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Zanjoe Marudo and Angelica Panganiban in a scene from 'UnMarry'

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Fred Hawson

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766480827107Screenshot 2025-12-23 at 5.05.24 PM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">Zanjoe Marudo and Angelica Panganiban in a scene from &#x27;UnMarry&#x27;</span></span></span></div><p>Celine Santos (Angelica Panganiban) was filing an annulment case against her wealthy husband Stephen Alcaraz (a maddening Tom Rodriguez). She wanted custody of their two daughters, Chloe (Andy Cortez) and Zoe (Britney Romero). She also wanted all of their successful pastry shop named after her. However, Stephen believed she did not deserve any percentage of this business because he paid for everything about it.</p><p>Ivan Buencamino (Zanjoe Marudo) wanted to file a case opposing the petition of his wife, prominent TV news anchor Maya Castro (Solenn Heusaff) to annul their marriage. Ivan was an art prodigy when he was much younger, but was now at a low point in his career, a situation made worse by him indulging in a destructive vice. Caught in between the conflict between Ivan and Maya was their young son Elio (a very promising Zac Sibug). </p><p>One afternoon, Celine and Ivan both showed up at the office of Atty. Jacqueline &quot;Jackie&quot; Lombridas (the inimitable Eugene Domingo), located on the 12th floor of a building with a frequently faulty elevator. Atty. Jackie became popular because of her viral videos recounting her controversial cases. The current entry in her vlog &quot;Walang Butas ang Batas&quot; (&quot;No Flaw in the Law&quot;) was about the legal process involved in cases of marriage annulment.</p><p>It is incredible to learn that the last full-length film of veteran director Jeffrey Jeturian had been &quot;Ekstra&quot; (2013). &quot;UnMarry&quot; is actually only his 10th film in his 27-year career. He had been concentrating on numerous television series like &quot;Please Be Careful With My Heart&quot; and &quot;Maalala Mo Kaya&quot; since then until now. (&quot;Lakambini&quot; was started by Jeturian in 2015, but only finished by another director earlier this year.) </p><p>It had been 20 years since Jeturian had collaborated with writer Chris Martinez twice in &quot;Bridal Shower&quot; (2004) and &quot;Bikini Open&quot; (2005). While those two were overtly sexy comedies, this latest partnership of theirs tackles a much more serious topic. While the trailer suggested heavy dramatics in store for us, the actual film still packed more than a dash of signature Chris Martinez wit and humor, with Eugene Domingo delivering the goods as only she can. </p><p>Shamaine Buencamino and Adrienne Vergara play Celine&#x27;s mom and sister respectively, ever reliable and supportive. Mari Kaimo and Angel Aquino play the lawyers of Stephen and Maya respectively, and whoa, how intimidating they were! Nico Antonio and Donna Cariaga play Atty. Jackie&#x27;s staff, mostly for laughs. Kaladkaren and Brian Sy play the best friends and character witnesses of Celine and Ivan respectively, but too bad, we never hear them testify. </p><p>This is Angelica Panganiban&#x27;s first movie since &quot;Love or Money&quot; (2021), and her performance as vulnerable Celine proves that she has certainly not lost her touch for both drama or comedy at all. Zanjoe Marudo has proven to be a strong, reliable leading man over the years, and his performance as flawed Ivan was sensitive and affecting. Panganiban and Marudo have good chemistry, and their drunken night at the bar was their best scene together, giving similar vibes as Panganiban&#x27;s past classic &quot;That Thing Called Tadhana&quot; (2014).</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>**** SPOILER ALERT</strong></div><p>I personally felt that it would have been better for the film if the script just had the relationship of Celine and Ivan strictly platonic. This development went against Ivan&#x27;s character arc, since he wanted to keep his marriage with Maya intact in the first place. This also gives an uncomfortable dimension to that climactic tearful scene when the two hug each other saying &quot;It&#x27;s over.&quot; Were their tears happy ones because their cases were resolved, or were they sad ones because their affair could not proceed?</p><div><br/></div><p>This review was originally published in the author&#x27;s blog, “<a href="https://said-fred.blogspot.com/2025/12/mmff-2025-review-of-unmarry-advice.html">Fred Said.</a>”</p>

<p>In '<i>UnMarry</i>,' two couples fighting to undo their marriages cross paths in a legal battle that exposes love, regret, and unresolved longing. Jeffrey Jeturian’s return to cinema brings wit and emotional complexity to a story about relationships pushed to their breaking point.</p>

In ' UnMarry ,' two couples fighting to undo their marriages cross paths in a legal battle that exposes love, regret, and unresolved longing. Jeffrey Jeturian’s return to cinema brings wit and emotional complexity to a story about relationships pushed to their breaking point.

MMFF review: ‘UnMarry’ tackles love, law, and the cost of letting go

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MMFF review: ‘UnMarry’ tackles love, law, and the cost of letting go

Fred Hawson

Published December 26, 2025 01:00 PM PHT

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