Three years ago, a comedy-drama film about a trans-woman "Die Beautiful" (MY REVIEW) was the box-office leader and audience choice award winner during the 2016 Metro Manila Filmfest. It also won acting awards from both Paulo Ballesteros and Christian Bables for playing the protagonist Trisha and her best friend Barbs. After its big success, news about a sequel immediately came out, this time to be about Barbs and the aftermath of the first movie. However, Bables was not available to re-create his award-winning role in the sequel, so the producers had to cast a new star in the role.
Barbs Cordero (Martin del Rosario) used his make-up transformation skills as the make-up artist of the Happy Endings Funeral Homes owned by an old transwoman Flora (Lou Veloso). After a failed attempt to recover his lost manhood by joining a religious retreat, Barbs got entangled in a web of affairs involving two married suitors -- a macho tricycle-driver (and her ex) Greg (Kiko Matos) and a gentlemanly taxi-driver (and Trisha's ex) Michael Angelo (Akihiro Blanco) -- and a problematic prostitute Yumi (Chai Fonacier).
Being a sequel, it cannot be helped that this film would be compared to the original film. Except for a couple of scenes depicting sexual violence, "Die Beautiful" was a generally wholesome and very funny film. "Born Beautiful" was much franker in language and in story. There were plenty of bleeped words in the R-16 version I saw, most probably sexually-charged terms based on context. There were several torrid kissing scenes between Barbs and her suitors, something "Die Beautiful" did not have. The story also delved into very serious topics like religious hypocrisy, rape, assault and abortion.
Martin del Rosario was beautiful and committed as Barbs. He was confidently and consistently feminine, even if his off-shoulder gowns made his shoulders look broader than her boyfriends on the big screen. Lou Veloso was a scene-stealer as the fabulously florid Mama Flora. Chai Fonacier had her effective moments as the desperate homely whore Yumi Kiko Matos and Akihiro Blanco were not really given meaty enough roles to chew on as Barbs' consorts. Paulo Ballesteros makes a special return appearance as Trisha in a most controversial incarnation which may not sit well with some Catholic viewers.
Joey Paras and Jojit Lorenzo were so sleazy as Pastor Donald and Bro. Sonny of Way of Light reformation center. Elora Espano was too good to be true as Angela, Michael Angelo's accepting wife. Gio Gahol, Jason Barcial, Milo Elomido Jr. and VJ Mendoza played Barbs' sassy coterie of trans friends, all make-up artists at Happy Endings -- Kennie, Arianne, Selena and Princess respectively. There could have been more funny gags than what they were given to do here, since the "beaucon" scenes were not really emphasized.
It is really difficult to come up with a sequel that would match the bar set by the original film. Director Perci Intalan had his work cut out for him and tried his best, but it was not enough. The writing on this one felt episodic, with situations linked together in an odd progression and pacing, and a most abrupt ending. There were several very funny shock moments here and there, but not as many, as original nor as mirthful, than the first one. There seemed to have been difficulty in figuring out a more convincing or more plausible ending than what it had. "Die Beautiful" really set its bar very high in this genre, "Born Beautiful" was okay, but simply could not keep up. 6/10.
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