Hustling the Weekend

I had the chance of watching a movie last Saturday in Powerplant Mall, Makati with my highschool best bud Joshua and his girlfriend Cathy. A little backgrounder, this is the first time that the three of us met ever since I relocated to Manila. There were attempts to meet up before but either I was busy or I was too lazy to get up and meet them. This time, with my scheduled off on a friday and a Saturday, I gladly said yes to the invite.

It was my first time in Rockwell Makati and I really found the place great. The architecture was nice and the ambiance was relaxing. There were a lot of people but the air was not as crowded compared to the malls that I have been into like MOA and Trinoma. Joshua told me that Rockwell is like Resorts World Manila where you have condominiums around where rich people and celebrities live. Indeed, the people I saw coming and going looked like the sort of people who "can afford".

We decided to meet in one of the restaurants in the mall called Wooden Spoon. The resto was jampacked and we had to wait in line to get our table. Up to now, I really wonder how people can afford to wait in line just to get a seat in a restaurants when there are other choices. I guess the food was too sumptuous that people are willing to wait instead of going to another place.

While waiting, Cathy and I got the chance to talk about wicked. I was surprised to know that she is also a theater junkie and it was good to have a conversation with someone who loves to watch musicals. I like musicals a lot and people who know me know that I am a frustrated theater actor and it was good to have a conversation with someone who understands something you like without you looking like a complete weirdo. Talk about class. I guess why Joshua fell in love with this lady in the first place. She definitely is fun to be with and is very classy without being snob.

After dinner, I was treated to a tour around the mall by the couple. There were a lot of high-end stores and there was this one tea house that only the crazy rich could afford. Imagine paying 200 pesos just for a tea bag. I could not imagine myself even spending that much for a cup of tea. It was good to know that there was taho in the mall and I am not talking about a high-end taho. It was the taho that everybody loves with sago and arnibal. It was around 30 pesos but it was definitely a good buy.

After the tour we went to the cinema and we decided to watch a movie and it was a choice between Robocop and American Hustle. Cathy said that American Hustle would be a good movie to watch so we decided to buy our tickets for the last full show.We waited for the 10:30 show and I was lucky to get a glimpse of Ariella Arida. It was funny because I just saw her on tv watching Eat BUlaga and I recognized her because she was wearing the same dress she was wearing on the tv show.The couple told me that celebrities often go to Rockwell to watch a movie and I think the reason for that is that the crowd is not like the crowd you usually find in malls. Celebrities can enjoy watching am movie without getting ganged up by fans.

American Hustle was a good movie. Well I could say that it's not one of those movies that you would want to watch over and over again. The movie was grounded on realism and the attack was subtle just like the ones you would see with indi movies in the Philippines. The acting was superb without going over the top. Well I expected nothing less coming from a stellar cast such as Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence.

The main character was very interesting played by Christian Bale who again transformed himself, yet again, to a an ugly forty-something con man complete with a nasty comb-over and a beer belly. Irving, the character that Bale played was both stupid and charming at the same time. The conflicts that he faced as the main character were very realistic. Bale's attack was very effective to the point that if you are not a big fan you will not be able to recognize him.The thing I liked the most was the back story which grounded the character and was able to build a strong foundation for the character.

Jennifer Lawrence, in a supporting role, was very funny. One would not wonder as to why she won the Academy for best actress. This girl is a chameleon and is able to create new roles without the trace of the past role she played. In the movie, she played the wife of the main character. Truth be told, most of the movie's humor came from the main character's interaction with her wife who was both dysfunctional and endearing at the same time.I definitely think that Lawrence deserves another academy for her role. I honestly think that she's the Merryl Streep of her generation.

I could say that the movie is a good watch and is worth your money. It may not be a life-changing movie but it gives you a glimpse on a different attack on film-making. Plus the soundtrack was bentang-benta for an old soul like me.

I felt good being able to spend my weekend with this couple and I did promise them that I would treat them to one of the restos near my apartment, which I never knew existed, shame on me.