"Ang Pangarap Kong Holdap" Movie Review : The Best Pinoy Comedy of 2018

Marius Talampas’ "Ang Pangarap kong Holdap" is one of the most refreshing local films of 2018. After dozens of romcoms flooding our cinema, this oddball comedy is a breath of fresh air.

The story is not your typical Pinoy comedy. It's more in the satirical nature as it follows a group of luckless dimwits on their journey to becoming the best thieves in their area. What makes this satirical comedy work is its commitment to its ludicrous concept. The film manages to create this alternate world where it's more acceptable to become a criminal than become an office employee (or a call center agent) for money. And it works. It fucking works.

Pepe Herrera, Paolo Contis, Jerald Napoles, and Jelson Bay all gave out amazing performances in the film. But it was Napoles that I really enjoyed the most. Maybe its the way his character was written. I don't know and I don't care. All I know is that I laughed so hard with his gags (especially that final scene).

To be honest, this movie is even way better than all the Vice Ganda blockbuster films we've had for the past two years. Marius Talampas’ "Ang Pangarap kong Holdap" is simply the best Pinoy comedy of 2018. Period.

Rating: 10/ 10 • Verdict: Must Watch

Verdict: Must Watch • Highly Recommended • Entertaining • Tolerable • Boring • 

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Movie Review : Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes (2018)

Star Cinema opens the year 2018 with a bang as they bring together two of the country's box-office queens in one big movie. Judy Ann Santos and Angelica Panganiban both star in Jun Lana's comedy "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes".  The film marks the reunion of Judy Ann Santos and Angelica Panganiban, who first worked together in the hit 2001 ABS-CBN teleserye "Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka". The film also marks the return of Judy Ann and Angelica to the comedy genre.

In "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes", Judy Ann Santos and Angelica Panganiban play devoted wives Lianne and Cindy, respectively, who got cheated on by their husbands who turn out to be gay. With their combined forces, they will make sure their exes don’t get what they took away from them: a happy ending. JC de Vera and Joross Gamboa plays Felix Reyes and Gary Reyes respectively, the cheating husbands of Lianne and Cindy. The film also features a star-studded ensemble, led by Gladys Reyes, Carmi Martin, Andrea Brillantes, Nico Antonio, Cai Cortez, Wilma Doesnt, Quark Henares and Kim Molina. The film is directed by Die Beautiful's Jun Robles Lana and is produced by Star Cinema, Quantum Films and IdeaFirst Company.

The film opens with Lianne and her friend discussing about the possibility that her husband, Gary, is having an affair with another woman. Lianne tries to get her husband's passion for their relationship by making herself sexier, even going as far as having a breast transplant. But it turns out that her husband isn't attracted to her anymore because he is already seeing someone else- another man, to her surprise. On the other hand, Cindy, is being pressured by her mother(monster)-in-law to have a baby already with her husband, Felix. Unfortunately, she wakes up one day only to find out that he has left her for another man. After a series of events, Lianne and Cindy discovers that their husbands are having an affair and decided to conjure a plan to make the lives of their exes to be miserable. 

At first glance, "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes" looks like just another comedy film. But the truth is that the film is actually much deeper than you think. The film is perhaps one of the riskiest projects from Star Cinema in years, one that you wouldn't expect from the country's biggest movie company. The film bravely tackles different mature themes that are all relevant in today's society. Although most of the time, they use these themes to induce laughter from the audience, they are committed to discussing these themes in a serious and relatable manner to give lessons to the viewers. I love how the film tackles a different side of infidelity in marriages. Here, we are given two sides of the coin, the other is from Gary and Felix' point of view. They just want to be truthful to their-selves and they want to be free from everything that is keeping them from revealing their real identities. So they finally decided to come out of the closet so that the two of them can be together, which is what other people would always advise us. But on the other side of the story, we discover that their decision caused others to suffer, particularly Lianne and Cindy. Their wives are left heartbroken after learning that their husbands have cheated on them, and they are left asking themselves where did they go wrong. The film doesn't take sides between the two parties. Instead, it lets the audience realize the consequences of the actions of both parties involved and wants us to understand things from both perspectives.

The film also touches themes of the identification of the LGBT community. The film tackles the different gender identification of the LGBT to shed a bit of light to it's viewers. In one of the film's best moments - scene inside a noodle house - Gary and Felix explains to their wives their identifications. Gary sees himself as a woman while Felix identifies himself as a hetero-flexible, someone who is mostly straight but is still attractive to the same sex. This is probably the first mainstream movie that featured this type of topic in it's storyline. Aside from this, the movie also preaches audiences about the effects of social media and how one simple post online can cause negative effects to the people involved. It gives us an idea on how cyber-bullying can ruin someone else's life, if we are not careful and responsible enough in using social media. Regarding the film's humor, I must say that this is Star Cinema's freshest comedies to date. This is definitely not your regular Vice Ganda comedy. The film is infused with Jun Lana's absurd sense of humor. It pulls laughter from the audience through various aspects, one of which features Judy Ann Santos cursing out loud, a first in movie history. The movie's brand of comedy is very mature, hence the R-13 rating from the MTRCB.

The film's cast deserves a lot of credit in pulling off this film. All the cast were very effective in their roles. Joross Gamboa was believable in portraying Gary, who slowly transitions into a woman all throughout the film. This is probably his best performance to date, way better than the one from Deadma Walking. JC De Vera was also great in his portrayal of Felix. But the film really belongs to Judy Ann Santos and Angelica Panganiban, both who take great risks in their roles here. Angelica Panganiban's performance is reminiscent of her portrayal in Here Comes the Bride and Beauty in a Bottle. Her comic timing was on point and very effective. On the other hand, Judy Ann Santos breaks her reserved persona in this film to take on this very demanding role. Her character cursing out loud is probably the best moments of them. Every time we hear her, we can't help but break into laughter. But aside from their comic timing, Angelica and Judy Ann also manages to show off their acting prowess during the film's heavy moments, inducing a tear or two from the audiences.

Entertaining and thought-provoking from start to finish, "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes" promises not only laughs but so much more.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰  of 5

MMFF 2017 Movie Review : Julius Alfonso's "Deadma Walking"

It's tricky and unconventional story makes this MMFF dramedy a stand-out against the rest of this year's film fest entries.

Based on Eric Cabahug's award-winning screenplay (second place, Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature 2016), this out-of-this-world musical dramedy is sure to give this year's MMFF a different taste. Directed by Julius Alfonso and produced under T-Rex Productions, Deadma Walking stars Edgar Allan Guzman and Joross Gamboa as two gay bestfriends who fakes the latter's own death to attend his own wake to hear his friends views on him. The film also stars Candy Pangilinan, Nico Antonio, Dimples Romana, Gerald Anderson and Vin Abrenica in supporting roles and is an official entry to the 43rd Metro Manila Film Festival.

John Samson (Joross Gamboa) and Mark (Edgar Allan Guzman) are two gay best friends- John is a successful businessman while Mark is a sales agent and a part time theater actor. John soon discover that he is ill, and has only a year or two to live. Because of this, he comes up with a plan and asks his best friend to help him: they will  fake his own death so that he can attend his own wake to hear his friends and other people's views on him. Everything turns out okay, until his estranged sister, Mary (Dimples Romana) who had misunderstandings with her brother John as she was not able to go home when their mother died, comes home only to see the wake for her brother. Tensions arise as more people from John's past comes back to pay their respects for him. Secrets will be revealed. Relationships will be tested. Can they complete their mission to create the grandest and most fabulous (fake) funeral the world is yet to see? 

At first, Deadma Walking's central plot may turn off viewers, especially to those people who are accustomed to the regular holiday themed comedies of the Metro Manila Film Festival. It's story revolves around death, or to be specific, about a man who is waiting for his own death. It's theme is very dark and off-putting for a film that is shown during the Christmas season. But it's unusual and unconventional story is what makes this musical dramedy stand-out among the rest of this year's film fest entries. And although it is being compared to 2016's Die Beautiful, I actually enjoyed and liked Deadma Walking more than the other.

Death is a very tricky subject, and when it's not done the right way, everything will turn awkward and uninviting to the film's viewers. Luckily, director Julius Alfonso managed to handle the material very well because everything turned out good. He was able to put enough balance of everything in the film. There's enough humor to entertain audiences. There's lots of drama to keep the audience engaged. There's also a bit of musical performances, adding more color and energy to this film. To it's credit, the musical scenes are really well done. Although Ang Larawan is still the best musical of the festival, Deadma Walking has the better song and dance opening sequence.

Regarding the film's humor, I must commend Eric Cabahug's screenplay. It's witty and full of laugh-out-loud jokes, particularly the ones thrown by Mark's character. Some of the jokes maybe hit-or-miss, but most of them were really funny. As for the dramatic aspect of the film, they were actually good. The way they handled the relationship between John and Mary was great, and they were able to make the audiences sympathize with them. And of course, the story of John and Mark's friendship is truly heartfelt and will pinch your heart. Everything was good in the film, except for the twist in the film's finale which I felt was done in haste. I think it could have been executed in a better fashion since it concerns one of the main characters. But in the end, what matters is that it was able to relay the context of the twist and move the story forward.

The film's cast is also one of the main reasons why this film works. Candy Pangilinan was really fun to watch despite the supporting role. Nico Antonio and Bobby Andrews were also great additions to the cast. It was really funny to see Gerlad Anderson and Vin Abrenica in this movie, as it was quite unusual to see them in mainstream projects that tackles homosexual themes like this. Dimples Romana was really outstanding as John's brother, Mary. She's definitely one of the most underrated actresses of this country. But despite getting just supporting roles, she manages to wow everyone with her heart-wrenching performance in this movie. The star-studded cameos were a delight to watch, from Eugene Domingo, Piolo Pascual, Sue Ramirez (although I'm not sure what exactly her purpose was), Jason Abalos, Matt Evans, and many more. But the most insane and probably the best and most unforgettable cameo was from Iza Calzado. I was laughing hysterically with her unexpected appearance in this movie (I knew she was in the film based on the trailer, but I did not expected how her cameo would be like).

But above all, this is Joross Gamboa and Edgar Allan Guzman's movie, and they definitely owned it. Joross Gamboa deserves praise for his committed performance as John. He nailed the character with flying (rainbow) colors. His best moment would be those with Dimples Romana, and this one particular scene in the film's ending as he was lying alone in a cemetery. Edgar Allan Guzman's award-winning portrayal of Mark is truly outstanding. He definitely deserves the (Best Actor, NOT just the Best Supporting Actor) acting award, no doubt about it.

So if you are looking for something unique from this year's Metro Manila Film Festival, this movie is for you. Deadma Walking is a unique, funny, witty and at times heartwarming surprise from this year's festival. Watch it, and give your MMFF experience a different flavor.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰  of 5

"Deadma Walking" (2017) Directed by Julius Alfonso, starring Edgar Allan Guzman and Joross Gamboa with Candy Pangilinan, Nico Antonio, Dimples Romana, Gerald Anderson and Vin Abrenica, produced under T-Rex Productions. An official entry to the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival.

MMFF 2017 Movie Review : Chris Martinez' "Meant To Beh"

For the first time in forever, here's a Vic Sotto movie that I actually like.

It's that time of the year again for the biggest film festival in the country, the Metro Manila Film Festival. This year, the organizers of the festival reintroduced the controversial "commercial appeal/viability" in it's criteria for the selection of entries which was criticized because it was alleged that the reintroduction of these old rules was made to prioritize box-office success over quality films and to accommodate the big mainstream studios that were mostly left out last year. And so obviously, the past MMFF's box-office royalties that did not make it to last year's festival are also back on the scene, including Vic Sotto. To be honest, I don't really watch a lot of his films. I don't find anything funny about his endless Enteng sequels. I don't really have anything bad against him. It's just that his brand of comedy is not my type. So I had low expectations when I went to see his movie, Meant To Beh during it's Premiere night last December 20, 2017 at SM Megamall. But to my surprise, it turns out that his latest film is his best movie to date.

Screenshots from the trailer

Meant To Beh, directed by Chris Martinez, is Vic Sotto's latest entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival. Distributed and produced by OctoArts Films, M-Zet Productions and APT Entertainment, the film stars Vic Sotto, Dawn Zulueta, JC Santos, Daniel Matsunaga, Sue Ramirez, Gabbi Garcia, Ruru Madrid, Andrea Torres and Baby Baste. Meant To Beh follows the lives of a married couple, Ron (Vic Sotto) and Andrea (Dawn Zulueta), who lives with their three children: Christian (JC Santos), Alex (Gabbi Garcia) and Rylie (Baeby Baste). Unbeknownst to their children, the couple's relationship has been on the rocks for a long time now, and they have been trying their best to keep their family together by staying as a couple. That is until they both decided to finally call it quits and get divorced. As Ron and Andrea try to move on with their separate lives (and separate love interests), their three children decided to take matters into their own hands to bring them back together again. Will they succeed in making their parents realize that the two of them were really meant to be?

The premise of the film isn't really something new anymore. I'm pretty sure there have been quite a few films that have already tackled a similar story. But to the film's credit, their approach to the story made it feel fresh and inspired. The good thing about this film is that it took it's time in introducing us to the Balatbat family. The film did not rushed the story to accommodate product placements and unnecessary cameos. Instead, it focused on giving audiences background to each of the characters, from Ron's view as a husband being the head of the household and being the main source of income of the family, Andrea trying to have a career despite being a mother of three, Christian who is head over heels with a girl (Sue Ramirez) in his campus but can't find the courage to tell his true feelings for her and Alex who is trying to deny the fact that she actually likes this guy (Ruru Madrid) but pretends not to. Unlike most comedy films we get to see during the festival before, this one stands out because it sticks to it's story and builds up to ensure that audiences will root for all of it's main characters. It actually took quite some time before the actual conflict of the films starts, which I felt was the part that got rushed.

Director Chris Martinez is one of the biggest reasons why this movie was a breathe of fresh air from Vic Sotto's past films. Known for his movies like Here Comes the Bride (2010), Temptation Island (2011) and The Gifted (2014), Chris Martinez' brand of comedy is far different from the slapstick comedy that people usually see in Vic Sotto's past films. I don't watch Vic Sotto's movies because I know how he does his films. Therefore, the change of director was a really good decision (Tony Y. Reyes who previously directed the past Enteng Kabisote films was the original director attached to the project, before being replaced by Martinez). Unlike his past films, this movie doesn't feel like another Vic Sotto movie. It removed everything that audiences hated in his past films, most especially those annoying product placements that haunted every scene of his Sotto's films. This movie actually felt like a serious movie, and not an extended commercial ad. Regarding the film's humor, Chris Martinez tried a lot of things to keep the audiences laughing from start until the end of the film. Some worked, some did not. But when the jokes work, they are really funny. Like laugh out loud funny that made everyone cheered inside the theater where we had the screening.

Aside from Chris Martinez' solid direction of the material, another strong aspect of the film is it's very talented cast. Ruru Madrid and Gabii Garcia had some nice moments together, though their story line weren't given enough scenes where they could shine. Daniel Matsunaga still needs to work on his Tagalog accent as it was a bit distracting but he was fine as Dawn Zulueta's lover. Andrea Torres was really fun to watch during those confrontation scenes with Dawn in the film. JC Santos and Sue Ramirez have some spark together, and even though their subplot was short, they made the best out it. Santos was just so adorable in this nerdy role (which reminds me of Fidel from 100 Tula Para Kay Stella). Vic Sotto is still the same Vic Sotto that we've seen in the past Enteng Kabisote films. His acting is still the same. But with his character here in this movie, he is far more relatable than his previous movie roles. I never thought that Dawn Zulueta could do a comedy like this. At first. I couldn't imagine the possibility of her doing comedy. But with Meant To Beh, she was able to transition from her usual drama to comedy and she did it with flying colors.  But the biggest stand-out of the film is none other than Baeby Baste who plays their youngest son. The whole audience in the screening I attended can't help but cheer whenever he cracks a joke. Also, he will definitely melt your heart whenever he tries some dramatic acting. He is oozing with charm and confidence on screen and he definitely stole the show.

To be honest, I still can't believe that the movie that I've watched was a Vic Sotto movie because it did not feel like it was. I guess he was true when he said that this is his first serious film because this was an improvement over his past movies. Though there were some short moments that felt lagging and could have been improved, the whole film itself is quite good. Meant To Beh is an entertaining, family-friendly comedy that is too good to miss.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰1/2  of 5 

"Meant To Beh" (2017) Directed by Chris Martinez, Distributed and produced by OctoArts Films, M-Zet Productions and APT Entertainment, the film stars Vic Sotto, Dawn Zulueta, JC Santos, Daniel Matsunaga, Sue Ramirez, Gabbi Garcia, Ruru Madrid, Andrea Torres and Baby Baste.

"Loving In Tandem" (2017) movie review

Maymay Entrata and Edward Barber star in "Loving In Tandem"

After winning last year's season of Pinoy Big Brother, big winner Maymay Entrata together with her ex-housemates Edward Barber, Kisses Delavin and Marco Gallo all entered the show-business and had their own acting projects. Maymay became part of the cast of the hit fantasy series La Luna Sangre while Kisses and Marco became part of the latest season of the children show Wansapanataym. And now, for the very first time, they are starring their first feature film under Star Cinema. Loving in Tandem (2017) is directed by Giselle Andres and also stars MayWard’s fellow “Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7” former housemates Kisses Delavin and Marco Gallo.

Screenshots from the trailer

"Loving In Tandem" follows the story of Shine (Maymay Entrata), a positive and determined girl who will do everything for her family. She meets the balikbayan Luke (Edward Barber) in the most unusual circumstance and later on finds herself experiencing various stages of love – as they get closer. With a bit of a language barrier getting in the way (or not, really), the two accidentally put themselves in an awkward (but nonetheless, kilig!) situation when Luke announced in their entire barangay that Shine is his “JOWA". Will the language of their hearts triumph over whatever differences Shine and Luke have? How will they change each other’s lives? [Source: Star Cinema]

To be honest, everything about the movie's look, from the poster to the trailers, made me think of the movie as just another generic romcom. It has all the makings of the typical Star Cinema movie we saw years before: from the badly photo-shopped poster, to that soundtrack that will pound your ears every time the two lovers would have a sweet moment, to the newly minted teen stars in it's lead. But surprisingly, the film exceeded my expectations.

When I watched the film, I actually had no idea what the story of the film would be. The trailers that Star Cinema released featured some of the best moments of the film but doesn't reveal much of the movie's plot. I think Star Cinema has learned the art of making a good trailer because the ones they're releasing now are mostly vague and short but has enough stuff to attract the curiosity of people to actually see the movie. So if you haven't watched the film, you should stop right here because of spoilers ahead. Shine, played by Maymay Entrata, is your typical romcom heroine: jolly, hardworking, has a big love for her family, and yeah, financially challenged. In dire need of money for the medical expenses of her sick nephew, she ends up joining a gang of thieves. This is where she encounters Luke, played by Edward Barber, a FilAm boy who was sent to the Philippines to be with his mother after his father died in the States.  After several twists and turns, their paths crosses one another which led to a wacky and kilig-filled journey where the two of them learn and understand the value of family, friends, and one's self.

The twists and turns of the film sometimes comes out unbelievable and mostly far fetched. This is the reason why I initially had the feeling as if I'm watching a Wattpad love story adapted into a movie. But despite the implausibilities of the film's story, it slowly becomes simple and acceptable along the way. Like most of Star Cinema's films, it highlights the value of family. Both characters have to deal with issues with their own families. Luke hates his mother for leaving him and his father when he was young so now, he doesn't want to have any relationship with her and his step-brothers. Instead, he wants to go back to the States and live by himself. On the other hand, Shine has to support her over-dependent older brother (played by Ketchup Eusebio) and his family. Luke's story is already familiar with us, but it was Shine's subplot is the one that really stick with you. It was the first time I saw this kind of story used in a Star Cinema movie and it was so refreshing. She feared that if she stop supporting his brother and his family, they will stop loving her because she doesn't have any worth any more for them. It was really heartbreaking, but so true. I for one can relate to her character in so many ways. I also liked the way the story wrapped because it was hysterically funny but not too over the top unlike some movies. The ending was simple, but it was effective and it doesn't feel so forced nor rushed nor corny (remember the cringe-worthy final shot My Ex and Whys?). And that made it so memorable for me.

The film may come off a bit over-the-top during it's first few minutes because of it's twists and turns. But it's simple moments that really shine out the most. The film is more effective when it doesn't try too hard, and instead, just rely to it's likable characters to carry the rest of the movie. Kisses Delevin and Marco Gallo turned out to be okay in their very first film outing. They have their own kilig moments and although Marco may need to work more on his acting skills, the two of them were able to carry their characters pretty well. Ryan Bang has never been this funny and adorable. Edward Barber was actually good for a first time, given that he didn't have any background in acting (like his partner). His role really fits him and the story, so despite those awkward moments when he tries to speak in Tagalog in his foreign accent, it was still acceptable. But the real star of the show is Maymay Entrata who single-handedly carries the rest of the film with her committed performance. She gives out all her best, making her portrayal of Shine believable and really entertaining. Honestly, she's like a female version of Joshua Garcia, and has a great future ahead of her when it comes to acting, given the right people and the right material to work with.

I'm not gonna lie, this movie is way more romantic than most of Star Cinema's recent releases. I was literally shrieking out of delight and kilig all throughout the film. Maymay and Edward has a tremendous amount of chemistry between the two of them. And director Giselle Andres knows exactly how to bring that chemistry out of the two. The screen is oozing with kilig whenever they're together.

"Loving In Tandem" is one unexpected treat that is sweet, charming, funny and undeniably entertaining. Star Cinema definitely hit the right notes with this movie. It promises kilig, and you will definitely get what you've paid for. 




Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5
"Loving In Tandem" (2017)
Directed by Giselle Andres,
starring Maymay Entrata & Edward Barber

"Love You to the Stars and Back" (2017) Movie Review

Julia Barretto & Joshua Garcia stars in "Love You To The Stars And Back"

I've been a fan of Antoinette Jadaone since 2014 after seeing her romantic coming-of-age film Relaks, It's Just Pag-ibig (twice). The independent feature, starring newcomers Inigo Pascual, Sofia Andres, and Julian Estrada, is one of the best local romance films I've seen and is still one of my favorite. I'm also a fan of That Thing Called Tadhana starring Angelica Panganiban and JM De Guzman, but Relaks will always have a special place in my heart. This year, Jadaone is back in another romantic coming-of-age story, but featuring well-known actors and with support from a major film company, Star Cinema. Fresh from the success of their critically-acclaimed box-office MMFF hit Vince and Kath and James (2016), Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia returns to the big screen in Antoinette Jadaone's Love you to the Stars and Back (2017).

Feeling out place in her own home, an eccentric and socially awkward girl, Mika (Julia Barretto), decides to go on a road trip with a very strange goal – to look for aliens. In her trip, Mika accidentally bumps into a simple and good-humored boy, Caloy (Joshua Garcia), whom she chooses to give a free ride to until he reaches his destination. Mika is surprised to know that Caloy has cancer. But despite his condition, he has learned to accept his fate and remained positive and joyful. The two embark on a roadtrip filled with adventures and misadventures, not knowing that it will lead them to experiencing their most memorable romance at such a young age. They unexpectedly teach each other an important lesson on love and life – one that takes most people a lifetime to learn. [Star Cinema]

We've seen a lot of romance films tackle disease-stricken protagonists before, from the colorful musical like Moulin Rouge! (2001), the gut-wrenching classic A Walk to Remember (2002) and the latest young adult fiction The Fault In Our Stars (2014). In her latest film, Antoinette Jadaone uses this cliched and overtly used stroyline to make one of the year's best local films, period. Though the idea of having one character having cancer is an integral part of the storyline, director/ writer Jadaone don't overuse it to the point that it's being slapped in your face. Instead, she uses this as a way to bring the story and it's characters together in an emotional journey, literally and figuratively. The film is like a re-imagining of her film Relaks, It's Just Pag-ibig and That Thing Called Tadhana. Both films focus on two characters travelling together and slowly falling for each other. But this film has more resemblance to Relaks because it's characters are both young people (below/ early their 20's). Also, both Relaks and LYSB follow it's main characters as they wander to different places, gets involved in other people's lives and learn new things.

Both Mika and Caloy are both well-developed characters. We get some background of each character's lives before they meet each other in a short span of time, giving us enough information to get to know them. Then, as the film progresses, we get to dig deeper into their personal lives and what each of them are going through. Although it does need a bit of suspension of disbelief before you can fully commit to the idea of a character trying to get taken away by aliens. But once you get past that, you are in for one hell of a roadtrip. Director Antoinette Jadaone's script is witty and humorous. On top of that, her direction of the material is also adept. She really excels in eliciting laughs from the audiences. And she's also really good when it comes to making people cry a river inside the cinemas.

Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia shines once again in this movie which serves as their reunion project, being this their second movie together. Julia Barretto is so amazing in her portrayal of Mika. Aside from being a pretty face, she proved to everyone that she can act in last year's Vince and Kath and James. And now, she's done it again. You can really feel her character's pain through her eyes, and we can't help but sympathize with her. Joshua Garcia is a total revelation in VKJ and he continues to wow us in this movie. The way he throws his lines were so raw and it felt to real to me. The camera loves him. The way he smiles will surely send shivers down your spine but once he cries, you'll be melting with pity. He has this adorable and irresistible charm similar to John Lloyd Cruz, no wonder he's being compared to him by critics and audiences alike. One of my most favorite scene was this part when he tried to reconnect to his estranged father, only to be driven away and rejected. His monologue scene at his dad's house was just so heart-wrenching and painful to watch that I couldn't stop myself from crying.

Also, Julia and Joshua has really great chemistry and director Jadaone was able to squeeze all that oozing sweetness between the two onscreen. I remember this scene (which was featured in the trailer) where Mika was holding a chicken in her hand and she tells it that it's mommy and daddy's here. That scene was one of the most sweetest and nakakakilig moments in a local film I've seen this year. I can't contain the kilig I was feeling while watching this film that there were a lot of instances that I was already shrieking with joy along with the other audiences inside the cinema.

The film's cinematography and musical design was also really beneficial to the overall look and feel of the film. The film features a lot of beautiful locations and gets a lot out of these places to make the film more appealing to travelers among the audience. Though I must take note of the shaky camera shots in the film. Some of the scenes really looked good, but there were a lot of instances that the shaking camera shots were a bit distracting. This was evident in the screening where I watched the film because I kept on hearing some of the audience member's whisper that the shakiness of the shots were nauseating. The film features the Moonstar88 2000 song Torete (in a cover by Moira Dela Torre) as it's main official soundtrack and it used the film to it's maximum effect. When the film has finally ended and the credits were already rolling, I can help but sing along to the song during the end credits.

Antoinette Jadaone's Love you to the Stars and Back (2017) is one amazing romantic coming-of-age movie that reminds us of her great skills as a director and writer, and also serves as a proof that the JoshLia (Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto) tandem is a loveteam to watch out for. It's a movie that is full of laughter and pain, oozing with kilig and tears. It's something that shouldn't be missed.




Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ of 5

"Love You To The Stars And Back" (2017)

Directed by Antoinette Jadaone, starring Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia