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Yet another kabaklaan post and I blame my sister for this.  Last night, I was preparing to relax from an extremely stressful and long day when Alex forcefully plopped her Kimmy Dora DVD on my table and commanded that I watch it (along with her poor boyfriend Pao).  She was being incessant about it so after doing all my evening rituals, I relented.

I remember my gay friends raving about Kimmy Dora so I was certainly curious.  Here’s Amazon.com’s product description for the movie (this is actually the shortened version of the DVD’s back cover synopsis but I’m too lazy to type everything so I’m cutting and pasting from Amazon, then editing):

Eugene Domingo plays the dual role of a lifetime in the box office hit surprise of the year! Kimmy and Dora (Eugene Domingo) are identical twin heiresses who are totally the opposite. Kimmy is smart, sexy and ambitious. Dora is simple, shy and sweet. Kimmy is sharp and brilliant. Dora is mentally challenged. Kimmy is a domineering and overpowering bitch. Dora, on the other hand, is a pushover. Kimmy has an evil streak while Dora is Mother Teresa incarnate. Dora idolizes her older sister while Kimmy abhors her younger sister’s naiveté and carefree lifestyle. In this deliriously hilarious sibling rivalry, the twins battle over the love of their father (Ariel Ureta), the affections of a resident office hunk (Dingdong Dantes) and control over the Go Dong Hae group of companies, the most successful corporation in the land. A classic case of mistaken identity ensues when Kimmy inadvertently asked for Dora to be kidnapped. The kidnappers wrongly abduct Kimmy instead of Dora. The funniest switcheroo in years happen when Dora and Kimmy exchange places and try to resolve their differences as sisters. Kimmy Dora, without a doubt, is a laugh-a-minute, laugh-out-loud laughfest — definitely, the most successful Pinoy comedy in years!!!

This is the first time I’ve seen Eugene Domingo perform and damn if she isn’t one of the most bakla females onscreen.  The woman is just so funny, I swear my tummy started aching within ten minutes of watching.  The way she switches personalities — especially when she’s playing Dora who’s pretending to be Kimmy and vice-versa — is astounding and disturbing at the same time.  I mean, you know it’s all Eugene Domingo, but when Dora plays Kimmy, you can still see traces of Dora! And vice-versa.  Ok…that was quite difficult to explain. You have to see it for yourself.

What else to see…? Hm…I also kind of wonder about the need to uglify Dingdong Dantes. Nearly an impossible feat, I might add, but the results are hilarious nonetheless. I also noticed how the other handsome actors suddenly become dorky. Baron Geisler’s hair, for instance, looks like…well, as I imagine my brother would put it: “Parang dinilaan ng baka.”* Makes me want to analyze the semiotics and discourse involved in Kimmy Dora, though I might have to save that for a longer research paper.

Many popular actors make cameos here. Ruffa Mae Quinto plays a waitress wearing a traditional Korean hanbok. Piolo Pascual, who also happens to be the film’s executive producer, and Marvin Agustin play waiters as well. Zanjoe Marudo, in a minor supporting role, is the hot farmer that Kimmy later befriends. He actually does a very good job of playing the role, looking every inch the part. Regardless of the actors, though, I had a blast! Eugene Domingo is one heck of a talented comedienne. Truly, if I had to be coerced into watching a Tagalog flick, this would be one of my top picks.

Kimmy Dora is available in leading SM stores and your regular record bars. If you’re living outside the Philippines, the DVD can be bought here.

*Translation: “Looks like a cow had licked it.” Doesn’t sound funny in English, but the joke is pretty crisp in Tagalog.