The Gifted

• Anne Curtis as Zoe Tuazon / Joey
• Cristine Reyes as Aica Tabayoyong / Mica
• Sam Milby as Mark Ferrer / Marco Yuzon

Marco Yuzon, is on a bookstore for a book signing event for his new book entitled, The Gifted. He begins the book signing by reading a few chapters of the book and so the story goes: A young Zoe Tuazon, a rich, overweight, aggressive and genius mestiza, with a young Aica Tabayoyong, a poor, far sighted, and abnormally large teeth girl, enter a school with their parents for an entrance exam. Both of the students' abnormal brain intelligence are not accepted by the school and transferred to to a higher school with better education. Both of them excel in different subjects such as Mathematics, English, History. One day, during a Religion Class, Zoe ruins her reputation by questioning the teacher's lesson. Then, the next day, Aica also ruins her name when she defecates during a Music lesson. The two, now outcasts, become good friends and plot evil plans on the school by poisoning students and a teacher, and booby- trapping the nun who Zoe questioned. The whole school fears them until high school came, Zoe and Aica, are fighting for the Valedictorian position. Zoe's mother convinces her to find Aica's weakness to get the throne. A new student, Mark Ferrer, an illiterate athlete, enters the school. Aica immediately falls in love with him leading Zoe to plot her evil plan. Zoe meets up with Mark and insisted him to fall in love with Aica while Zoe does his home works, and even make him copy her answers on quizzes. Not being attracted to Aica, Mark forces himself to date her. As the plan goes on, final exams were finished and the distribution of cards took place. Aica and Zoe compare their final averages only to find out they have the same average of 98.71 enraging Zoe. To make their daughter the class Valedictorian, Zoe's parents donated a building to the school. Zoe, now the Valedictorian became too proud of herself. On a restaurant after the graduation, Aica confronts Zoe about the unfairness of her parents and gives her a gift of pills and mayonnaise while Zoe gives her a toilet seat. Ending their friendship, Aica weeps as Zoe eats 5 layers of leche flan. Aica's parents ask her to stop seeing Mark. Mark leaves Aica happily as he was not interested with her in the first place. On the course of their college lives, Aica graduated as a Mathematics Major in Ateneo and Zoe graduated as a Neuro Science Major in Princeton both Suma Cum Laudes. Before returning to the Philippines, Zoe undergoes Plastic Surgery and becomes insanely beautiful, so does Aica. Both are now models and when both of them learns each others success, it angers them both leading to Zoe bumping on Mark, now a literate and American graduate. Zoe plots another plan against Aica and uses Mark to do it in exchange for Zoe to accept Mark's interest in her. The plan was for Mark to make Aica fall in love with him again and dump her afterwards. While on a tutorial lesson, Aica was accidentally visited by Mark (by Zoe's plan) and the two came back together. Realizing Aica really loves him, Mark's conscience eats him and decides to love Aica for real and erasing his deal with Zoe. Angering Zoe, she plots another revenge on Aica and shows everybody the animated video version of Aica defecating to the reunion that took place a few days later. Aica follows Zoe to her house and as she enters, a booby trap almost kills Aica (a shot gun). After several minutes of Zoe trying to kill Aica, Zoe finally gives up after Aica almost drowns her. The two made up when suddenly, Zoe reveals it was just an act and points a gun at Aica. Aica runs for her life only to bump into Mark, who shielded Aica from the blow, wounding his face. After the incident, Zoe's parents attempted to help Aica with anything she needs. Realizing they were good after all, Aica backs up the case against Zoe but she did not even seem sorry. Aica hands over a picture to Zoe. The picture was Mark's wounded face and Zoe bursts in tears. After several months, Aica and Mark, now newly weds enter their room to see a somewhat booby trap created by Zoe, as it finishes, it was revealed that it was a sorry gift from Zoe, realizing she was wrong all along. The gift was a picture of Aica and Zoe on their high school. The story ends with Zoe returning to the States on a plane. Marco Yuzon, having finished reading the book, started his signing and left the bookstore. On the parking area, a girl slams the book on his windshield revealing her to be Aica and with her was Zoe in their real appearances (unattractive and heavyweight). The two, whose real names are Mica (Aica) and Joey (Zoe) were very mad with Marco who was in fact their classmate since Elementary. The novel he wrote was a fiction about the two best friends. The two girls explained that Marco was the real one who got busted, who became cast away, who defecated his pants, who poisoned the students and who disobeyed the teachers and that Joey and Mica were real friends with each other. Due to insecurity of them being always on the top and he was always third place, he wrote the novel to put his anger towards them. Insulted that they were the topic of the book and Marco made Joey a lunatic, they insisted that Marco sign their book copies with his blood and started to beat him up.
Year: 2014

A Secret Affair

• Anne Curtis as Rafaela 'Rafi' Delgado
• Derek Ramsay as Anton
• Andi Eigenmann as Sam Montinola 

A Secret Affair revolves on the lives of happy couple Rafi Delgado and Anton. On the eve of her wedding with her parner to be, Anton, fashion stylist Rafi backs out and seeks solitude in the U.S. unknowingly to others the true reasons why she left. Anton is left into the seduction of Sam Montinola, a free spirited young woman  who had a one night encounter with Anton moments previously before Anton and Rafi became a couple. Just as Sam thinks Anton and Sam's relationship gets truly serious, Rafi returns and just as Anton and Rafi are ready to give there love a fresh start. Sam cannot totally give up. But when Rafi truly finds out the truth behind this secret affair how far will Rafi fight for the man she lost once? And how will Anton make things right?
Year: 2012

No Other Woman

• Anne Curtis as Kara Zalderiaga
• Derek Ramsay as Ram Escaler
• Cristine Reyes as Charmaine Escaler

Kara Zalderiaga, a young, beautiful, beautiful carefree socialite who can and will get whatever she wants. She has had many boyfriends but has continuously been emotionally-detached to love. To Kara, life s all fun and in love, no strings attached. But deep in her core, she has been longing not just to be desired and admired but likewise appreciated and truly loved. Ram Escaler, a charming, dedicated furniture salesman husband driven by his ambition to prove himself to the world. To Ram, being a good husband that can provide the best life to his family is a lifelong goal. He is obsessed with the idea of living out of the shadows of his father-in-law and away from the image of his estranged father. Charmaine Escaler, the beautiful perfect wife, calculating, prim and proper to a fault. She is concerned with image and takes her role as an ideal wife to heart. To Charmaine, she will let nothing and no one ruin the “perfection” she has created for her family. How will these three lives change? How can the once carefree mistress become clingy to the only man who believed and appreciated her and destroy both her family’s name and the family of the one she loves? How can an ideal husband be overcome by passion and commit the biggest mistake of his life? How can the perfect wife save her marriage and not become an appalling and monstrous version of herself? Amidst these tensions, scandals, confrontations, and their emotions, the three would eventually learn a lesson that will change their lives forever.

(September 29, 2011)

I watched this with my dad. Luckily, he joined me. Haha! So No Other Woman is definitely a must watch movie. Anne-Derek-Cristine in one movie, what more would you ask for?

The story was set up very nicely. Perfect plot, I guess. It did not try to add some twist with regards to the storytelling and just presented the story directly. We know for a fact that in any other Star Cinema film, the lead characters always have a problem with any of the member of the family, for this movie, it was Ram’s father and even a bit with Kara’s, which served as the B plot back story on why the characters act in such manner. Fortunately, it worked here since the small plots served as real back stories that did not sound forced nor unnatural. What I like about the film is that no one claims to be a saint. Everyone knows what they’re doing and that they’re just taking advantage of the situation given to them. They admit their faults, but what I don’t get is how they all become in good terms in the end? That’s not realistic as it is right? Anyway, so back to this the location of the film does look too posh and costly, and it gave the director and the cinematographer some opportunities for very nice shots, which they took advantage.

Of course, people are gonna be raving about the lines. The audience is really receptive every time Ms. Carmi Martin throws her lines. The whole crowd is going crazy. Additionally, it’s the understated hints that both Anne and Cristine give to each other that will end up in all local movie confrontation lists. That catfight would be the highlight of the movie. Haha, I’m kidding! In relation to that, the real star of the show is the cast. Derek Ramsey was physically and emotionally fit to play the role of Ram. Cristine Reyes was a bit hammy in her supposedly “shining moments” and the audience isn’t sympathizing with her instead laugh at her. But she played the role good enough that it didn’t ruin the movie experience. Ultimately, it was the Anne Curtis movie. Everything about her screams the role she’s playing. This is an all time best performance from her, and I doubt she’ll be able to top this. I know she will and always will in the future. That’s who she is, that’s how she is.

Love,

- D.✯

Who's That Girl

• Anne Curtis as Elizabeth Pedroza
• Luis Manzano as John Eduque

When the school wallflower gets a pep talk from the most popular campus heartthrob at her lowest moment, this becomes a life-changing moment for her. Elizabeth transforms into a beautiful, intelligent and successful career woman, who has often fantasized about how her dream man John Eduque had turned out to be. Until one day, she reads his name in the obituary. She is shattered with grief over a man she was not even romantically involved with. She goes to the wake in hysterics causing eyebrows to raise, especially the deceased’s widow. The John Eduque that passed away is actually the senior John Eduque, John’s father. Realizing her fumble, she hurriedly leaves, unaware of the damage she has caused to John’s family who suspects she is the unknown mistress. Mrs. Eduque succumbs to depression therefore John takes it upon himself to avenge his mother’s misery and hunts for the mystery woman. But instead of seeking revenge on her, John starts to fall for her the more he gets to know her. How will John’s mother react to this blossoming relationship? Will blood always be thicker than water? Or will love triumph in the end?

To watch the full trailer. (click here)

(March 18, 2011)