No Que No!

I still remember more than 10 years ago, this Mexican telenovela was a big hit here in the Philippines. Wherever you see a television around dinnertime, it is flocked by people watching a sexy foreigner dance and acts, and cries "Por pabor, chubacha..." ooops, sorry, I meant Corazon. I was still in Grade 3 then, and I admit I really love the series, I even bought the screenshots. So many bloopers were made, including a guy acting with a wig on his chest, impersonating Eduardo Capetillo or in the series, Sergio Santibanez. No wonder the remake made also a big hit, but smaller as compared to the nationwide craze the original series has caused. Though comments were coming out of my ears and nose when I saw the Filipino remake, I wouldn't dare discuss it here lest I start a network war here in my blog. We survived a daily bombardment of commercials just to watch glimpses of the scenes; the commercials were so many one might ask which one is the break, the commercials or the show?

One of my observations on Marimar is that the story, especially the plot, is so Pinoy. You could see a young innocent girl, used and abused, and rising from the mud to the grandeur when she resurfaced as Bella Aldama. The killing of her grandparents, and also the "father-looking-for-lost-daughter" story are also Pinoy. I wonder why the old Liwayway Pictures haven't made a story like that, or is there one before? Could someone enlighten me...? The story is thrilling, seeing the transformation of Marimar to the stern and manipulative Bella (with all of us breathless and feeling the same sense of savage triumph as she orders Angelica (pronounced as Anghelika in Mexican) to claim the land titles in the tar-like mud using her mouth), but all of this has not erased the woman's feelings for her husband. Still, the Pinoy element is present seeing Marimar reunites with her husband Sergio as a consequence of love and fear of losing him.

Hmmm... Why the remake of the Tagalog-dubbed Mexican telenovela is more of a sham and disappointment, where the actors appear like reading their lines from the idiot board? Let's see...


My remake of the original lines:
Renato: Hindi mo siyah pwede pakasalan! Isa siyang hampas-lupah! Patay-gutom!
Sergio: Ngunit mahal ko siyah papah!
Angelica: Anong mahal? Ginagamit mo lang siya upang hiyain kami ng iyong amah!
Sergio: Datapwa't... Subalit... (hikbi)

Angelica: (Nakasakay sa kabayo) Itoh ang pulseras ng inah ni Sergio, ibibigay ko itoh sa iyo pero sa isang kondisyon. (Itinapon ang pulseras sa putik!)... (Susundan ng tingin ni Marimar ang pulseras)... Pulutin mo ito sa papamagitan ng iyong bibig. (ngingiti at tatawa, ala-Bella Flores)

Marimar: Por pabor Corazon! Mahal na mahal ko pa rin si Sergio! Hindi ko siya kayang iwanan... huhu (hikbi)
Corazon: (malalim na boses) Hay, Marimar, iniwan ka ni Senorito. Sumama na siya sa ibang babae.
Marimar: (Hihiga sa kama, patuloy na iiyak)... (Fulgoso: Pambihira ka Marimar...!)

Marimar: (tatalikod) Akoh lamang ba ang iyong mahal, Sergio?
Sergio: Oo, Marimar. Ikaw lamang. Wala nang iba. (ipapatong ang mga kamay sa mga balikat ng babae)
Marimar: (haharap) Napupuno ng kagalakan ang aking damdamin sa aking mga narinig. Tanto ko ako'y iyong iniwan na. (kilig)
Sergio: Pumapaimbulog sa tuwa ang aking puso tuwing nakikita kita, aking sintah! (kilig at sabay yakap)

No wonder the remake had reaped criticisms. Their lines are not as passionate as the original.