THE SEXY COMEDY FILM ?WORKING Girls 2010? was given a ?B? rating by the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB) for ?good ensemble acting by a capable cast,? which includes Eugene Domingo, Iza Calzado, Jennylyn Mercado, Cristine Reyes and Ruffa Gutierrez.

A film with an ?A? rating gets a 100 percent tax rebate, while a ?B? rating entitles a film to 60 percent rebate.

?Working Girls 2010? is a tribute to the 1984 Ishmael Bernal classic that centered on the lives of four women (Carmi Martin, Gina Pareño, Maria Isabel Lopez and Rio Locsin), who will do anything to get what they want.

Jose Javier Reyes, who wrote and directed the film, saw it fit to expand the number of characters to seven, CEB chair Christine Dayrit pointed out. Javier also brought in the original cast members, ?perhaps to firmly establish the connection between the two films,? she added.

?It was quite a challenge for Reyes because the film deals with so many characters, each immersed in her own conflict that needs to be resolved before the last frame,? said Dayrit.
?Fast and fluid?
CEB reviewers credited Reyes for his directorial expertise, Dayrit reported. Another said Reyes ?does not disappoint despite the story?s unwieldiness.? A third reviewer found the flow of action ?fast and fluid.?

Reyes, however, came under serious scrutiny for the screenplay, she added. ?Some members of the board, however, noted that the screenplay deserved more disciplined direction,?? Dayrit said. ?One reviewer noted that there were ?too many ingredients in the mix.??

Most of the reviewers found the acting credible enough, said the CEB chief. ??Good ensemble acting by a capable cast? perhaps best sums up the general sentiment. The performances by Eugene Domingo, Iza Calzado and Joel Lamangan merited special mention.?

?Good, crisp?

?Good? and ?crisp? were among the comments given on the film?s editing, Dayrit pointed out. The cinematography was generally thought to be ?competent.? One reviewer praised the production designer?s ?attention to detail,? Dayrit reported.

?Working Girls 2010,? a co-production of Viva Films and GMA Films, premiered in local theaters on April 21. The CEB is the evaluating and grading arm of the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

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