Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo (2013) - Review

This is the movie that started my love for pinoy movies. I was browsing through Viki and I stumbled upon the trailer (for some reason I can't play it on my browser now, so here's the trailer without english subtitles). It was the funniest thing I had seen for a while and I knew I had to watch it right away. And it didn’t disappoint.

What is this about:

Directed by Joyce Bernal. Stars Kim Chiu, Xiam Lim. We start with our heroine, Sandy (Kim Chiu) who is preparing to celebrate her one year anniversary with her boyfriend, but he breaks up with her. Meanwhile, Alex (Xiam Lim) returns from the States and takes charge of A&I Records. In order to save the company, he needs to fire some employees, among them Sandy. But he soon realizes she was the only one truly working, so he promises to teach her how to make men fall in love with her, if she comes back to work.

My review:

One of the funniest romantic comedies I have seen in long time. What it does really well is that it remembers the “comedy” part of the genre, something that is forgotten far too often. It has many memorable scenes that bring laughter even after the movie ends. But it has also many romantic scenes that are quite good. Overall, I could say that it has achieved a nice balance between the comedy and the romance.

One of my favorite scenes is the one after the breakup. Sandy’s boyfriend breaks up with her over the phone and takes with him the anniversary gift, an ipad. So the heartbroken Sandy goes to the one place where she can forget her pain and has a wild night cleaning the whole office. I wanted to be sad for Sandy for having such a terrible boyfriend, but the hilarity of the scene made me want to laugh at the same time.

Sandy is a naïve, romantic and funny girl – a description that fits the mood of the movie too – and the actress Kim Chiu brought a lot of hilarity to the character. Alex is a charming boy that fears failure more than anything, but his sense of humor and that in fact he is not a bad guy make him sympathetic. That and his smile and jaw line. Very important factors indeed.

On the side characters, Alex’s family is one of the coolest. Especially his grandfather, who is supportive and encouraging and forgiving. I wish I had him in my family too, he would be so fun.

I love their reactions, they're so cute.

 What I loved though is that Sandy’s transformation from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan – the actress is really beautiful – was made by Alex indirectly. Actually, it was Sandy’s brother and his friends that helped her. Alex only saw photos they send to him and of course the final image. And the parade of clothes and styles was done in a very cute and funny way, Sandy way.

The music was nice. None of the songs truly made an impression on me, but fitted the movie and the story very well. There was a variety, from the ballad for the break up to the breezy romantic songs when feelings start to grow. 

But, of course, this is not the perfect romantic comedy, not one of the classics. In the second half the dramatic scenes feel forced and out of place and they force the characterization to a certain direction that doesn’t feel organic. I would definitely do without them, but thankfully they don’t last too long to ruin the mood of the movie.

Besides, the movie relies heavily on the chemistry between the leads, which is amazing.

 Why you should watch:

•    It is romantic comedy that has actual comedy in it.
•    Amazing chemistry between the leads.
•     Nice summer songs.
•    Predictable but nicely executed story. Just because you know what will happen next doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy it, as long as it is well done.
•    A very enjoyable summer romantic comedy.

Why not to watch:

•    Some dramatic elements could be left out.
•    There is no heavy characterization. The characters are often one dimensional.
•    Cheesy ending, but so is the rest of the movie.

Final verdict:

8/10. Might seem a bit much, but I am not comparing to the great classics, such as The seven samurai, I am reviewing it as a romantic comedy, and it is good. Besides it is my first pinoy movie, so it will always be in my heart. Give it a go, I think with the right expectations you will enjoy it.