a few thoughts on Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes

(Busting this out as fast as I can because it's busy time.)

Lianne and Cindy Reyes are both happily married to their husbands. Or at least that's what it seems at first. When they learn that their husbands are having an affair with each other, they team up to get to the bottom of the situation.

A lesser film would have taken sides. A lesser film would have played it out in the tried and true tradition of the infidelity film and made the thing sensationalistic, trading nuance with trashy drama. A lesser film would probably make Lianne and Cindy the heroes of the story, while categorically condemning the husbands. A lesser film could also have championed the husbands' exploits while dismissing the real pain they inflicted on their wives. But the writer/s and director of this film understand that the situation is far more complex, and ultimately that's to the film's benefit.

It's right to be true to one's self, but it's wrong to do so without a sense of transparency and candor. It's right to be angry at someone for abandoning you, but it's wrong to be petty and vindictive. The film tackles all that and includes the social factors that shape each character's decisions. There is no communication because of a culture of shame. There is ignorance, which breeds confusion. There is a sense of righteousness because people do not stop to empathize.

And remarkably, as nuanced and thoughtful as this all sounds, this is still a very entertaining, "mainstream"-flavored Star Cinema comedy. Judy Ann Santos and Angelica Panganiban have great chemistry together, and a minor supporting performance by Nico Antonio is so noteworthy, his character almost steals the show.

Ang Dalawang Mrs Reyes is a great example of a film that remains attuned to mass sensibilities but still manages to make its audience think and manages to address relevant contemporary social issues as well. 

Happy new year one and all.