REVIEW: My Kontrabida Girl

Title: My Kontrabida Girl

Director: Jade Castro

Producer: GMA Films

Distribution: GMA Films

Date of premiere: March 14, 2012

GMA Films's My Kontrabida Girl was a pleasant surprise.

I did not expect much from watching this film, because more often than not, local film production companies completely botch romantic comedies. Only Star Cinema seems to be able to pull off good ones like Unofficially Yours, but they are also capable of stinkers, like the recent My Cactus Heart.

But with My Kontrabida Girl, boy, was I wrong. This movies is excellent, and really really funny.

My Kontrabida Girl tells the story of Isabel Reyes, a famous kontrabida actress who loses her mojo when a poor man saves her from an accident. She loses all cruelty in her body that she becomes an ineffective kontrabida. Taking the advice of an iconic kontrabida, she then goes in search of Chris Bernal (Aljur Abrenica), the boy who ruined her life in grade school, so she can take revenge and become cruel once again.

It helps a lot that respected indie director Jade Castro (of Zombadings and Endo) was in charge of this gem. He offers new styles and approaches to comedy, that there are too many of them to count.

To be honest, this film is up there with Kimi Dora, if we talk about the number of scenes that one can talk about. If Kimi Dora has Yaya Moi, My Kontrabida Girl has Chariz Solomon in the role of a production assistant who takes pleasure in being slapped by her actress-boss. If Kimi Dora has that hilarious and memorable scene where a twin pretends to be her sister, My Kontrabida Girl has this hilarious and memorable scene where Rhian Ramos tops the most cruel kontrabida scene in history, when she adds more actions after a slap.

The ending scene is also equally hilarious, as Isabel Reyes still becomes the kontrabida for the always bida, played by Gwen Zamora. Watch this to find out why.

The movie also serves as both a parody and a tribute to the kontrabidas of the local film industry. There's a great montage that revisits these kontrabidas, with a good recurring punchline to boot.

This is also the only media (movie or TV) where I did not dislike Aljur Abrenica's acting. In fact, I think he really does well in this movie. I'm really happy that he has outgrown his "machete" acting style.

Some would say that Isabel Reyes's motives are not outlined well in the movie, and I can see that while watching, but I really did not care because I knew the movie just wants us to have fun. And that it does well.

I can tell you more hilarious moments in My Kontrabida Girl, but that would spoil the movie for you. Go watch it instead.

RATING: 4 stars out of 5
SUMMARY: Really hilarious movie that serves as a tribute to kontrabidas in local film history. Some would say Rhian's character is not well-outlined, but that does not matter much because that does not get in the way of comedy.