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Philippine Showbiz Today
June 22 - July 7 , 2018
“ My 2 Mommies ” Review :
This year ’ s Regal Films new move is “ My 2 Mommies ”. Directed by Eric Quizon , it stars Paolo Ballesteros , Solenn Heussaff with the special participation from the Diamond Star Ms . Maricel Soriano , together with Joem Bascon , Dianne Medina , Mich Liggayu and Marcus Cabais . It opened in cinemas nationwide last May 9 , 2018 in time for Mothers Day .
The film follows Manu ( played by Paolo Ballesteros ) a gay man who lives a successful life with his partner / fiancee Ronnie ( Joem Bascon ). But his life takes a pivotal turn after Monique , a woman from his past ( Solenn Heussaff ) returns and he finds out that he has a 7-year-old son ( Marcus Cabais ). The film tackles an extraordinary tale of your not-so-typical family set-up as both Paolo and Solenn tries to become a mother to the kid along the way .
The film gives a lot of attention to building Manu ’ s world during it ’ s first few moments . It gives us a peek into his life as a gay man . We get to see his life as a partner to his fiancee and as a career-driven man . Then , we get to see the other side of his life as he is still trying to cover up the fact that he ’ s gay from his strict Aunt ( played by Maricel Soriano ) who still believes that he ’ s straight and is still praying that he will someday have his own family , particularly a child . Everything turns chaotic when Monique shows up to introduce him to his son . From here , we get to watch as Manu tries to become a good influence on his son by pretending to be a straight man . This is where most of the humor comes from as Manu tries to hide the reality of his world to his son , even as far as pretending that he and his fiancee Ronnie are nothing but best friends living under the same roof whenever his son is spending time with them . At first , he seems to be reluctant to accept the role of being a “ mother ” to his estranged son . But soon along the way , he starts to learn and appreciate how beautiful it is to become a mother .
The good thing about “ My 2
Paolo Ballesteros Proves Versatility in Funny & Heartwarming Movie
Mommies ” is that it never portrays Manu and other gay characters as the film ’ s barrel of laughs . The story , penned by Joey Javier Reyes , is sensible enough not to make them objects of ridicule . Instead , the film takes its humor from the challenge that Manu is facing as he tries his best to hide his real identity from his son . Director Eric Quizon brings the script to life with such sassiness that there weren ’ t any dull moments . Also , they managed to portray the LGBT community in a different light and not just a bunch of caricature characters .
So far , this is Paolo Ballesteros ’ best role to date since his 2016 stint as Trisha in the critically-acclaimed “ Die Beautiful ”. He is the perfect fit for the role , and he manages to carry the weight of the entire film from start to finish . Solenn Heussaff ’ s character is a direct opposite of Paolo ’ s : while Manu spoils the child with gifts and treats , Monique , together with her husband ( Billy Ray Gallion ) tries to discipline him . Solenn manages to make her character believable enough and not too over the top , keeping them grounded in reality . Child actor Marcus Cabais is a big revelation in the film . His acting was on point from start to finish . He was able to keep up with the grown-up actors he ’ s working with and looks very comfortable in the role . Joem Bascon was quite fun to watch because he was very convincing as Paolo ’ s lover here . Of course , Ms . Maricel Soriano deserves some applause for her wacky portrayal of Paolo ’ s aunt . She was the cherry on top of this film and she adds more reason for moviegoers to see the movie in cinemas .
Regal Film ’ s “ My 2 Mommies ” is one movie full of hearts and laughs . It ’ s an enjoyable family comedy that everyone will surely appreciate for its heartwarming story and effective humor . All in all , “ My 2 Mommies ” is undeniably a winner . See poster on pages 14-15 . ●
- J . Laniba , Lionheart