I’ve been wanting to see this film ever since I saw the trailer. I missed it during its run at QCinema, so I was really happy to get the chance to see it as an Ayala Malls cinema exclusive.
As a Filipino, I grew up with close family ties (sometimes, even to a fault) – so the concept of a ‘rental family’ service is very foreign (pun intended) to me.
There were so many tender, heart-tugging moments in this film that I was crying every so often. The film also had some light tones of natural comedy (one scene had me laughing so much, and just thinking about the bewildered looks on the actors’ faces makes me smile again), which was a nice reprieve from all the crying.
I love how they don’t reveal why Brendan Fraser’s first client asks for a fake wedding (with Fraser as the fake groom) and when they do – bang! It hits you, and you understand. Family and relationships can be complicated, and sometimes a lie can be the unconventional solution. And as my mentor recently taught me: “man-made problems require man-made solutions.”
Brendan Fraser’s empathic and towering gaijin, is the anchor that ties the film together, his performance is quiet but moving, while his supporting cast of actors is the cherry on top of the cake.
One of my favorite moments is when Brendan Fraser’s character, Philip, looks outside to the apartments across from his home, and he peeks into the lives of the residents there. As the film progresses he finds himself playing roles in other people’s lives. It’s a nice reversal of perspectives, from observer to being an actual character in other people’s lives, providing something that they needed at that moment – even if its only temporary, but the impact would surely last forever.