My Thoughts: No Other Woman vs. A Love Story

I was mainly curious what the fuss was about the movie so I decided to go ahead and see it for myself. No Other Woman is a movie collaboration by Star Cinema and Viva Films starred by the stunning Anne Curtis as Kara Zalderiaga, the hunk leading man Derek Ramsay as Ram Escaler and the ever so gorgeous Cristine Reyes as Charmaine Escaler under the direction of Ruel Santos Bayani.

With those hot stars top-billing the flick, it's a sure fire recipe to draw audiences young and old, male and female alike to the cinemas. Add to that the relatively controversial plot. I can understand why it is such a hit. But I was not expecting that it's going to hit that big.

What I like about the movie is mainly the acting. Each star shone at some point in the movie but it was Anne Curtis who stole the spotlight with her poise and sophistication in her portrayal as the other woman. The exchange of some of the most memorable lines were an added spice to the already  hot chemistry of the actors. Here are some of my favorites:

“You can call me whatever you want,SNAKE, BITCH or OTHER WOMAN, but I promise you,
I will never be a PATHETIC and BORING housewife.
- Kara Zalderiaga”

“Alam mo kasi ang marriage parang exclusive village.
Kailangan mong bantayan para hindi makapasok ang mga squatters.
- Charmaine Escaler”
  “Ang mundo ay isang malaking Quiapo, maraming snatcher, maagawan ka, lumaban ka!"                     - Carmi Martin

  “Panahon na para i-pack mo na yang Lucy Torres mo, ilabas mo na diyan si Gretchen Barretto, anak ako na ang bahala sa red stiletto mo!" - Carmi Martin  

“Pareparehong puta lang yun! Ang mayaman bumibili ng hermes sa mall, ang mahirap bumibili ng hermes sa greenhills." – Carmi Martin 

It was a good start for the movie but there were some dragging parts in between. I remember saying, "When will the slapping and the action start?"


Half-way through the plot, it gets a little too predictable and sadly, I was not satisfied with how the ending was conveyed. I was not convinced why Ram chose Charmaine over Kara. Of course, it is the only right ending the movie should head to but it was not justified strongly. At least, that's how it came across to me.

I cannot help but compare it with another Star Cinema movie released 2007. I'm sure you know what movie I was referring to because No Other Woman's plot was familiarly similar to it. It was of course, "A Love Story" starred by Angelica Panganiban, Aga Muhlach and Ms. Maricel Soriano directed by Maryo J. De Los Reyes.

I was not a die-hard fan of any of the actors but I watched "A Love Story" anyway because I was instantly drawn to the story. It was an interesting and an unlikely set of actors which made it more appealing. I only saw the movie once but I can still vividly remember the ending. The conflict was the same but the story climaxed with such depth and subtlety that as it neared the ending, it was a tug-of-war between Maricel Soriano's and Angelica Panganiban's characters. I wanted Muhlach's character to choose the other woman because she loved him more than the wife ever did. But he ended up doing the right thing and chose the wife instead. It was definitely the right ending. What I love about the movie was that it was able to create such conflicting emotions for the audience that even if you wanted a different thing and the movie headed to a different direction, you'd find yourself satisfied in the end. Even after the movie ended, it still lingers a while more. And for me, that sums up effective storytelling.

"No Other Woman (NOW)" fell short in this respect. If "A Love Story" ended with an unforgettable bang, "NOW" ended with little or no bang at all. It was too predictable. It sizzled cold right before the ending. "No Other Woman" was basically a rip-off of "A Love Story" and when it's supposed to be better, it was not.

Nonetheless, a CONGRATULATIONS is deserved. After all, in this age of rampant and aggressive piracy of movies, "NOW" was able to pull off such a feat.

As for me, I was just looking for more.




Soniador