It Takes A Man And A Woman

"Trust?! Wow, big word!"

QUOTABLE QUOTES of mixed funny, bitter and tear-jerking proportions are aplenty in the phenomenal Filipino rom-com movie It Takes A Man And A Woman that I could make a score tally sheet out of Miggy and Laida's occasional word war and awkward moments while watching.

The film, the last in the A Very Special Love trilogy, is not another typical Filipino mainstream movie. Aside from the creative execution of Director Cathy Garcia-Molina, beautiful cinematography, sterling performances of the characters, and vivacious screenplay, It Takes A Man and A Woman has depth and teaches its viewers a thing or two about one of the most natural, but also one of the profoundest and hardest acts a person can ever do: to forgive.

Note: The rest of the blog contains spoilers.

The story starts two years after Miggy Montenegro (John Lloyd Cruz) and Adelaida "Laida" Magtalas (Sarah Geronimo) broke up, caused by a moment when Laida had gone back to the country from her work in New York City to visit Miggy, only to see her boyfriend kissing another woman named Belle (Isabelle Daza). Heartbroken, Laida walked out and decided to go back to the Big Apple to resume her work there as an editorial coordinator of a magazine.  

At present, Laida "version 2.0" makes a comeback to the Philippines as she was tapped by Miggy's family business to help save it from near-financial ruin, with a goal to strike a partnership deal with a big magazine firm in New York. Henceforth, she utilizes her connections and works as editor-in-chief of a new local magazine alongside Miggy, its publisher.

Laida, who proclaims is now "wiser, braver, stronger, bolder, fiercer," thought she has already moved on and that everything will be fine and professional in the office, especially with the presence of her ex-boyfriend. But the tension and bitterness seem hard to pass for Laida as she can hardly avoid to bring up her grudges through overtones and take things personal at work.

Laida cries from time to time and realizes that she still hasn't let go of her feelings for Miggy. She soon heeds the advice of her mother to forgive him, saying that nobody's perfect, that people can still change for the better and that forgiving is an act of love. Her mother (played by Irma Adlawan) must know whereof she speaks as she was a victim before of her husband's infidelity, but eventually they become together again.

As the story unfolds, Laida learns Miggy's untold stories of back-to-back failures after they broke up. Subsequently, the ex-lovers resolve to help each other out to close a deal with the magazine in NYC, patching things up and falling in love with each other again along the way. In the end, Miggy lets go of Belle and decides to marry his one and only true love, Laida.

It Takes A Man And A Woman is a giant leap from the two earlier films in the series. It is full of lessons and tear-jerking scenes that surely tug at people's heartstrings. No wonder why tickets for the film are selling like the proverbial hotcakes. Co-produced by Star Cinema and Viva films, It Takes A Man And A Woman has already earned P354 million in the box office as of April 17, placing behind Sisterakas (which earned P391 million), the highest grossing Filipino film of all time. 

The movie is feel-good and is worth the money. I highly recommend it to everyone, especially those who are in-love, those who are dealing with the same pain as Laida's, and those who continue to love even when it hurts.

P.S. I love the ending, I have spotted some former third year communication and media studies students of San Beda Alabang dancing to the tune of "Kailan" with Sarah and John Lloyd! Kitang-kita ang beauty ni Tracy Santiago! Hahaha <3

+Apart from the opening quote, here are my top 5 favorite quotes from It Takes A Man And A Woman:

1. "Kapag blooming, in-love agad?! Di ba pwedeng nagmahal noon, umasa noon, nasaktan noon, at nakapag-move on na ngayon?!"

2. "People change. Nothing stays the same forever. Change is bound to happen."

3. "It's more selos in the Philippines."

4. "Sometimes, being the best is being the least. Be good even after you make a mistake."

5. "Everyday is just a struggle to be better ... A person's best legacy is to believe in goodness and to always be a good man."