Guilty Pleasure (2024)
Directed by: Connie Macatuno
Three attorneys are guilty of something. For a Filipino film, it’s refreshing to follow lead characters that are corrupt, flawed and wicked.
It’s easy to get irritated with them—most especially when you know what’s morally right and wrong. However, the story has too many gray areas where it allows you to give them the benefit of the doubt.
The characters love to put drama into the courtroom, mixing emotional and rational decisions together. The extreme contrast between their personal and professional lives is interesting to see. It’ll make you question the integrity of lawyers and the gravity of justice.
The movie has its thought-provoking moments,
but those moments are not sustained.
The transitions are not smooth, abruptly jumping from romance to drama. The nonstop insertion of timelines on the screen didn’t help in connecting the scenes. It only shows how disjointed and weak the scenes are because they can’t stand on their own.
Maganda sanang pagbanggain ang nangyayari sa personal nilang buhay at sa loob ng courtroom, ngunit hindi nila ito nagagawa nang maayos. Nasasayang ang nabubuo nilang tensyon. Hindi pantay ang mga eksena. Mas marami pang landian na naganap kesa sa sagutan sa courtroom.
Ang haba at ang daming nangyayari sa pelikula, pero hindi lubusang napag-uusapan ang ilang isyu. Isang bagsakan lang nangyari ang paghihiganti at pagsisisi.
Hindi maganda ang mga kuha. Hindi bagay ang mga kantang pinatugtog. Masyado ring halata kapag may ipinapasok silang produkto sa mga eksena.
Lovi Poe’s character may be questionable, but her portrayal makes it relatable. Jameson Blake used his charm to his advantage. JM De Guzman is becoming effortless in villainous roles.
Adrienne Vergara is guilty of providing pleasure and joy to the audience because of her vibrant performance. Sarah Edwards fits the role. Her scenes with Lovi could’ve been longer because they bring tension to the table. Angelica Lao and Ella Cristofani lack emotions, making their portrayal unrealistic. Even though his lines are entertaining, Dustin Yu’s acting is not convincing.
The movie fails to give justice to a lot of things.
While there’s pleasure in witnessing a story that has a lot of internal and external conflicts, it is still guilty of poor storytelling and messy editing that damage the quality of Lovi Poe’s first movie under her own production company.
𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘
Rating: 2/5
Cast: Lovi Poe, Jameson Blake, JM De Guzman, Sarah Edwards, Dustin Yu, Angelica Lao, Christian Ty, Johnny Revilla, Raf Pineda, Soliman Cruz, Ella Cristofani, Lorraine Wong, Adrienne Vergara
Story & Screenplay by: Noreen Capili
Presented by: Regal Films, C’est Lovi Productions
Release Date: October 16, 2024 in Philippine cinemas nationwide
A Movie Review by: Goldwin Reviews
Storytelling: 0.5
Emotions: 2
Screenplay: 3
Technical: 0
Message: 2
AVERAGE SCORE: 1.5
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