You're My Boss (2015)

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The story is typical rom com, where girl (Georgina) falls for an unlikely boy (Pong). Jadaone though, is able to write a storyline with witty dialogue that makes the cliché story easy to forgive. Add to this the backdrop of beautiful Batanes and the able acting of the two leads, and this makes an entertaining two hour escape. The cliché I'm talking about is not only the boy-girl interaction but also the whole pretending situation that gets a big reveal in the end; in this case, Pong pretending to be Georgina's boss and they have to tell the "truth" to their Japanese business associate in the end. There are also occasional moments when Coco is acting strange, like he's gay. This is a nice feel good movie, mostly due to good characters developed by a good script.

It will be difficult to separate 'YOU'RE MY BOSS' from countless similar movies piling up in its category—its material isn't new, in fact overly familiar, and has already made several romcom flicks into blockbusters—but it will be even harder to dismiss its striking attributes, no matter how few, that makes it truly a stand out.The movie is helmed by Antoinette Jadaone, director of last year's indie hit "That Thing Called Tadhana", which became even bigger when it got mainstream release last February. That alone, makes "YOU'RE MY BOSS" different. Through Jadaone's artistry, the movie receives a treatment that imbues the storytelling with mystifying appeal. Once again, Jadaone utilizes nature to effectively convey the intentions of the story, making the breathtaking imagery of Batanes work to magnify the level of emotions governing both our lead characters and their story. Toni Gonzaga delivers her character with utmost credibility here, but its Coco Martin's irresistible charm that makes their surprising chemistry, truly believable. The movie is naturally funny and loud, but on moments where its most quiet, it treads on themes that usually streak pain and sadness through the heart, and on those instances, 'YOU'RE MY BOSS' highlights the enchanting sceneries of Batanes, to surely hit its aim.YOU'RE MY BOSS's sentiments echo almost the same ones that made That Thing Called Tadhana, Starting Over Again and One More Chance, relatably haunting and poignant. Its two lead characters—Georgina, a highly confident and manipulative woman, masking her personal tragedies by dedicating herself almost entirely to work, and Pong, her simple and unassuming assistant—are both haunted by their respective pasts, and are desperately trying to break free from them, and move on.The movie, regardless of how it's being naturally charming with its humor and cheesy narrative, manages to strike a chord by sending messages that tackles the disaters of waiting, and hoping, for a love lost, and the promises of second chances and forgiveness. Albeit formulaic and cliché, YOU'RE MY BOSS is a satisfying movie not devoid of charm. It surely isn't bereft of imperfections, nonetheless, where it truly matters, it immensely satisfies.

I came out of this movie in chilly Montreal feeling really good and I wasn't alone, everyone in the theatre seemed to be in a great mood. Although I have never been to the Philippines, I did spend 4 years in Indonesia, so the scenes of the islands such as Batanes really brought me back in time. It seems that the whole world including Manila is caught up texting each other with not much time in between for real communication. The office situation and the business proposal to a possible Japanese partner is really believable and I really enjoyed the lengths they went to get to know each other. From my experience in Asia, relationships are extremely important, and nothing happens until those are sorted out. The best scenes to me happened on Batanes, they were quite magical. Great movie.