It’s pretty obvious from the opening scene of “A Very Good Girl” that this isn’t your ordinary Pinoy movie.
Kathryn Bernardo glides into an art gallery auction in a white, silky, robe-like gown with feather boa accents, black hair glistening, skin glowing, not a pore showing even in extreme close-up.
She looks every inch like the box-office queen that she is in real life—the star of several multi-million grossing films, one-half of one of the most enduring youth celebrity couple-doms in the Philippines: Kathniel.
I mean, Bernardo’s and Daniel Padilla’s break-up almost broke the Pinoy internet, similar to Brangelina’s uncoupling.
But make no mistake, the character she plays in “A Very Good Girl” is so delightfully different from the romantic, sweet, leading lady-type roles she usually plays.
Her character Philomena Angeles, or Philo, has been wronged by a character named “Mother”, and she seeks laser-like revenge like it’s her full-time job.
A virtual assistant by trade, she spends most of her time plotting, sharpening her darts, throwing a bullseye on her dartboard of targets: cut-out photos of “Mother” in the middle, lesser targets around the board.
“Mother” is played devilishly well by Dolly de Leon: she who stole the screen in every scene she appears in, in the movie “Triangle of Sadness”.
De Leon’s character is all polish, glamour, and crazy rich: she has facials at renowned Filipino aesthetician Dr. Aivee Teo’s clinic, has bejeweled, manicured nails, and dresses in cutting-edge, designer fashions.
Oh, did I mention she bathes in a tub full of red wine? Sosyal sya. (She’s bougie.)
In other words, this movie is Devil Wears Prada meets Crazy Rich Asians meets Kill Bill.
(Full disclosure: I’ve never seen Kill Bill other than the trailer, but apparently it’s quite the revenge movie, yes?)
There are extended shots of hair accessories, gigantic earrings, boots and bags of every colour.
There’s no trace of “normal” Filipino houses here: the entire movie occurs in the rarefied world of the decadent, uber-rich, and spoiled Filipinas with their pampered furry pooches.
“Mother” has many secrets: a money laundering scheme, a grisly past, a hidden room in her house with ___ (no, I won’t ruin the surprise here).
There are many twists and turns in this complex movie, and you’re kept guessing as to who’s got the upper hand until the very last scene.
Bernardo doesn’t convince much when she’s in her fake rich girl persona, but she bedazzles when rage overcomes her.
You don’t want to wrong this woman: you can see anger pulsing from her forehead to her black-painted nails.
The flashback scenes when she was with her mother are gut-punchingly sad, with Bernardo’s expressive and big brown eyes telling the story without words.
De Leon’s uncaring, foul-mouthed and villainous portrayal is balanced by scenes where she truly becomes the “mother” figure to Bernardo’s character.
There’s a vulnerability to de Leon that shines through in those tender moments, a quality that can be compared to veteran actress Nora Aunor’s acting.
The movie asks the question: if you’re good to the world, will the world be good to you in return?
Bernardo tried to be a good girl until the world treated her badly.
As she became a “bad girl” and sought revenge, how did that decision affect her and the people she loved the most?
Turns out people get what they deserve in the end.
The choice of Kuh Ledesma’s classic soul-searching song “Dito Ba” as the credits rolled seems to beg the question: is this what fate is all about?
And stay tuned till after all the credits are done.
There’s a little scene that truly wraps up this gem of a Pinoy movie.
A Very Good Girl is now streaming on Netflix.
