one very frustrated, lovestruck beautician... ehem! image stylist (John). We suspend disbelief when, upon hitting the Magnetic Hill on the highway, the eclipse occurs, a pile-up road accident takes place and for some inexplicable reason, there’s a merry-go-round of personality transference.

We willingly throw disbelief out the window because the comedic possibilities that ensue are wonderfully executed, and too much fun to resist. John’s character now takes residence in Angelica’s body, and so now Angelica has to go all-out bakla and man-hungry. Tuesday’s down-at-heels yaya has taken on the personality of Eugene’s tough lawyer, while Eugene is now the timid bride Stephanie. Jaime’s body now takes on the persona of simple yaya and of course, with great expectations, we realize that Sweet Lapus now has to be the straight, testosterone-crazed lolo, now relishing the fact that he’s in a much younger body — and in due course, seducing one of the bridesmaids! As our coterie of zany characters realize what has happened, they resolve to try and right things — and this also results in one crazy sequence of attempting to repeat the accident — without being able to predict the results!

At its core, it’s a daring, juggling act Chris is playing, and he succeeds with flying colors, without dropping a ball. It’s a witty, intelligent script that manages to retain commercial sensibilities. While we’ll inevitably have our personal favorites — mine is John — one has to marvel at how consistent the comedy quotient is kept throughout the film, how the pacing is so confident and measured, and how even when it’s time for the requisite “happy ending,” it comes with Chris’ signature “nudge and wink.”

Here is one film that truly deserves an audience. While it may not boast of “powerhouse” casting, it’s got quality stamped all over it. It’s fun, it’s smart, and it sets a standard for 2010’s comedy films! It may not always be “laugh out loud” or hysterical; but it mines situations and possibilities with a judicious, comedic eye — kudos to Chris for the masterful control of his own material.