Of late, 2 love tandems have been hyped in Philippine showbiz:
(1) John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo
(2) Richard Gutierrez and KC Concepcion
Photos courtesy of wikipedia and pinoyfansclub.com
Both teams have their sophomore movies out this February: You Changed My Life for John Lloyd and Sarah, and When I Met You for Richard and KC. Both are marketed as the date movie this love month.
We know that there is rivalry here, after all, one movie is from the Kapamilya network (via Star Cinema films) while the other is from the Kapuso network (via GMA films).
The 2 love teams' rookie movies were shown last year. While I don't have the actual figures, I am pretty certain that the gross receipts of the John Lloyd-Sarah movie (A Very Special Love) far exceeded that of the Richard-KC movie (For the First Time).
I say this because of the feedback I got from friends, colleagues, family and everyone else who cares for local showbiz in my circle. I have heard of a lot of people raving about A Very Speical Love, at the same time, a lot of people disgusted by For the First Time. Moreover, the number of those disgusted by For the First Time is nowhere near those who expressed that they had no intentions of ever watching it. My good buddy, Ivan, even said, "I will not watch that Richard-KC movie even if they pay me. And yet, he expressed intentions of seeing A Very Special Love, and he eventually did (I think).
Interestingly, the same holds true for the sophomore movies of these tandems. I don't know a soul from my circle who watched When I Met You, and yet I know a lot of people planning to see You Changed My Life.
I wonder: What works for the John LLoyd - Sarah tandem, and what doesn't for the Richard - KC tandem?
I guess, first, I have to qualify that the circle wherein which I operate is largely the middle class market. And that is what stumped me. I would think that KC Concepcion, being the daughter of probably the biggest star in the Philippines (Sharon Cuneta), would have a broader market appeal (Class A to E). BTW, Richard is also from a showbiz dynasty. Concurrently, I would suppose that Sarah, being an outsider in the showbiz dynasty , would find more affinity from the mass market, not the middle and upper income market. But that is not the case based on the sample population that is my circle.
So what is the logic behind this?
Is it chemistry? In my opinion, there is no more chemistry in the John Lloyd - Sarah tandem than there is in the Richard-KC tandem. We know that John Lloyd is with a long time girlfriend (Liz Uy), and Sarah is just too young for him. Meanwhile, the Richard-KC tandem is too contrived. I guess the public is aware that chemistry is being feigned for the sole purpose of selling the film, and the public does not expect any real love to develop off the big screen.
Is it the story line? I don't think so. All are romantic chick flicks, hence you wouldn't expect any great plot in all the 4 movies mentioned. I think everybody expects to see the usual hackneyed scenes and hear the cliched lines. Nobody is expecting real film making genius here. The movie titles should be a dead give away already. After all, what would you expect if the film makers didn't even think hard to come up with a title and just borrowed those song titles you hear on love radio?
Is it the leading men? I guess Richard wins in the hotness category (but personally, I prefer John Llloyd because he can pass for a normal, everyday cute looking guy, not drop-dead gorgeous like Richard). But John Lloyd wins in the acting category. I think Richard is an eye candy, but John Lloyd has real acting prowess that actually moves you. I would say that for a romantic movie, good looks and good acting are equally important. So, at this point, we are even steven for the 2 love teams.
Is it the leading ladies? Both are old in the showbiz industry, yet both are relative neophytes in acting. Additionally, both girls have very good reputations in the industry. Both are Ms. Goody Two Shoes in the relatively liberated world of showbiz.
BTW, I read in many blogs that people are distracted by KC's hair in her film and TV appearances. She definitely needs hair pins to prevent her hair from covering her face and stop her from doing that irritating hair flipping. Likewise, notice that Sarah's hair is too big and puffy in her movies. Therefore, both have had bad hair day moments. Incidentally, I have heard that a lot got turned off by how "maarte" KC was in her movie. I really can't say because I didn't watch her films (and I don't intend to).
So what does it all boil down to? I honestly do not know and I will not jump into conclusions. I think the middle class market is just outright discriminating and will choose to patronize or boycott a product or service (movies included) because it simply feels like it, without even feeling the need to explain the logic behind the choices.
If you think you know what ticks and what does not tick for these 2 love teams, please feel free to comment. As for me, I am trying to be a true blue Kapamilya here and I hope I earn brownie points for this.
