Got 2 Believe

Olivia M. Lamasan's 2002 Filipino film follows Toni, a wedding coordinator considered late by her family at twenty-five. Lorenz is a photographer who does not believe in happy endings, and a bet brings them together. The film follows the romantic comedy template but takes up the pressure to marry in Filipino society directly. Toni's hurry comes not from her own wish but from the impatience of those around her, and the narrative both makes a joke of that and leaves it standing as a fact. Claudine Barretto and Rico Yan lead and their rapport is the film's main support. The production is mid-scale; the music and use of location suit the popular cinema of the period. Who it's for: those who like Filipino romantic comedy. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a narrative that departs from the template; the film moves through the familiar stages in order.