All Night Fun

Am I thinking?

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It is hard to make me laugh. I have no reservations in showing how sarcastic I can be once I am not pleased with any kind of joke delivered up front. One Night Only is an engaging sitcom that lets me out of my shell for a moment. It is surprisingly funny and sexy. It is a mixture of farce comedy and grotesque situations, equipped with a risqué story and we get to laugh even if it did not intend to be funny. I think the entire film is the punch line.

One Night Only gathers five of the gutsiest female stars (even male) in a comedy riot that will certainly intimidate other big budgeted, star-studded comedy films included in the Metro Manila Film Festival 2008. This is the version of a mainstream film when it comes to real time storytelling. One Night Only happens in a day (not only in one night) with numerous characters that were intertwined in multifarious and far-fetched scenarios in a motel called Lovers Hideaway.

There are four major scenarios within the film that will capitalize on the shambles-in-the-making during their stay in the motel. Jasmine (Katrina Halili) tries to make amends with her lecherous and hot-blooded benefactor Congressman Facundo (Ricky Davao). They decided to have a quickie before Jasmine leaves for a vacation in Macau. Jasmine’s friend Vivian (Diana Zubiri) is playing it hard-to-get to a hunky advertising executive named Pons (Jon Avila). Vivian tries to give-in to Pons. Pons is stuck in a bloody meeting and has already an early set rendezvous with Vicky (Valerie Concepcion). The two girls have some domineering tendencies and tries calling Pons the entire time. In effect, they both get to the same motel at the same time.

The other characters to this twist-of-twist oeuvre are the matinee idol Diego Ravago (Paolo Contis) and Angela (Alessandra de Rossi). Angela is an extra in a shooting where Diego is the main star. Diego is determined to hook-up with any girl he likes and ends up getting Angela to have a one-night-stand. The last addition (this is so crazy) to this zany scenario is the tandem of two pairs of queer lovers: Edward (Chokoleit) a beautician and a patron to a yuppie boytoy Nestor (Joross Gamboa), and George (Manilyn Reynes) a dyke who wants to commit suicide unless her beloved Elvie (Jennelyn Mercado) will talk to her.

One Night Only is written and directed by Jose Javier Reyes. I was flabbergasted with the film’s output. I personally crave black comedies and it is until now that I have seen a decent film that has explored this chic and campy genre. They performed the characters effectively which could have attributed to the typical casting employed by Reyes.

One Night Only meets its objective to give fun to the audiences. It has an appeal even to the elderly even if the scenarios are teasing. The awkward-grotesque situations employed as a major element of the plot is agreeable and even if it there is chaos, the story has a solid direction and a good surprising ending. This is the best film of 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival. It is funny. It is sexy. It is cleverly written. I too was surprised. Comedy is our finest element. We should stick unto this because we are capable to deliver the best we could put forward.
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Charlie Koon's Rating: