Got 2 Believe
And a month later, Rico has passed.
The more I rewatch this film, the more I fall for it. The lightness of the storyline, the comedic stunts, the timeless clothing and set production, and the romantic chemistry between the couple, Rico Yan and Claudine Barretto, were captivating. It was also a good move to depict Dominic Ochoa ending their relationship maturely— not resorting to the usual 'I'll fight for you even if you don't want me to' trope.
Lorenz going through an emotional arc may have been something I expected, but it left me deeply moved. Gender issues and blatant sexism were evident, but when Lorenz realized that, no matter what circumstances they may go through, at the end of the day, love conquers all. Both Toni and he sized up, and their mutual acceptance of each other truly melted my heart.
Even if others may say this is a '27 Dresses' dupe, I beg to differ haha. Well, for obvious reasons, this was released 6 years before the said movie, so it really is a no-brainer statement.
It's a movie I won't get tired of rewatching for the nth time. It's such a shame Rico left too early, leaving Claudine in pieces. As others may say, 'the day Rico died, Claudine died too.' Maybe it was true; Claudine went through a lot after this movie— from the breakup to his passing and the circulating rumors and allegations. Nonetheless, 'Got 2 Believe' will be my forever comfort movie.