IF you want to forget your troubles, don’t miss the rollicking romp that is “Mahal Kita, Beksman”. It’s a true laugh-out-loud comedy that really works in tickling our funnybones. The viewers at the premiere night last Thursday at SM Megamall were in stitches and after all the feel bad movies we’ve seen in Vivamax lately, this one is a real feel good movie that leaves you feeling so refreshed and not depressed.

The story is about a gay make up artist and fashion designer, Dali (Christian Bables), the son of a dressmaker, Gemma (Katya Santos), who has accepted the fact that Dali’s dad is really gay, Jaime (Keempee de Leon), and even has a current boyfriend, Boyet (Mico Aytona), who’s also openly gay. Dali’s co-workers in their beauty shop are also flamboyantly gay.

Trouble arises when Dali heads the glam team of a contestant, Alynna (Diana Cariaso), in a local beauty pageant. He meets another contestant, Angel (Iana Bernardez), a lovely morena beauty who eventually wins the pageant, and is immediately smitten with her. It’s a life changing moment for him when he realizes that he’s not really gay.

When he tells about this to his parents and their co-workers, they are all shocked and in denial. His dad says he is just going through a phase. But Dali is determined to prove that he is a man. He discards his red hair, put on more masculine clothes, and to prove to Angel’s macho dad and brothers that he is also an aggressively tough guy like them, he works out in their gym, plays basketball with them and does other very manly things.

The ways that Dali’s issues are all resolved in the most entertaining manner is part of the movie’s contagious charm. Fatrick Tabada has come up with an original and well paced screenplay that never lags and has very endearing characters. He has also written witty, heartwarming situations that keep the narrative swiftly moving forward so there’s never a dull moment.

This is Director Perci Intalan’s best work to date and it’s obvious the material is near to his heart. He says in the presscon that he once shocked all his gay friends when he courted a girl who became his girlfriend. His movie is actually a satirical take on all those movies about the coming out of a gay person who shocks all his loved ones.

Here, the lead character announces he is straight and all the gay people around him are appalled. Direk Perci gets a uniformly splendid performance from his very big cast. They’re all good, but the real stand outs here are, of course, the father and the son, who both figure in many absolutely funny scenes.

Christian Bables has won acting awards playing gay roles in films like “Die Beautiful” and “Big Night”, but his take here on the gay role he has played before is something very different. That scene where he insists “hindi ako bakla! Hindi ako bayot!” has a very uproarious Maricel Soriano touch into it.

Keempee de Leon is so good and touching he nearly runs away with his scenes. He reminds us of Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in “The Birdcage”, specially in that scene where he tries to pretend that he is macho when Angel and family have dinner at their home. They have a moving dramatic scene after that but even this ends with laughter when it turns out Keempee is putting moisturizer on Christian’s face as he thinks it’s too dry.

The movie has glossy production values and the production design is on point with its location choices. The street where Dali lives is quite delightful, also the colorful costumes and sets. The film’s finale is a musical production number where the whole cast dances to the tune of Donna Cruz’ original version of “Kapag Tumibok ang Puso” and it’s a charming, rousing way to conclude this truly amusing comedy.

But in the end, the film also manages to raise some serious, valid points about love and identity. It probes on gender issues and ultimately, it just celebrates life and love whether you are straight or gay and all the other shades of sexual preferences in between. Just follow your heart and don’t let society dictate on you. Don’t miss “Mahal Kita, Beksman” when it opens in theaters this Wednesday, November 16.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Mario Bautista