Philippine Showbiz Today
November 8 - 21, 2018
Cover Story
17
Zanjoe Marudo and Maja Salvador Shine in
To Love Some Buddy movie
As meet-cutes go, ‘To Love
Some Buddy’ has one of best and
more refreshing ones I’ve seen in
a long time. Funnily enough, the
meet-cute of Faith (Maja Salvador)
and Julius (Zanjoe Marudo) at the
very beginning of the film does
not bring the two together as a
couple but as best friends. I don’t
want to spoil the brilliance of this
meet-cute but it’s so left-of-center
and so modern and surprising
that it immediately sets the tone
for the rest of the film.
Jason Paul Laxamana’s
‘To Love Some Buddy’ is just
that: refreshing, modern, and
surprising. It is excellently
structured, detailing wonderfully
this accidental friendship and
how it turns into something more,
which changes the whole dynamic
of this seemingly perfect duo.
The main selling point
of the film is the pitch perfect
performances of Salvador and
Marudo and the comfort and needs to be worked on.
While I find that ‘ To Love
ease they have with each other.
Their chemistry gets us involved Some Buddy’ suffers in juggling
its tonal shifts,
as
Laxamana
from
campy
carefully details
to
serious
the quality of
drama, it works
their friendship
best when it’s
and forces that
subtle. Its best
serve to change
moments are
them
when
when it doesn’t
they become a
underline
its
couple.
lessons about
What I really
growing up and
love about the
growing up as
contemporary
a couple. When
Filipino romantic
it’s just Marudo
films -- be it a
and Salvador, it
comedy or a
can cross over
drama -- is how
to camp and
they are now all
outrageous
about growing up,
and it works
facing the cold
because they
hard truth about
ourselves and each other, and make it work. But when other
that love is not some easy answer people are brought in -- like
to happiness. It is something that Faith’s family or their friends -
- the dynamics change and the
punches don’t hit their mark.
I’m also uncomfortable with the
unnecessary use of narration since
the story is so well-structured that
we don’t need it to understand
what’s going on and sometimes,
the dialogue seems a little on-the-
nose.
Nevertheless, ‘To Love Some
Buddy’ is a whole lot of fun and
is not afraid to enjoy itself in this,
what is essentially, a coming-of-
age story for this couple who has
to learn that friendships, just like
love, will change over time and
it’s how you navigate through
that complicated mess that will
determine your fate.
Laxamana puts his characters
through the ringer and I’m happy
for it. It’s an important lesson to
explore but he’s not afraid to have
fun while doing it, and he’s got
amazing actors like Salvador and
Marudo to bring it home.●
Why Kris Aquino revealed her only ‘good
closure’ was with Herbert Bautista
Kris Aquino revealed in a
Facebook video that her former
flame, Quezon City Mayor Herbert
Bautista, was the only one whom
she had a “good closure” with
in terms of ending a romantic
relationship.
The “Queen of All Media”
shared her revelations in a video
titled “Life Update with Kris: On
Politics and Herbert Bautista” last
October 31.
According to her, she and the
local chief executive ended their
relationship in a smooth manner,
without frills and drama.
They
were
previously
spotted having dinner with friends
last October 7, based on Aquino’s
Instagram post. However, as
of this writing, the picture is no
longer in her feed.
“Nag-usap
kami
nang
maayos,” Aquino said in the
video. “But we’re not friends na,
ha. We do not talk anymore. It
ended there. Kaklaruhin ko ‘yun
sa lahat.”
“That’s why nagtapos siya
nang maayos. And I don’t think I
can say that about anybody else. I
never had a good closure pero sa
kanya, maganda yung closure,”
she continued.
It was eventually revealed that
Aquino had an endorsement deal
that prohibited her from being
involved in politics and public
figures.
Kris-Herbert love story
While there are no confirmed
reports of when Aquino met
Bautista, she revealed that the
mayor asked for her
number in February
2014.
Two
months
later, she shared
an Instagram post
where Bautista was
invited to her family
dinner.
She later on
her
confirmed on
now-defunct
talk
show “Aquino and
Abunda Tonight” that she was
dating him.
“Weeks
before
any
speculation about us came out,
personal po siyang humingi ng
permiso sa kuya ko. Maraming
iniisip si PNoy kaya ang intindi niya
‘nung time na ‘yun, may gagawin
kami
ni Mayor na project para
sa Quezon City,” Aquino shared.
“Until later that same day, nag-
text kaming magkapatid, natawa
na lang si PNoy na ‘permission to
date his sister’ pala ang hiningi,”
she continued.
They
had
an
off-
on relationship until Bautista
suddenly proposed to her in April
2014. Aquino recounted that
it was the “least romantic
proposal any woman has ever
received.” He broke up with her a
few days after.
It was not until they were
slated to star in a 2015 Metro
Manila Film Festival entry together
that talks between them surfaced
once more.
Aquino dropped out of the
movie where she was supposed
to star with him, citing scheduling
conflicts. The mayor, on the
other hand, revealed that he had
plans for the 2016 elections.
Despite their statements,
there were speculations that they
bowed out of the movie to avoid
being with each other. Aquino was
later on part of the cast.
By October 2016, the two
became friendly again when
Aquino revealed that Bautista
invited her for lunch although
she clarified that it was not a
date.
Three months after, they met
in Italy and Bautista proposed to
her for the second time. He gave
her a one-carat, heart-shaped D-
color diamond ring which Aquino
had declined.
“As long as our children are
not done yet with their studies, I
don’t think we have the freedom
to be able to choose happiness,”
she revealed.
Earlier this year, Aquino
shared pictures of their vacation
in Italy and said that it was “very
wholesome” and a “prayerful”
travel for them.
By May 2018, Aquino went
out with Bautista to celebrate his
birthday, although she clarified
on her Instagram posts that they
were just friends.
Two months after, Bautista
shared in a press conference that
he was grateful for how much
Aquino has influenced him as a
person. He reiterated that they
continue to be good friends.
Last month, Aquino shared a
now-deleted picture with him and
expressed her gratitude for his
friendship.
Previous relationships
Kris in her Facebook video
noted that Bautista was the only
one whom she had a “good
closure” with. Prior to that, she
has been romantically involved
with more than five men in her
life, including ex-husband James
Yap.
Almost
each
of
her
relationships had its own series
of controversies. She has been
previously
linked with
Alvin
Patrimonio, Aga Muhlach, Gabby
Concepcion, Robin Padilla, Philip
Salvador, Vic Sotto and Joey
Marquez.
Former
President
Cory
Aquino reportedly disapproved of
her relationship with Padilla, who
described his love affair with the
younger Aquino as a “you and me
against the world” type.
Padilla blamed his drug
addiction as one of the reasons
why the relationship didn’t become
successful.●