Dina Bonnevie Movies

Five Filipino-American friends living in New York City deal with love, sex, friendship, careers, and cultural identity in this romantic comedy-drama directed by veteran Philippine actress Laurice Guillen. Tere Sanchez (Cherry Pie Picache) is an accountant who is in her early forties, single, and not especially happy about it. Tere is an excellent cook, and often throws dinner parties for her friends, and the arrival of her old friend Lorna (Sol Oca) from Manila is all the reason she needs to invite her friends over for a feast. Mike (Christopher De Leon) is a former political journalist who is now enjoying the fruits of a lucrative career as a newspaper editor, but he wonders if he left his principles behind along the way; he's also feeling unfulfilled in his marriage to Gigi (Susan Valdez-LeGoff). Gerry (Ricky Davao) is a advertising copywriter who is afraid to tell his friends and family that he's gay, though circumstances may well drive him out of the closet. Raul (Paolo Montalban) is a good-looking ladies' man who prefers to date Caucasians, and lacks a certain amount of emotional maturity. And Marissa (Dina Bonnevie) is on the surface a well-to-do social butterfly; however, deep inside she's woefully insecure, and is afraid to confront her boyfriend Sam (Randy Becker) about his constant infidelity. Meanwhile, Lorna confesses that while she's married to a wealthy man in Manila, she's terribly unhappy, and is considering staying in America as an illegal alien. American Adobo was the first American-Philippine co-production to open in three major American cities at once (New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco); incidentally, adobo is a spicy chicken or pork dish popular in the Philippines. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This cautionary melodrama from the Phillipine's warns women against trying to escape the safe confines of their rigidly defined "feminine" roles as it tells the tragic tale of Elena, a young woman who is first seen accepting a suitcase full of cash from a sleazy lawyer who promptly beats her up and rapes her to ensure that she keeps the cover-up to herself. Afterward, Elena stumbles home with a terrible case of amnesia. Fortunately, her mother understands her daughter's plight and helps her regain her memory. Elena's story of how she became a surrogate mother for a wealthy family headed by a pushy and ruthless female doctor then unfolds via flashback. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The mayor of Manilla has been carrying on an affair with a formerly famous local movie star for years. He has supported her and her family with public funds. His wife has been aware of the set-up all along, but as long as it didn't threaten her cushy and powerful position at the center of power, she allowed it to continue. However, the mayor is coming up for re-election, and it's becoming clear that his little secret (which everyone who is anyone knows) is about to become public property and may cost him the election. Steps must be taken. At the same time, the fading star, no stranger to the fierce political winds within the movie industry, is attempting to stay afloat somehow. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide