We do bidoo and you will too (Updated with review)
We had our reservations (Naku baka mag-reunite for a farewell concert na naman yan) but they’ve been wiped out totally. Watch it watch it watch it! I Do Bidoo Bidoo is now on its second week. Our review later.
Post your own reviews. We notice some I Do Bidoo love in the top 10 movie lists—express it.
To rewrite the famous movie studio line: If it’s from Chris Martinez it must be hilarious!
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Chris Martinez wrote Feng Shui, Bridal Shower, Bikini Open, Babae Sa Septic Tank and Here Comes the Bride among others, making him the go-to guy for comedy. With I Do Bidoo Bidoo he establishes his musical cred. We want more musicals. Why don’t we have more when everyone around here randomly bursts into song and no one even blinks?
(We thought that given the popularity of Glee the audience would be accustomed to seeing actors burst into song. Apparently not. The woman sitting behind us kept going, “Ayan, kakanta na naman. Kakanta na…” Lady, that’s why it’s called a musical.)
Musicals in general have fluffy premises and flimsy stories—”Let’s put on a show!” is typical, although the plot of Kakabakaba Ka Ba? is “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” Literally. I Do Bidoo Bidoo is a romantic puff pastry about three and a half couples; its substance is in the filmmaker’s keen observations of class differences. Arriving at the gates to the girl’s family estate, the boy’s family is told to drive to the main mansion—”Mga 15 minutes pa po.”
Of course the story is dictated by the Apo Hiking Society discography, but Martinez avoids the usual interpretations and finds something fresh in familiar material. Mahirap Magmahal Ng Syota Ng Iba is sung by the other man alright, but this other man isn’t after the girl. The movie steers clear of the hackneyed “Ay, bakla pala siya!” denouement—one of its best scenes has two guys affirming their love while defining their boundaries. I Do Bidoo takes a sophisticated view of sex: They did it, she’s knocked up, it’s too late for the sermon, let’s deal with the economic reality.
(Could that be why the cinematography is more suited to a social realist drama? Is it supposed to heighten the contrast between the cheery music and the grim truth, or does Greenbelt 1 just need a new projection system?)
Di Na Natuto is not sung by Gary Valenciano, who popularized it, but by Eugene Domingo and Ogie Alcasid in the best sex scene in recent movies. Syotang Pa-Class is performed by players on a basketball court; Salawikain by disapproving retired general grandpa Jaime Fabregas. Yay, rich old people who can speak Tagalog! Believable rich people, not the caricatures of melodrama who come down to a breakfast of lechon in full make-up and couture, yelling at the downtrodden maids in unnatural-sounding English. Of course a musical rises and falls on its musical arrangements and choreography, and both are terrific.
Watch I Do Bidoo today; this will give you enough time to see it twice this weekend.
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Our issue with the Apo Hiking Society’s music is fairly minor but niggling. The accents. Their songs tend to cram too many syllables into the melody, resulting in awkward rhythms.
In regular speech: pa na LANG in
In Apo song: pa NA lang in
In regular speech: Anong BOla na naman YAN?
In Apo song: Anong bola NA NAman yan?
In regular speech: Kahit ano PA’ng sabihin nila
In Apo song: Kahit aNO pa’ng sabihin nila
In regular speech: Ba tang BA ta ka pa
In Apo song: Buh tung buh tuhkuhpuh
In regular speech: Nag KA ka mali ka
In Apo song: Nag ka KA mali KA
In regular speech: Tila yata malungKOT ang ‘yong pakiramDAM
In Apo song: Tila yata malungkot ang ‘yong paKIramdam
In regular speech: NakapagTAtaka
In Apo song: NaKApagtataka
In sum, the acCENT is on the wrong sylLAble. (Remember AlaNIS MorRIsette?)
The result of this cramming is an internal rhythm that approximates colegiala speech (Resist quip about Ateneans). This is not an issue in the Jim Paredes composition Disco Araw-Araw Para Malimutan Ka, which we found on youtube the other day when the vakler kept singing it.
Incidentally, two-thirds of the Apo have been in at least two excellent films: Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising and Kakabakaba Ka Ba? by Mike de Leon, for which they also wrote music. All three were in a minor Joey Gosiengfiao project called Blue Jeans which we remember only because it was shot in Pisay and they were playing the oldest high school students in the world. Then again, Tito Vic and Joey played college students forever in Iskul Bukol. Are Apo and TVJ each other’s doppelgangers? We’ll say this about Apo: They wrote their own material.
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September 7th, 2012 at 16:22
Yes, this was great. Movies like this, Zombadings, Kimmy Dora, Yanggaw, and hopefully (based on the trailer) Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles give me a good feeling that the local movie industry is not hopeless after all. We need less Star Cinema, more quality.
I watched I-Do-Bidoo twice. The second time was with the BF, who wasn’t really into musicals (let me put it this way, he’s more into “Expendables” type films), so I was actually apprehensive in bringing him to the movie. Guess what? He loved it and professed to buy the DVD upon release. He’ll have to fall in line behind me.
You can’t lose with Eugene Domingo, Gary V., ZsaZsa, Ogie, Jimmy Fabregas, and the music of APO.
Sam Concepcion was a lovely surprise, and so was newcomer Tippy Dos Santos (though I must profess to a dislike for her character, who I thought was spineless for not understanding that her family actually DID insult her boyfriend’s family).
Neil Coletta (spellcheck) – a subplot I did not expect but enjoyed. The weaving in of his two APO songs into the storyline was both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. And the cameo of Edgar Allan Guzman made me smile (and feel hot).
My two pet favorites, though, are Sweet Plantado and Frenchie Dy. They were great singers (but of course that’s expected), and they were also very funny. Their side comments were subtle but hilarious. My favorites were, “Iyang mood swings mo unpredictable, parang weather,” and “Parang airport!”
And instant classic: Ogie and Eugene’s love scene! I will watch this over and over just for that.
Favorite visual comedy: “Street Canape.”
If there is one criticism I have – it’s that they have not yet released an OST. I checked the record store, and they said there’s none (and not sure if there will be). I hope there will be.
Excitement: I believe Jim Paredes, in an interview, said this will be adapted into a stage musical. I am so there on opening night.
September 7th, 2012 at 16:30
Post-script to my comment: also, what I liked about this movie is how the conflicts and emotions are very relatable (the mothers, especially, concerning their fears and worries about their kids getting pregnant so young – kudos to Eugene and ZsaZsa). It gives weight to the comedy without ever being sappy or melodramatic. It all felt real.
I did want to slap ZsaZsa’s makeup artist though. Her face was usually a different shade of white compared to her neck, it was distracting.
September 7th, 2012 at 17:01
Not really a review… Pero ang mga eksena sa I Do Bidoo Bidoo ay nakakatawa, nakakatuwa, nakakatouch, at nakakakilig. Walang kupas ang awit ng APO… Maganda ang arrangement ng mga kanta at sure na mapapa-awit ka habang nanonood… As usual, nakakatawa naman talaga si Eugene Domingo sa kanyang walang kupas na pagshift from drama to comedy and back… Ang hot ni Sam Concepcion kahit pinadugyot sya ng konti sa movie… Nakakatuwa si Nestea boy Neil Coleta sa kanyang role… Hwag na nating hanapan ng masyadong acting sina Gary V., ZsaZsa, at Ogie, pero kakakilig ang song numbers… Panalo ang agaw eksena ni John Lapus… At pak na pak din ang rest of the cast, Jaime Fabregas (as the super-strict ex-military lolo) Sweet Plantado, Frenchie Dy, at Tippy Dos Santos… YES, you should watch I Do Bidoo Bidoo…
September 7th, 2012 at 19:00
capsulized review: loved the movie! standouts for me were eugene domingo (as usual) and neil coleta (the best friend of sam concepcion). didn’t expect ogie alcacid to have that dramatic flair without being overacting, he’s a revelation (literally!) here. frenchie dy and sweet plantado were hilarious! kiray celis and gerald pesigan (sam’s siblings) were natural-born comics without being scene stealers.
loved the choreography! especially the blue jeans segment!
glaring loopholes: how the heck did sam get in a super-secured farm to ask tippy to elope? what kind of a husband-and-wife relationship did zsa zsa and gary had before the estrangement–their story was easily resolved when it seemed that the relationship was beyond saving already?
but what the heck?! the movie is fun, the dialogue was snappy. and i can forgive the glaring loopholes because the movie was well-directed and well-edited. now, if this can be reworked for the stage, i’d gladly watch it all over!
galing mo, direk chris!
September 8th, 2012 at 00:59
By the fourth song, I couldn’t help the tears from leaking out. I’m so glad this film was finally made. With so many APO songs, it would’ve been real hard to exclude some great songs.
Eugene Domingo and Noel Coleta deserve acting nods (haha). Blue Jeans came out real well, updated to current times. Galing naman ng cast.
APO songs have stood the test of time. The varying emotions and texture over the decades make a great story.
Chris Martinez, Vincent de Jesus, Unitel… ang galing.. maulit nga ulit :-)
September 8th, 2012 at 02:47
i want to watch this!!! but would have to wait for it to come to toronto or for the dvd to come out.
September 8th, 2012 at 11:35
Right after watching I bought the APO Greatest Hits album. Movie’s only flaw is that it has no soundtrack album.
The Nakapagtataka sequence reminded me of that scene in Magnolia where they all sing Wise Up. So gorgeous.
September 8th, 2012 at 19:07
“The woman sitting behind us kept going, ‘Ayan, kakanta na naman. Kakanta na…’ Lady, that’s why it’s called a musical.)”
—
I hear ya! The first time I watched it, the woman behind us, during the scene where Sam was in Tippy’s room asking her to elope, said aloud with no hint of irony whatsoever in her voice, “Naku, huwag sila kumanta na naman! Baka magising sina ZsaZsa sa kabilang kwarto!”
Needless to say, I think she was flabbergasted when they did sing aloud.
September 10th, 2012 at 00:20
Loved the movie.
I was fortunate the people in the theater were seemingly excited and some were singing along in whispers.
The sex scene drew the biggest laughs.
Big thank you to Chris Martinez.
Awesome movie!
September 10th, 2012 at 14:04
Loved this. Here’s my review posted a while back:
http://sungazer.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/i-do-bidoo-bidoo/
I Do Bidoo Bidoo is a film musical written and directed by Chris Martinez and stars our favorite, Eugene Domingo. It features a plot that we are all familiar with: Rock (Sam Concepcion), a registered nurse from a colorful, middle-class family, has been dating Tracy (Tippy Dos Santos), a beautiful girl from an uber-rich brood, complete with a stern, ex-general lolo, an almost-absentee businessman father, an unhappy mother, and acres and acres of farmland (“Please proceed to Gate 3? “Please proceed to the main mansion”). Tracy gets pregnant, and the film opens with Rock’s mother (Domingo) bewailing his future. What about your plans to go abroad? she screams at him while preparing the food to bring to his pamamanhikan.
It is an endearing film that does not falter when switching from hilarious to heartbreaking scenes. It has a hard time, however, in tying up its loose ends – the film ends with a montage and an out-of-place VO. But that doesn’t take away the fact that here is a Pinoy musical that is well-acted (seriously, what a great ensemble), that does not feel or look or sound awkward, and features truly good music.
At the screening we saw last night, the audience applauded.