” Not all love stories are epics. Some are just short stories. But that doesn’t make them any less filled with love.” - Carrie Bradshaw

I had a blast at the first-day screening of SATC last night at the Glorietta 4’s Cinema 1. The Medical City, the hospital where I am a consultant at, sponsored one of the screenings together with 106.7 Dream FM - the midlifer’s radio station.

I went with one of my best girlfriends, a mid-life-ing psychiatrist herself and we came out with a wonderful high Thumbs up, five stars for this heartwarming, insightful, and yes, sexy movie that is a must-see for every woman above the age of 30 but more so if you are 40something.

The main characters, now all in their 40something years, have definitely “mellowed”. Well, except for one, but not quite really. Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte still rock! Kristin Davis is still the loveliest, Kim Cattrall, now pushing 50, still the sassiest, Cynthia Nixon, still the best actress and Sarah Jessica Parker, well, older, but still Sarah Jessica Parker, still Carrie.

Jennifer Hudson as Carrie’s very able assistant Louise does a great supporting role. Look out for the Brooklyn Bridge scene, it had me in tears.

Catch this romantic movie — I guarantee that you will see parts of yourself in it -mid-life-ing or not Check out the official site here.

Haunting. Lyrical. Poetic. And yes, it lived up to ALL my expectations.

“Ploning” is a beautiful, beautiful and sad movie that leaves you breathless with its amazing cinematography. I think that this has to be the most beautifully photographed Filipino movie I have ever seen.

However, it also leaves the viewer with soooo many questions long after you have left the cinema. For example, sino talaga ang nanay ni Digo? The film can be viewed through somany layers and can be interpreted in a hundred and one ways. I am sure the next time I watch it, I will see something that I did not see the first time. Feel something that I did not feel the last time.

If only to see the beautiful Cuyo, Palawan, this movie is worth watching over and over again. Judy Ann Santos was soooo good as Ploning. You were watching Ploning with nary a trace of Judy Ann. And the little boy who played Digo? I wanted to take him home with me.

This is the type of movie that should be entered in the Oscars foreign film race and I am pretty sure will have a great chance of winning. Simple yet haunting and so well-crafted. Okay, some glitches in the dialogue. Like, bakit biglang nag Tatagalog sila in one scene. The shift from past to present was initially confusing but after a while you start to get it.

Congratulations to the Panoramanila production team. Director Dante Nico Garcia and cinematographer Charlie Peralta are Philippine cinemas newest wonder boys. Thank you for giving us the gift of this beautiful film.

Watch the trailer here.

P.S. If you’ve seen the film, please tell me how you think it ended. Who Digo’s real mother is? And is there any relevance or symbolism at all to the cans of lychees? And where do you think Tomas went? See, I told you it would leave you with so many questions. Or am I just over-analyzing it as my daughter likes to say

When commitment starts, does the passion end?

Such is the premise of the latest Aga Muhlach-Anne Curtis starrer, “When Love Begins”, written and directed by my favorite Director Joey Reyes. If it’s a Joey Reyes movie you can be assured of great chemistry between the lead stars, and crisp, witty and memorable dialogue. Sa trailer pa nga lang, makikita mo na

And oh my, the theme song - “One Hello” by Randy Crawford sent me reeling down memory lane. A huge hit in 1982 when I was fresh out of high school and in love for the very first time. O diba, when love begins…

And how time flies, the year after “One Hello” became a hit, a young mestizo was creating aves of his own and zoomed to stardom by way of a hit, youth movie called “Bagets”. Guess who?

What grabbed my attention from the films stills and trailer was the VERY fit and hot Aga Muhlach who only a year and a half ago was admittedly a blob. Look at him now! Naku, super vindication! I was telling my friend Girlie Rodis when I saw a photo of Aga and Anne on her site — “Pabata ng pabata ang mga leading lady ni Aga”. But hey, the man can carry it off! Super! He doesn’t look like a day over 25. Seriously. I would love to see a Gabby Concepcion-Aga Muhlach-Edu Manzano starrer. Box office hit sigurado. Ageless men who have it all.

View the trailer below to see why “When Love Begins” is looking to be truly, the must-see Tagalog movie of the summer.

If you’re looking for an entertaining film to catch this week-end, let “The Spiderwick Chronicles” be it.

Breaking tradition, we decided to spend Valentine as a family and trooped to the movies to catch L’s current “obessesion” if you can call it that — “The Spiderwick Chronicles”. I thought that I would doze off after the first 15 minutes but hey, I sat up and was fully into it after the first five minutes! I haven’t had as much FUN watching a child’s film and enjoyed this one so much more than the Harry Potter series. Adults and children will appreciate the film on many levels. I liked the theme where good triumphs over evil but I also liked the allusions to heaven. The movie is also a visual delight.

Go and see it to fully appreciate the magic and wonder of this well-crafted film. You will be a child again, albeit momentarily. P and I were so involved in it that we wondered out loud if we could take Thimbletack home

I wanted to applaud loudly at the end of the movie but my adult self prevented the child in me from doing so.

But yes, I haven’t had THAT much fun at a Disney film in a really, long time. “Enchanted” DEFINITELY lived up to its promise and brought so much more! It was, as both endearing and enchanting In a Today’s Christian article, writer Todd Hertz says, “But it’s not just for kids. It’s funny, inventive and clever. The movie also works on a second level by lovingly evoking Disney’s classic canon.” Something that we have missed for a very long time.

In an interview with Mark Zoradi, president of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, Christianity Today at the Movies, Mark Morning writes, “Mark’s a great guy, and we talked quite a bit about the studio’s decision in recent years to recommit to the “Disney brand”—the things that made their movies so good in the first place. Call it “family values,” call it back to the basics, call it terrific storytelling, call it great art, call it whatever you like, but the Disney magic seems to be back at full strength in movie theaters ’round the world.

Some would say they’d lost some of that magic through the 1990s and the Eisner years. Whatever the reasons, for a while, when it came to movies, Disney just didn’t seem like the same company that Walt built more than 80 years ago.”

Well, now it’s definitely back! This is one film that I would HIGHLY recommend to everyone. Whether you have a family or not, this is the type of film that you go to when you want to enjoy and entertain yourself. The actors were PERFECTLY cast. Okay my Patrick Dempsey biases are showing but yes, he fits the role of a modern-day Prince Charming to a T! It wasn’t difficult for me imagining him in this role or out of his scrubs for a change. My gosh, ang guapo talaga niya! Dempsey seems to be taking the route that George Clooney took many years ago - from OR hottie to “Batman” to major film success and an Oscar. I’m really excited to have the same happen to Dempsey. Pardon the swooning

Amy Adams who portrays Princess Giselle is now my favorite Disney Princess. Really! She was simply amazing in her portrayal of the princess lost in the land of “no-happily ever afters” - New York City. And of course Susan Sarandon is just pure evil as Queen Narissa. James Marden, of “X-Men” fame is the classic comic who portrays, Prince Edward to Princess Giselle. And oh, how you will love and be amazed at the character of Pip the squirrel, the film’s other hero.

The soundtrack - music by Oscar-winner Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz will have you heading out to the music store to get a CD right after the movie. Their song “How Will I Know?” will continue to play in your head (as it is in mine) long after you’ve left the cinema. It was to me, one of the best scenes in the movie.

In “Enchanted”, fairy tales don’t come true but you leave the the theatre with a smile on your lips and a song in your heart. This is one more film to add to my DVD collection.

TRIVIA : I love Mulan. But guess who the most popular Disney Princess is? Find out here and then come back and tell me who your favorite is