It is its authenticity and the beautiful but devastating truths it unabashedly forces the audiences to confront, that makes ‘The Cheating Game’ an outstanding entry to the ‘hugot’ genre.
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Actors: Julie Anne San Jose, Rayver Cruz, martin del Rosario, Winwyn Marquez, Thea Tolentino, Paolo Contis, Yaya Aguila, Candy Pangilinan, Phi Palmos
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Premise: A workaholic lady gets forced to confront painful realities about the world and herself, when the new guy she decides to move on from her previous relationship with, turns out to be linked to her past.
Running Time: 105 minutes
Screenplay and Direction: Rod Marmol
Release Date: 26 June 2023
Why You Should See It:
Front and center in Rod Marmol’s The Cheating Game are the relatable struggles of those so-called ‘victims of love’, the ones who got cheated on and left behind. It is an anthem that is known for being an easy sell, thanks to its being reflective of the audience’s very experiences. And yet, on the case of this new entry to the ‘hugot’ genre, it is not entirely its relatability that makes it singularly beautiful; the sincerity of its plot, the great performances rendered by the cast, the quality of Marmol’s direction, among others, make it soar.
Like most entries to genre, this Rayver Cruz and Julie Anne San Jose-starrer draws it massive appeal from its ability to mirror the journey of the audience, not just in love, but life, in general. There is Hope (San Jose), who, despite her name, lacks optimism in life. Who can blame her? After devoting her life to a non-government organization she built with her fiance, Brian (Del Rosario), a sex video of the latter with another woman, surfaces online.
Devastated, she decides to move forward with a clean slate, as a content producer for a media company that relies heavily on videos that go viral. Along this new career path she chooses, she also meets mysterious guy, Miguel (Cruz). A self-made business man who has almost every possible green flags in a prospective relationship, Miguel piques Hope’s interest, and before she knows it, she inevitably gets too attached, enough to fall in love. But as new facets of this very interesting and idealistic guy come to view, it becomes more apparent that Hope is simply going through the same loop of betrayal she thought she already moved on from.
The Cheating Game seems self-aware that it is practically just another version of what has already been told numerous times before, only in a different light and angle. It’s hard to get convinced that this attempt will become effective and feel new, and yet it did. As it hinges on themes that hit squarely in the heart, the film, regardless its flaws, delivers a solid romcom experience anchored upon the spectacular performances of its leads and the sincerely-written script it allowed to come to life.
Among the most beautiful yet hard-hitting facets of such a script, are familiar sensibilities and truths about love, career, and even family, that simply throw the audience into moments of confrontation and self-reflection. In this effort, the film somewhat relies upon San Jose’s playful but teasing and effective narration of her own thoughts, struggles, aches, and even hopes, that simply mirror our story.
San Jose isn’t new to playing romcom characters, but it is a territory that she arguably does not reign over. Be that as it may, her Hope comes out as effective as Marmol must have envisioned it to be: a young professional that gets so fed up with the adversities of life, and the challenges brought about by corrupt systems around her. Her presence in this story is what heats up the socio-political engine that drives this rousing romance drama forward, and it is all thanks to San Jose’s riveting portrayal that Marmol’s cliche-laden screenplay still worked out. It did not take Cruz that one powerful confrontation scene to show what his artistic arsenal holds, but it was a nice reminder that he too has convincing dramatic chops.
The Cheating Game ultimately becomes the perfect illustration of who we are and what we should be , when it shows that there is no such thing as anatomy of a cheater, of a perfect relationship, or a perfect career.It all boils down to who and what we choose, and how we defend such a choice at all cost, until the very end.
5 – Excellent
4 – Very Good
3 – Good
2 – Tolerable
1 – Terrible
‘The Cheating Game’ is now showing in cinemas nationwide. Watch the full trailer below:
