Kim Chiu, Xian Lim, and the Good in Bad Rom-Coms
Raise your hand if you were excited to watch Bride for Rent the minute you saw the trailer. I absolutely adored Kim Chiu and Xian Lim in Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo? so of course it was going to be a movie date with the girls.
via f*ckyeahkimmychiu.tumblr.com
In Bride for Rent, Xian plays a rich kid looking for someone to pretend to be his wife so he can access his trust fund. Kim, of course, is that girl. Snooty vs. sweet, aloof vs. affectionate. Pretty much similar to their previous roles, which I don't really mind because the novelty hasn't worn off for me. But what I do mind is how much of the movie falls flat. The LOL moments are few and far between, and the truly standout ones are mostly courtesy of Kim. I mean, is this a rom-com or what? Encouraging the cast, especially Kim, to adlib is one of the few good decisions made by the people behind the movie.
The character growth is ridiculous: one minute Xian is angry, the next he's crying and repentant. Everything feels rushed yet I found myself checking the time quite a lot. I'm not even going to talk about the plot because when you willingly go in to watch a movie called Bride for Rent, you pretty much sign up for cliché.
via f*ckyeahkimmychiu.tumblr.com
Having said all that, the movie’s ultimate saving grace is Kim and Xian’s chemistry. You just can’t fake connection like theirs. When they fight and flirt and freak each other out, it’s almost worth sitting through about two hours of meh. Also, no one does slow-mo like Kim and Xian.
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| via f*ckyeahkimmychiu.tumblr.com | |
So, to recap: Bride for Rent is awful; hashtag KimXi 4eva.
