Paano Na Kaya

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/krzl1622bggsh/4217912727/

Paano Na Kaya starts off with showing off the lives of the soon-to-be-romantic-couple-but-for-now-bestfriends. It starts off with the soon-to-be couple moving and talking in exclamation marks. There are lots of hand waving and screaming about their jobs.

Then, there are flashbacks of how Kim Chiu helps Gerald Anderson with anything and everything, including fancy sweet gestures in courting Anderson's girlfriend. Then the girlfriend breaks up with Anderson because she tells him over dinner that she's in love with her boss. Insert a montage of how Anderson becomes a pathetic loser, and not even the lovable kind. Chiu takes care of him and lets herself be dragged anywhere he wants, even if it means putting her business in peril because she spends more time being Anderson's slave than managing her store. Somewhere in the montage, she blurts out that she loves him. Anderson kisses her, and then another montage follows, this time on how they're really happy with each other. We get to see Chiu in different pretty outfits--caps and lollipops, golf, a prom dress thingy, and Chiu transformed into a woman-of-the-world outfits. I guess that this is so she can be in our role-playing sexual fantasies.

Then the ex shows up. Apparently her boyfriend physically abuses her (because oh, a woman who cheats on you just deserves to be abused, even if she did the right thing by breaking up with Anderson) and poor Bernard Palanca, is that all the role they see you in? Anyhow, Chiu sees them kissing and another weepy montage follows. Alongside weepy montage is how sucky Chiu's family is. Her dad is an extreme control freak and an emotional abuser. The only thing unsucky about him is he's Ricky Davao. Ricky Davao does say sorry in the end, and I'm sure that would make up for all the hell he put his children through. I was really irritated when Rio Locsin tells Chiu to just understand their father. Um, understand that he needs psychiatric help? But maybe they're making a statement on awareness on domestic abuse, what do I know?

There are also side family issues with Anderson but they're not too important. The other facets of Anderson's life are not important compared to his love for his ex and Chiu. In the end credits, Chiu's friends all have names while Anderson's friends are under the title of, well, "Bog's friends."

Anderson tries to woo Chiu back but, this is true, Chiu actually tells him "It's not you, it's me." That. Exact. Line. Chiu tells him that there would be other girls to be jealous of and not just Anderson's ex. This is because she's so goddamn insecure.

Err, what? You did see Anderson kiss his ex. He was a no-show when you needed him. And you're not getting back together with him because you're goddamn insecure? You're telling me that after all this, it's you, not him, that's at fault? That's really not a nice way of healing your self-esteem.

Anyhow, for that, this movie I shall dub thee: Ang Alila or Ang Kawawa

Or The Montage.

Paano Na Kaya just doesn't make sense.

2/10 Because one point for that cute fire station lovey-dovey scene and Kim Chiu watches a Sharon Cuneta and Aga Mulach's best-friends-falling-in-love film. And another point for trying to articulate a rebound relationship. Eight points out because they failed articulating that relationship and mainstream Philippine cinema did better romantic comedies.