I literally found out about this movie last night, before then, I had no inkling that there was yet another entry to the (much abused) Boss Romance sub-Genre. While I wouldn't call You're My Boss a terrible movie, this paint-by-the-numbers flick is just as generic and as unimaginative as its title.
So what is there to tell? There's an over-compensatingly strong female boss (Toni Gonzaga) and an unsophisticated yet charming boy-next-door type (Coco Martin) who is full of heart. Things happen and they end up swapping roles, falling for each other in the process. The girl has emotional baggage aplenty and the guy... has his charming smile and... more charming smiles. I really do think Coco Martin's idea of acting is just to smile his way through everything -- Happy? Smile! Pissed off? Evil smile! In pain? Grimacing Smile!
I never really liked Toni Gonzaga, but I have to admit that she's come a long way from when I first saw her act. While she's not the prettiest actress out there, she has presence and that certain sense of...star power! Unlike her previous attempts, she doesn't come out as over-acting in any of her scenes; though her outfits and her heels (as noted by the girlfriend) and her bags (as noted by the both of us) can be quite..scene stealing.
Coco Martin... well... I've never been a fan and his performance here only reaffirms my belief that Mr. Martin seems to believe that he can smile his way through anything. Oh, he strips several times too, if that's your thing, then this might be your reason to spend your money on this movie.
As for chemistry.... dead as last night's burger. I don't know, Toni and Coco are both charming left to themselves, but together... it really leaves much to be desired. The movie bulldozes its way through several scenes, trying to establish the lead actor's reasons for being attracted to each other. Taken on its own, they do have background and baggage enough to have a foundation for liking and loving one another but I just don't... feel the feels!
Actually, after washing the dishes, I was thinking what is it about the movie that makes it a disappointment for me, it's not the individual effort displayed by the leads, and the production value is there, for most parts. Technically, there are some flaws (particularly the dubbing on Freddie Webb's lines, I'm not sure if that's really his voice or whether they used someone else as a stand in, perhaps Mr. Voice-over).
Plot and story-wise, it was pretty okay, a stretch, but definitely within the realm of possibility (and office romance is an ever present occupational hazard for most-all of us). The characters, from their respective starting points and towards the end of the movie, evolved because of their experiences, so no complaints there either.
Perhaps it's just the sheer predictability, the safer-course take-no-risk attitude that rendered a potentially new take in this tired sub-genre, that disappointed me. It's like the studio though, hey, why not put an in-demand actor with an in-demand actress and see how it goes, either way, the fandom of both popular actors will probably recoup the cost to justify the effort.
So, in conclusion, and as proof that there's a connection between Toni Gonzaga and Dune (take that +Eugene Lozada ) let me paraphrase a quotation found in that body of work: a clear and safe choice ever leads towards stagnation
Verdict: 2.5/5 Watch it if the cinemas showing Furious 7 is full.
TL;DR:
+ Toni Gonzaga performed admirably well here
+/- Coco Martin's 'acting' vs his natural charm
-- Unimaginative plot, even less inspired execution
+ A few funny situations, emphasis on 'a few'
- Not much by way of risk or innovation
+ Batanes is quite charming, though not as photogenic as Pinatubo in Crazy Beautiful You
Details:
Genre: Boss Romance, "Comedy"
Release Date: April 4, 2015
Running Time: Longer than it felt
Notable Stars: Coco Martin, Toni Gonzaga
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4489160/
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