Modern Day Rom-Com

Dan Villegas’ films are the modern day romantic comedy with the developments in new media serving an integral part of the plot.

In English Only, Please (2014), Julian Parker (Derek Ramsey), while overseas, scouts for an English translator and tutor through online video calls. Mallows (Cai Cortez) meets a prospective lover, applicant number xxx according to her daughter, through the Tinder app.

In Walang Forever (2015), Ethan Isaac (Jericho Rosales) watches a DVD marathon and discovers that Mia Nolasco (Jennylyn Mercado), a screen writer and ex-girlfriend, has used their relationship milestones – how they met, how they started as a couple, how he proposed to her – as inspirations for her blockbuster rom-com movies.

The title itself includes a hashtag, #Walang Forever, which is a type of label or metadata tag on social network and microblogging (“Hashtag” wikipedia.org. 30 May 2016).

In Always Be My Maybe (2016), a change in the relationship status on Facebook of Tintin Paraiso’s (Arci Muñoz) boyfriend, Jeric updates all of his friends of his new girlfriend, way ahead of Tintin, his current sweetheart. Well, Tintin has the illusion that she’s in a serious relationship with Jeric. Of course, Tintin is devastated and vents her broken feelings in her YouTube account, in the guise of beauty tutorials, which later on goes viral.  

Add the text messages here and there and truly, new media has changed the way we build, break away, and move on in a romantic relationship.

But even in this day and age, Dan Villegas’ brand of rom-com tickles the funny bone because the scenes also reflect the Pinoy culture and our innate cheerfulness to the point of being hilarious.

Tere Madlansacay (Jennylyn Mercado) welcomes Julian in the airport with a tarpaulin. Together, they eat isaw (barbequed pig or chicken intestine) and ride the jeepney in English Only, Please (2014).

We see the answers of people from all walks of life to the question “Meron bang forever [Is there forever in love]?” in Walang Forever (2015).

In Always Be My Maybe (2016), Jake del Mundo (Gerald Anderson) and Tintin appear to be in a single scene with Jake shopping for the perfect engagement ring in preparation for a marriage proposal. Tintin, on the other hand, turns expectant because of a text message from ‘babe’, the same name in Jake’s phonebook, saying he needed to give something he should have given a long time ago. “It’s a ring! He’s going to propose!” Tintin was so sure.

Their phone conversation is in sync, too. On the way to the restaurant, Tintin says that she will be a bit late because of the heavy traffic to which Jake seems to answer that he is willing to wait.

Only until the audience sees Tracy rejecting Jake and a no-show Jeric to Tintin do the audience understand the stories of Jake and Tintin before they met. Plus, the timing of Aegis’ Halik just set the mood for the two protagonists’ broken hearts.   

As expected, after all the conflicts is a happy ending made possible by a healing love, everlasting love, and newfound love.