MY REBOUND GIRL

Alex Gonzaga & Joseph Marco top bill ‘My Rebound Girl’

September 19, 2016

Business Mirror

Following the positive reception to the hit drama series Pure Love, which generated a rosy 22 percent average on national TV ratings back in 2014, the romantic duo of Alex Gonzaga and Joseph Marco is back onscreen in the latest rom-com offering of Regal Films, My Rebound Girl. The movie is directed by Emmanuel de la Cruz and will open nationwide on September 28.
According to Regal Entertainment, the movie is Alex and Joseph’s biggest break on the big screen as a love team.
The movie tells the story of Rocky (Alex) and Rich (Joseph). Rocky is dubbed as the “Pambansang Rebound Girl” because her relationships always take a tragic turn whenever a past lover of her current partner shows up.

Rocky’s dad wants to bring her with him abroad but she declines and instead puts up her own café with several business partners, including her boyfriend Timmy. Then, as with almost every romance Rocky has ever had, her relationship with Timmy hits the skids when the latter backs out of the business to reconcile with an ex-girlfriend.
As Timmy happens to be the main financier in the business partnership, Rocky, who is not just heartbroken but also broke, wants to quit the café venture—that is, until Rich comes along. Both come on too strong for the other on their first meeting.
As the story unravels, however, their disagreements ultimately lead to romance. However, Rocky is ridden with anxiety after realizing that she might be getting into another “rebound” relationship.

“There may be a lot of rom-com movies today, but we feel the concept of ‘rebound’ is still an unexplored topic, so we focused on that, and I can attest the rom-com is a valid genre,” de la Cruz said during the recent presser for the movie.
He added, “Ang love stories kasi ay kung papaano nagdi-develop ang isang character eh, ’yun ’yung hindi alam ng mga tao. Akala nila ang love story, kilig lang. Pero makikita mo din dito kung ano ’yung kayang baguhin ng isang tao sa sarili niya para sa taong mahal niya.”
“Besides, the story is really complex, hindi siya isang layer lang. Friendship, family, everything, and ’yun ’yung maganda,” de la Cruz said, explaining the movie not only centers on romance but also touches many aspects of life in general.
He, too, related it’s the age of individualism in the Philippines and moviegoers have their own unique preferences. “Kumbaga, tayo ’yung mamimili kung anong pelikula ’yung para satin eh, as compared sa mga dinidikta satin. And, actually, that makes today an ideal na panahon para gumawa ng movie.”
De la Cruz said filmmakers are now very open to ideas and concepts that will cater to specific tastes of audiences. “Kumbaga, hindi na dahil sa sikat ’to, kikita ’yan. Hindi na ganun eh, talagang pinaghirapan namin [filmmakers] na makuha ’yung tamang timpla. And para sa pelikula na ’to, we have a different approach to it, a different view. I think ang maganda din is it’s more real, I guess.”
De la Cruz, who was joined by the movie’s scriptwriters, shared that the conceptualization of the film was a long process, and they extensively explored viable scenes or setup perfect not just for the movie but also for the tandem of Alex and Joseph.
The director also applauded the collaborative efforts of the team, most especially the actors, in making the film.
When asked about the significant differences in directing independent films and mainstream films, de la Cruz said only the size of the production unit differs. “But again, it’s not about the size, it’s about the commitment na kapag committed kayo na gagawa kayo ng magandang pelikula, kahit anong balakid isu-surpass niyo eh,” he said.

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