The casino called love

MANILA, Philippines - A co-production of Star Cinema and OctoArts Films, and written and directed by Jose Javier Reyes,

Wedding Tayo, Wedding Hindi

is a comedy that seriously tackles the high stakes gamble we commonly refer to as love and marriage. The film stars two of our brightest comedic actresses, Toni Gonzaga and Eugene Domingo — and in another time and era, this is the sort of film that would have cast, say, Maricel Soriano and/or Nida Blanca — as the two cousins who take us through the euphoric bed of roses and the dangerous minefield we call love.

The film opens with Precy (Eugene) in the midst of a quarrel with husband Ben (Wendell Ramos), who has lost the substantial savings she had placed in their joint account, thanks to him stupidly falling victim to some pyramid scam. Meanwhile, school teacher-turned-Japayuki Belay (Toni) is flying back to Manila, on a wing and a prayer... and a promise made by fellow teacher Ben (Zanjoe Marudo) that he would marry her upon her return, understanding that her choice to leave was predicated on the fact that she needed to quickly earn more money to help her family. She is, after all, saddled with a drug addict brother and is sending her younger sister through school. It’s from this set-up — one cousin trying to get out of and annul her marriage, and the other about to enter hers — that the movie unfolds.

While the subject matter and sentiments expressed by direk Joey via his screenplay are serious and full of depth, he manages to pull this all off in the guise of a comedy. Mothers-in-law from hell, both actual and potential, are just one source of humor. Scheming, self-interested lawyers, meddling friends with good intentions, the pitfalls of wedding plans — these all have their share of the spotlight, shown as excellent material for laughs, while still giving us food for serious thought.

Fresh from the success of her triumphant indie film Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, Eugene shows us why she’s more than ready to be considered one of the best comedy actresses of today. As for Toni, relying less on physical slapstick this time, her transformation from prim school teacher to outrageous Japayuki is a hilarious sequence of character change. And what’s nice about Joey’s screenplay is that it doesn’t take sides in a simplistic manner — even being a Mama’s boy is justified and defended via Ben’s dramatic moment. While the film does remind us about the craziness, disappointments and tears in relationships and commitments, it also simply states that we’ll keep coming back because there’s also the happiness, hope and wonderment.