My Best Friend's Girlfriend (2008)

Embedded videos of Why Can't It Be? and All I need are found below

Like the movie's tag line "Love comes in unexpected packages" my loving this movie was so unexpected. I didn't plan to see this film ever since it was promoted. Why? Even if I like both Marian Rivera (Grace) and Richard Gutierrez (Evo), I just didn't see any chemistry while watching the trailer (not that the trailer isn't any good). The plot also made me cringe inside. There's that unspoken rule between CLOSE friends/siblings/CLOSE relatives, right? Weeks passed since it opened and still I didn't even have a tinge of desire to watch it. 

Why did I watch it?

YOU CAN SKIP THIS PART IF YOU WANT TO:

When I woke up this morning I didn't even realize I was going to see this film. I worked a little, checked some email, posted some pictures, then tried to take a nap while Eat Bulaga was "on air" (although I was enjoying Aling Melissa's "game" I was very drowsy). 

RJ had other things in mind. He wanted to go out. I was feeling mentally drained that I didn't want to go far and I didn't want to walk around so I told RJ that we would go to Festival Supermall to watch a movie. 

There were three "wholesome" films playing: My Big Love (we've seen it already...though I would love to have an original DVD of this movie and watch it again and again and again, I just didn't feel like watching it today); Water Horse (is that even the right title?...well, RJ didn't want to see it---he probably hated the poster---- so that was out of the question) and #BFGF. RJ usually walks out if he doesn't like the movie. He didn't like the "wedding scenario" of "I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU" (a Richard Gutierrez flick) that he didn't finish it. He didn't like "HITCH" (it was his birthday and my despedida ---I was leaving for Davao to stay there for more than a month that time---I was scouting for some prime property in secret for a friend and I was trying to forget someone then...mom and I had ourselves stamped, brought him home then went back to Festival Super Mall cinemas to watch the entire thing---I don't think we could do that anymore nowadays), "FINDING NEMO" (because of the scene with the dentist) and "MADAGASCAR"(this I couldn't figure out). He loved: CARS, LET THE LOVE BEGIN, LIZZIE McGUIRE the MOVIE, SAY THAT YOU LOVE ME, MULAWIN the MOVIE, BEAUTY and the BEAST, The LION KING, MY BIG LOVE, The INCREDIBLES, LETHAL WEAPON 4 and a few others so I guess it was worth a try. 

This movie is what my mentors call a formula film: An old plot with new twists. I didn't expect some scenes to turn out that way. Gees. I didn't even expect to relate with Marian's character called Grace because we're world's apart, but I was surprised to find out that she has a "special sibling" in that movie that she loved so dearly. That special sibling also had seizures, et cetera, et cetera. (I miss PG who died of a cardiac arrest and aneurysm...he'll "celebrate" [in heaven] his 5th death anniversary on May 11, Mother's Day [and our Parish Fiesta]...this year it falls on the same day this year...shucks...). 

The movie is almost seamless with the exception of 1.) I don't know how Grace could purchase barbecued "isaw"...she had no pockets...she didn't even have a handbag(maybe she knew the vendor...eat now, pay later...much, much later); 2.)Grace and Evo did not wear helmets[it was a good thing that Grace wore a helmet when she was riding with her brother] during their rides; 3)the instantly wrapped corned beef and noodles at the sari-sari store and some other scenes. Nevertheless, the movie is great even if I couldn't give it a perfect five, because my DLSZ batch mate, Mark A. Reyes V, did a terrific job. I know he has a great future in the film industry (international caliber). So, did RJ finish the film? You betcha! We even watched it again. =)

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THEME SONGS

3rd Avenue (@ Sis)    WHY CAN'T IT BE? - 
by Rannie Raymundo 
(sung in the movie by 3rd Avenue) 
You came along, unexpectedly 
I was doing fine in my little world 
Oh baby please don’t get me wrong 
‘Cause I’m not complaining 
But you see, you got my mind spinning

 [REFRAIN] 
Why can’t it be? 
Why can’t it be the two of us? 
Why can’t we be lovers
Only friends? 
You came along 
At a wrong place, at a wrong time 
Or was it me? 

Baby I dream of you every minute 
You’re in my dreams 
You’re always in it 
That’s the only place I know 
Where you could be mine 
And I’m yours but only 
Till I wake up 

[REFRAIN] 
Why can’t it be? 
Why can’t it be the two of us?
Why can’t we be lovers
Only friends?
You came along
At a wrong place, at a wrong time
You came along
At a wrong place, at a wrong time 
Or was it me?

Shamrock

 ALL I NEED-

Jack Wagner 

(movie version sung by: Shamrock) 

Kissing you is not what I had planned 

And now I'm not so sure just where I stand 

I wasn't looking for true love 

But now you're looking at me 

You're the only one I can think of 

 You're the only one I see 

 CHORUS: 

All I need Is just a little more time 

To be sure what I feel

 Is it all in my mind 

Cause it seems so hard to believe 

That you're all I need

 Yes it's true we've all been hurt before 

But it doesn't seem to matter anymore 

 It may be a chance we're taking 

But it always comes to this 

If this isn't love we're making 

Then I don't know what it is 

 All I need Is just a little more time 

 To be sure what I feel Is it all in my mind 

Cause it seems so hard to believe 

CHORUS 

No stars are out tonight 

But we're shining our own light 

 And it's never felt so bright

 Cause girl the way I'm feeling

 It's easy to believe 

That you're all I need 

Ahhhh 

You're all I need

 Oooooh 

ahhhh

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Directed by Mark A. Reyes V, DGPI 

Produced by Annette Gozon-Abrogar, Lily Y. Monteverde, Roselle Monteverde-Teo, Jose Mari Abacan and Manny Valera 

Written by Suzette Doctolero 

Starring: Richard Gutierrez
Marian Rivera
J.C. de Vera
Ehra Madrigal
Renz Valerio
Pilar Pilapil
Deborah Sun
Paolo Paraiso
Alex Castro
Chariz Solomon
Victor Aliwalas 

Music by Von de Guzman 
Cinematography Jay Linao 

Editing by Aleks Castañeda and Jay Halili 

Distributed by GMA Films and Regal Entertainment 

Release date February 13, 2008 

Running time 115 minutes 

Country Philippines Language Filipino, English 

Budget Php30 million