Written by: Gabrielle Borromeo
The trailer of Once A Princess pretty much sums up the whole story, the trailer is even better than the actual movie.
When I saw the trailer of Once A Princess, I was so excited to watch the movie even if I wasn't too enthusiastic about the cast. The trailer told a story about a girl named Erin (Erich Gonzales) who had everything a girl her age would want. She had beauty, grace, fame, the status and wealth.
But somewhere along the road, she lost everything forcing her to marry the "bad boy" Damian (JC De Vera). It all goes downhill from there. The next scenes shown in the trailer were violent, Damian started shouting and pushing every furniture around him...and then there was Erin, who was once a princess, now faced down with her porcelain face all marked with bruises. That caught my attention, that there made me want to watch the movie.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not into violence or anything gory but the trailer emphasized a story on reality and what could happen if all else fails. It's not what should happen (because it's wrong) but it is what happens in real life given certain circumstances.
Once A Princess seemed to be a movie not just about falling in love in high school and everything sweet and romantic. It wasn't the usual movies going about today. Finally it was something more than just a fairytale......or so I thought.
Just last August 9, 2014 I went to watch Once A Princess with a friend at SM North EDSA. We were both excited to witness a movie on the downside of a love story, on the dangers of what could be. Unfortunately the movie wasn't at all what I expected. Fail.
SPOILER ALERT:
Of course the movie included a love triangle where Leonard (Enchong Dee) and Damian both wanted Erin to be their girl. But it was Leonard who managed to win Erin's heart despite him being a nerd. So from there, their boring love story began...It was kind of odd, it took just about a day or two to win Erin's heart. Maybe because it's a movie and there wasn't much time...but still. It felt like all Leonard had to do was be the hero when Damian was being a jerk. Which let me elaborate happened during a party where there were drinks and...terrible dancing (that is not how people dance in concerts or even clubs...or at all, please). Finally when the "tugs-tugs-tugs" (whatever beat that is the movie had playing) moment was over, Damian and Erin were slow dancing. She didn't look like she wanted to be with him, so I don't know why she was even dancing with him in the first place. She could have rejected him. Damian then later forces her to step out with him which she follows for some unknown reason. She could have ran to her friends or made a scene that she didn't want to be with him. But no, she was seen outside, like she had no choice. Just by doing this, one must expect the dangers already.
And there it goes, obviously he forces to kiss her as he pushes her to the wall. Who jerk wouldn't especially when he already got her alone. And then there's Leonard who mightily saves the dayby punching Damian until he's bloody and Damian sees who's boss and flees. NO CROSS THAT. He mightily saves the day just by telling Damian to leave her alone in a tone no one would even listen to. I mean, c'mon, if you're going to make someone back off, at least show some authority. And may I add, where did this Leonard guy come from anyway? At the beginning of the story he already seemed like he was just in the background unlike all the other incoming students who looked like they were all part of the crowd. He surely portrayed an outsider--the creepy kind.
Oh and what was with the cast speaking ENGLISH?! Yes I have something against it because I came to see a Tagalog movie. They don't have to speak English in a movie to prove to the world they can speak English. I really found it annoying. Okay lang sana if it was just a few lines. I felt like it was the whole beginning of the movie. Hahay.
Besides, the target audience of the movie should be Filipinos who speak and understand Filipino fluently. Instead of the audience feeling like they're in the movie, it feels like we're outside of it.
Anyway, back to the story, Leonard wins Erin's heart by being a hero and when he gives a one-on-one speech to Erin at the beach. His speech was the longest meaningless conversation I have ever heard, it was all about direction and a Northern star and feeling incomplete and blahblahblah. My friend and I were literally laughing because he just wouldn't stop talking. After we laughed for minutes-hindi parin siya tapos. Mas mahaba yata sa SONA (State of the Nation Address) speech niya.
And then Erin kisses him only to break his heart the next day. So Leonard commits (failed) suicide by filling his backpack with heavy rocks and walks to the beach until he can't be seen. Miraculously, he was found. I don't even know how that was possible. To cut the long story short, Leonard survives.
Years pass and Erin is now married with Damian because he is the son of a wealthy congressman and he could salvage whatever is left of Erin's family or something like that. Sorry but at this point in the movie, the facts didn't matter to me anymore, I lost the joy.
Going back, like I said it all goes downhill from there. The couple is seen living in a dark-looking apartment and are financially broke. Why are they broke? Well Damian blames Erin for that because he helped her family. But Damian was also to blame since he is a lazy, no-sense guy (investing in whatever deems fit for him hanggang malugi sila). Oh and he ends up with a broken right (or was it left?) leg making him completely useless which I believe he didn't have to be. Damian didn't have to be useless because I've seen many people who have broke their leg permanently but still finding a way to make a difference.
Anyway Erin ends up working for Leonard who is still hurt from the past and gives her a hard time. And then when Erin gets the hang of her job, they go on a date for "work" reasons and their love story continues. OKAY OKAY THIS IS THE GOOD PART, THE CLIMAX OF THE MOVIE, WHAT I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. When Erin gets home and Damian realizes she has been lying to him, he throws a fit. He slaps her hard twice....and that was it.
Like I said, the trailer pretty much sums up the whole story. There was no violence that could tug the hearts of the viewers, seeing the actual pain Erin went through. Literally, the next scene was shown, a fast-forward. And Erin's porcelain face was marked with bruises.
Cutting to the chase, the story ends with Leonard saving the day AGAIN by being knocked down by Damian but still manages to snatch the gun from his hand but no gun shot happens, all just a tease. Erin reluctantly runs away to safety. She's probably the only one I know who is reluctant to run away given the chance even if she has been bruised and beaten.
Erin is later found at a home for the mistreated and Damian came to visit her to make amends. This is the only conversation I appreciated in the movie, Erin tells him gracefully that though she can see Damian's love for her, he never made it easy for her to love him. She thought that by taking care of him, she eventually will learn to.
I'm sorry for all the rants, I just really had my expectations up. But before I end this, I have to applause JC De Vera for his acting. He really showed excellent acting skills, especially the rage I expected for any angry man!
The trailer of Once A Princess pretty much sums up the whole story, the trailer is even better than the actual movie.
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| Photo taken from: http://starcinema.abs-cbn.com/movies/once-a-princess/latest-news/first-look-once-a-princess-movie-poster-out-now |
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| Photo taken from: https://sssip.wordpress.com/tag/erich-gonzales/ |
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| Photo taken from: http://en.wikipilipinas.org/images/2/2c/JC_de_Vera.jpg |
Once A Princess seemed to be a movie not just about falling in love in high school and everything sweet and romantic. It wasn't the usual movies going about today. Finally it was something more than just a fairytale......or so I thought.
Just last August 9, 2014 I went to watch Once A Princess with a friend at SM North EDSA. We were both excited to witness a movie on the downside of a love story, on the dangers of what could be. Unfortunately the movie wasn't at all what I expected. Fail.
 |
| Photo taken from: http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31000000/Enchong-Dee-gigger-boys-31000876-400-600.jpg |
SPOILER ALERT:
Of course the movie included a love triangle where Leonard (Enchong Dee) and Damian both wanted Erin to be their girl. But it was Leonard who managed to win Erin's heart despite him being a nerd. So from there, their boring love story began...It was kind of odd, it took just about a day or two to win Erin's heart. Maybe because it's a movie and there wasn't much time...but still. It felt like all Leonard had to do was be the hero when Damian was being a jerk. Which let me elaborate happened during a party where there were drinks and...terrible dancing (that is not how people dance in concerts or even clubs...or at all, please). Finally when the "tugs-tugs-tugs" (whatever beat that is the movie had playing) moment was over, Damian and Erin were slow dancing. She didn't look like she wanted to be with him, so I don't know why she was even dancing with him in the first place. She could have rejected him. Damian then later forces her to step out with him which she follows for some unknown reason. She could have ran to her friends or made a scene that she didn't want to be with him. But no, she was seen outside, like she had no choice. Just by doing this, one must expect the dangers already.
And there it goes, obviously he forces to kiss her as he pushes her to the wall. Who jerk wouldn't especially when he already got her alone. And then there's Leonard who mightily saves the day
Oh and what was with the cast speaking ENGLISH?! Yes I have something against it because I came to see a Tagalog movie. They don't have to speak English in a movie to prove to the world they can speak English. I really found it annoying. Okay lang sana if it was just a few lines. I felt like it was the whole beginning of the movie. Hahay.
Besides, the target audience of the movie should be Filipinos who speak and understand Filipino fluently. Instead of the audience feeling like they're in the movie, it feels like we're outside of it.
Anyway, back to the story, Leonard wins Erin's heart by being a hero and when he gives a one-on-one speech to Erin at the beach. His speech was the longest meaningless conversation I have ever heard, it was all about direction and a Northern star and feeling incomplete and blahblahblah. My friend and I were literally laughing because he just wouldn't stop talking. After we laughed for minutes-hindi parin siya tapos. Mas mahaba yata sa SONA (State of the Nation Address) speech niya.
And then Erin kisses him only to break his heart the next day. So Leonard commits (failed) suicide by filling his backpack with heavy rocks and walks to the beach until he can't be seen. Miraculously, he was found. I don't even know how that was possible. To cut the long story short, Leonard survives.
Years pass and Erin is now married with Damian because he is the son of a wealthy congressman and he could salvage whatever is left of Erin's family or something like that. Sorry but at this point in the movie, the facts didn't matter to me anymore, I lost the joy.
Going back, like I said it all goes downhill from there. The couple is seen living in a dark-looking apartment and are financially broke. Why are they broke? Well Damian blames Erin for that because he helped her family. But Damian was also to blame since he is a lazy, no-sense guy (investing in whatever deems fit for him hanggang malugi sila). Oh and he ends up with a broken right (or was it left?) leg making him completely useless which I believe he didn't have to be. Damian didn't have to be useless because I've seen many people who have broke their leg permanently but still finding a way to make a difference.
Anyway Erin ends up working for Leonard who is still hurt from the past and gives her a hard time. And then when Erin gets the hang of her job, they go on a date for "work" reasons and their love story continues. OKAY OKAY THIS IS THE GOOD PART, THE CLIMAX OF THE MOVIE, WHAT I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. When Erin gets home and Damian realizes she has been lying to him, he throws a fit. He slaps her hard twice....and that was it.
Like I said, the trailer pretty much sums up the whole story. There was no violence that could tug the hearts of the viewers, seeing the actual pain Erin went through. Literally, the next scene was shown, a fast-forward. And Erin's porcelain face was marked with bruises.
Cutting to the chase, the story ends with Leonard saving the day AGAIN by being knocked down by Damian but still manages to snatch the gun from his hand but no gun shot happens, all just a tease. Erin reluctantly runs away to safety. She's probably the only one I know who is reluctant to run away given the chance even if she has been bruised and beaten.
Erin is later found at a home for the mistreated and Damian came to visit her to make amends. This is the only conversation I appreciated in the movie, Erin tells him gracefully that though she can see Damian's love for her, he never made it easy for her to love him. She thought that by taking care of him, she eventually will learn to.
I'm sorry for all the rants, I just really had my expectations up. But before I end this, I have to applause JC De Vera for his acting. He really showed excellent acting skills, especially the rage I expected for any angry man!
 |
| Photo taken from: http://starcinema.abs-cbn.com/movies/once-a-princess/latest-news/first-look-once-a-princess-movie-poster-out-now |
Once A Princess in cinemas August 6, 2014
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