Made with tender loving care

In the ’80s, most filmmakers made their lead characters work in banks if the setting required was middle class. (Hilda Koronel, Carmi Martin and Rio Locsin in Working Girls and Maricel Soriano in Hinugot Ka Lang sa Langit.)

In the ’90s, movie characters in middle class settings either worked for TV or advertising. (Vilma Santos in Ipagpatawad Mo and Aga Muhlach in Sana Maulit Muli).

In this new millennium, characters in movies are now mostly wedding planners. Rome & Juliet (showing in Robinsons Galleria as part of the ongoing Indie filmfest) adds a different twist to this by making the wedding planner (Mylene Dizon) steal the bride (Andrea del Rosario) from the groom (Rafael Rossel).

Written and directed by Connie Macatuno (an MTV director doing her first film), Rome & Juliet initially shows Andrea and Rafael as a couple very much in love with each other. In fact, they are about to wed when wedding planner and bride realize they have deep feelings for each other and have an affair.

This is not the first local film to show lesbian love. There was Tuli, which basically shows woman empowerment and, of course, there is Kaleldo, which is in the running for Best Picture in the coming awards race.

Kaleldo, however, is really much more about family relationships, but with a major side trip to the lesbian world because one of the daughters (Cherry Pie Picache) is a butch who brings home a lover (Criselda Volks).

Rome & Juliet’s main focus, on the other hand, is really about lesbian relationships — about how lesbian feelings can develop "either at age 14 or 40." It can just happen.

In the case of Mylene Dizon’s character, no one saw it coming because although she had a failed heterosexual relationship, her sex life with men remains active. It’s the same thing with Andrea del Rosario — especially since she seemed so in love and, in fact, was all set to marry Rafael Rossel. But it happened. So girls, you can never tell — at least that’s what the movie’s message is trying to convey.

Rome & Juliet has tender moments and even shows great sacrifices like any other conventional love story on the big screen. The more conservative sector of society, of course, may frown on the sight of two girls kissing and bathing each other — although this is fantasy-fulfilled for most red-hot males.

The lesbian love scene in Kaleldo between Cherry Pie Picache and Criselda Volks, however, is more erotic (even without them showing skin) compared to what we see here in Rome & Juliet. Mylene Dizon and Andrea del Rosario, to begin with, were obviously uncomfortable with their love scene — and it shows on screen.

Fortunately, they do better — oh so much better — outside of those romantic moments. Mylene Dizon was named Best Actress in this film in the Cinema One awards presentation held late last year. (The movie was one of the independent films given budget allocations by Cinema One of ABS-CBN). It is a well-deserved win for Mylene and this doesn’t come as a surprise since she is one of movie and TV’s finest and most reliable actresses at the moment.

It was just too bad that Andrea del Rosario wasn’t even noticed by the board of judges (not even a nomination I think) when she, too, delivers a splendid performance here in Rome & Juliet. Her best scene is the part where she breaks down outside the hospital after being told that her father had died and that she can’t come in to take one last look at his remains since she’s being blamed for his death.

Del Rosario’s mother in the film, Tessie Tomas, is also brilliant in the scene where she confronts her daughter about being gay. We totally forget Ms. Tomas’ other colorful characters like Bonnie Buendia, Amanda Pineda, Loren Labada, Barbara Tengco, Baby Benoit (her current role on Bahay Mo Ba ‘To?) and even Meldita. She just so totally convinces us that she is a mother hurting and appalled by her daughter’s sudden change of sexual preference. Director Connie Macatuno apparently guided her actors well in this film.

Actually, you see Macatuno’s meticulousness all over the movie — in practically every scene. Of course, some parts could still have been shortened to make it more cohesive, but in general we appreciate her care and attention to details because not all directors have that kind of patience.

All in all, I have to say that this is a successful movie debut for Connie Macatuno and my forecast is that — given the right projects — she may join the league of top women directors in the near future.