Watching “Beauty In A Bottle” is a roller-coaster ride, rising to thrilling heights one moment, only to plunge into a pit of yawn-inducing predictability, the very next.
Still, after the film is over, we’re glad that we went along for the ride, because some of the movie’s scenes did what so few local comedy flicks accomplish these days—they made us laugh!
The dearth of real humor on the comedy film front is the result of a cynical shift in filmmakers’ perspective, from the more organic comedy of character and situation of yore, to today’s slapstick, gimmick and punchline-oriented and “anything goes” smorgasbord yukfests.
The “old” stuff required writers to look for promising themes and comedic issues to organically develop, while “compilation” comedies these days, especially of the weekly TV yukfest sort, allow and even encourage scriptwriters to lazily beg, borrow and crib from any and all sources, throw everything into a huge mixer, and hope that a few of those unselective gambits will succeed in tickling viewers’ jaded funnybones.
PANGANIBAN. Admirable wit and enthusiastic self-deprecation.
To its everlasting credit, “Beauty In A Bottle” opts for the more thematic, organic, situational and character-driven way, so it’s easier to follow its comedic twists and turns, because they’re actually developing a promising premise.
In this instance, the comedic bone of contention is nothing less than our current cynical concept of beauty, with even the impossibly ugly being led to believe that they can “claim” it for themselves by just popping a magic super-pill.
Another issue that the film discusses is the inordinate importance that we now place on real or imagined beauty itself, which has become the be-all and end-all of some shallow people’s existence.
“Beauty In A Bottle” first focuses on the creation of a publicity and marketing campaign for a new wonder pill, with Assunta de Rossi playing a top advertising maven.
Next, before the commercial for the new product can be shot, the right endorser must be found, and this is where a plump model-actress played by Angelica Panganiban takes charge of the movie’s comedic proceedings.
Finally, the film focuses on a desperate, self-deluding buyer of the product, Angeline Quinto, and how the wonder pill ruins her life, instead of transforming it.
While Assunta scores her own thespic points, Angeline doesn’t fare as well—but that’s OK, because Angelica is around to fill in the blanks, and she does so with admirable wit—and enthusiastic self-deprecation. That last quality is rare in local show biz, where everybody takes himself or herself, oh, so seriously!
Happily, Angelica is secure enough in her beauty and talent to laugh at herself and sometimes even make herself look ridiculous, gauche and downright fat!
With her in delicious and feisty charge, we can relax, enjoy ourselves and join her in laughing at her addled antics.
Next time around, we hope that producers will give Angelica a comedic starrer where she’s fully in charge, from start to finish. As “Beauty In A Bottle” shows, she can go the goony distance on her own, no problem at all!