Movie Review: Raya Martin's "Smaller and Smaller Circles" (2017)

Hard-hitting social commentary and solid performances makes Raya Martin's period crime thriller a must-see.

Based on the best-selling novel by F.H. Batacan, this crime thriller follows two Jesuit priests,  Father Gus Saenz (Nonie Buencamino) and Father Jerome Lucero (Sid Lucero) as they help in the investigation of a serial killer in Payatas, who leaves the bodies of his victims- young boys in particular- in the dump. The film, directed by Raya Martin, also Carla Humphries, Ricky Davao, Bembol Roco and Christopher De Leon. I have mentioned before in a previous post that Smaller and Smaller Circles is one of my most anticipated Filipino movies of the year. It's been months, almost a year, since I've heard about this project and I've been looking forward to seeing it in the big screen. Fortunately, the long wait is finally over and it was worth it. Raya Martin's adaptation of F.H. Batacan's novel (considered as the Philippines' first crime thriller novel) is slickly made and highly entertaining.

Screenshots from the trailer

The film is set in 1997 and opens with a voice-over from the killer, expressing his thoughts to the audience. This sets up the over-all tone of the film. It is obviously not your typical murder mystery that focuses on who is the killer. Instead, it's focused on finding out why the killer is doing all of this. What caused him to do these inhumane acts. After this, we follow Father Gus Saenz (Nonie Buencamino) who is currently trying to pin down a fellow priest who have been reported to be molesting children under the latter's parish. Unfortunately, this bastard is friends with Cardinal Meneses (in a wicked performance by Ricky Davao) who helps the son-of-a-bitch escape prosecution by transferring him to another parish (to continue his reign of terror). National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Lastimosa (Bembol Roco) and  contacts Father Saenz and asks for his expertise in  forensics anthropologiy to help to solve a series of murders, much to the dismay of lower-level agent Ben Arcinas (Raffy Tejada). Children are being murdered, their their faces, hearts and genitals removed with surgical precision, removing everything that makes them human, and then dumped like garbage. Together with his colleague Father Jerome Lucero (Sid Lucero) a clinical psychologist, they start picking up and putting the pieces of the puzzle behind the murders, while the body count continues to rise.

Though set in the 1990's, the film never relies on nostalgia. One wouldn't even notice that it is a period piece until you see one character using a beeper and an old-style chat session (plus cellphones were a luxury that time so only one character is seen using it). Instead, it relies on building up the mood of the film. From it's dark, dreary locations such as the dumpsite where the bodies are found and the narrow maze of alleyways of the squatter's residences, the film's look echoes a depressing time in our country's history. The gorgeously shot cinematography by J.A. Tadena, adds up to the bleak, somber atmosphere of the film. The film is also unapologetic when it comes to it's display of gore. The sadistic killings of the perpetrator is not shown in full detail, but the results of these murders are shown in their full glory. The desecrated bodies of the young boys are shown in detail, from their missing genitalia to their faceless heads. Some may find it downright repulsive, but for a gorehound like me, it is truly satisfying. With all this, Raya Martin successfully crafted a neo-noir world ripped right out of the novel's pages.

The film's powerful cast is one of the reasons why this movie is very entertaining to watch. Ricky Davao plays Cardinal Meneses with so much wickedness. He is a perfect match to Bembol Roco's Lastimosa, a man of authority who's only goal is to find the truth in all this evil around him. Their heated argument is probably one of my favorite part from the film. The same goes for agent Ben Arcinas (played by Raffy Tejada). his portrayal is so effective that you'll definitely feel the hate to his character, to the point that you would start conjuring plans in your head to bring him down yourself. There were some noteworthy appearances from TJ Trinidad, Gladys Reyes and Tessie Tomas that were so memorable and fun to watch (especially Reyes' character). Carla Humphries was such a delight to watch as journalist Joanna Bonifacio, a strong-willed, spirited young woman who was schooled in Paris. It seems like she is having a renaissance in her career: first is her short yet memorable portrayal in the Cinema One Originals horror flick Nay, and now this. I'm really looking forward to her next projects. Of course, Nonie Buencamino who plays Father Gus Saenz and Sid Lucero playing Father Jerome Lucero both deserve a round of applause for their outstanding performances in this movie. Nonie Buencamino was especially good whenever he is arguing with Ricky Davao and Carla Humphries' characters. His interactions with these two perfectly shows his control over his character. He can be clever and intimidating, but also has a soft spot.

But what makes Smaller and Smaller Circles one of the most important Filipino films of the year is it's hard-hitting social commentary on the corruption and incompetence of our government, the sexual abuse and abuse of power among the clergy and the poverty and injustice of the indigent. The film tackles them layer by layer and even though it doesn't offer much solution to these issues, the film can make it's audience think about them even after the movie has ended.

Raya Martin's Smaller and Smaller Circles is a film that needs to be seen by everyone. It's the type of film that sticks with you. One that lingers inside your head, long after the credits roll. Something that leaves a lasting impact even after you leave the cinema.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰  of 5

Smaller and Smaller Circles (2017) directed by Raya Martin, starring Nonie Buencamino, Sid Lucero, Carla Humphries, Ricky Davao, Bembol Roco and Christopher De Leon

Movie Review: Jose Javier Reyes's "Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted" (2017)

A scene from "Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted" featuring it's cast.
Source: Spirit of the Glass 2 Facebook page

Spirit of the Glass is a 2004 Filipino horror movie directed by Jose Javier Reyes and starred Rica Peralejo. The film was released on October 13, 2004 and follows a group of young adults who are being haunted by ghosts after playing the Ouija board and opening a portal to the spirit world. Thirteen years later, Jose Javier Reyes returns for a sequel, entitled Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted. The movie, produced under Octoarts Films in association with T-Rex Entertainment, stars Cristine Reyes, Janine Gutierrez, Daniel Matsunaga, Benjamine Alves, Ashley Ortega, Enrico Cuenca, Maxine Medina with Teri Malvar, Janine Gutierrez, Dominic Roque, and Aaron Villaflor.

The movie follows the same story line of it's predecessor, featuring new characters and a different twist. Bea (Cristine Reyes), a lifestyle editor of a popular magazine, inherits some boxes containing old family stuff, one of which contains an antique Ouija board. Out of boredom, she and her friends, Lisette (Maxine Medina) an up-and-coming young actress, and Chelsea (Ashley Ortega) a sought-after model, and their respective boyfriends, Enzo, Jag, and Andre, played the game and unwittingly opened a portal to the spirit world. The spirits that they have summoned start harassing the three girls which forces them to connect with a blind medium (Teri Malvar) to help them in unraveling the mystery of a crime committed 50 years ago to end the haunting (hence, the title The Haunted, obviously).

To be honest, this film would have worked thirteen year ago when Filipino audiences weren't that picky when it comes to horror flicks. But watching this film this 2017, I can't help thinking that this sequel came a bit too late. I mean, as a sequel, they should have thought about making the film bigger and better (or at least, scarier) than the first movie. Sequels always comes with the responsibility of topping over or at the very least, meeting the expectations of viewers who have seen the original. Unfortunately, this film doesn't try anything new. The first problem I had was the story itself. A group of friends playing the ouija board unwittingly summoning spirits that soon stats haunting them? Sounds familiar? Because it is. There are dozens of horror movies that have used the same story line for the past couple of years. Some of them are far better than others. But this movie did not really stand out among them. When you recycle a used story line, you need to at least come up with something to make the film memorable. Sadly, this film doesn't even try. It's not even campy nor fun to make it entertaining. Then, there's that bad editing. And don't even let me start with all those fade-to-black transitions that anyone with a Windows Moviemaker in their computer can do with their home made videos. 

Screenshots from the trailer

There's also a big problem with the spirits haunting the characters in the story. They are not just scary at all. They look like people in dress-up and don't even look so ghostly at all. I'm not sure why the characters in the movie feel scared and always scream on top of their lungs whenever these ghosts pop up. The people in Halloween costumes during the film's special screening that I attended were way more creepier than the ghosts in this film. I don't really see any effort in making them scary.

Which leads to the next problem of the movie. There's no actual danger here. Because the ghosts doesn't even look scary, you don't feel like they are any threat at all to the characters. I thought these ghosts were angry and vengeful. But while watching the movie, I didn't even felt like there is any danger at all in the story. There is no turning point, no tension, no dread. The so-called climax of the film doesn't feel so climactic at all. I was even surprised that the film has already ended because I didn't noticed that it already reached it's conclusion. Sorry to say but I got bored during the climactic part of the film. I have great respect for director Jose Javier Reyes and the casts, but this horror film was supposed to be scary. But it wasn't.

The only good thing about the movie that got my attention was the brilliant performances of Teri Malvar as the blind psychic that helped the group and Janine Gutierrez who plays one of the vengeful ghosts in the story. They're the only reason why I'm giving this movie a star. I love the flashback scenes featuring Janine as they were the most interesting ones to watch. Teri is always a delight to watch on screen. The scene where they played the ouija board for the very first time was a bit fun and deserves a star too. Seeing Benjamin Alves getting dragged into a room by an unseen force put a smile on my face. But aside from all of this, there's nothing else that made an impact to me as a viewer and as a horror fan.





Again, this review is just based on my own opinion. So maybe, just maybe, other people would find the film scary or fun to watch. As for me, sorry but it's not just scary enough.
Rating: ✰✰ of 5






Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted (2017)
Directed by Jose Javier Reyes, starring Cristine Reyes, Janine Gutierrez, Daniel Matsunaga, Benjamine Alves, Ashley Ortega, Enrico Cuenca, Maxine Medina with Teri Malvar, Janine Gutierrez, Dominic Roque, and Aaron Villaflor.

Movie Review: Toto Natividad's "Riding In Tandem" (2017)

Khalil Ramos plays Jonard in "Riding In Tandem"

Helmed by veteran action director Toto Natividad, Riding in Tandem is a film that attempts to depict one of the most prevalent criminal acts in the country. The act, as we all know, is called "riding in tandem," and it involves two people who work in tandem to ambush their targets while riding in a motorcycle. The backbone of the storyline is the life of criminals, but it also gives the viewers the realistic and driving elements such as family and love. The film is headlined by two of the country's most talented actors, 2008 Young Critics Circle Best Performer Jason Abalos and 2017 Gawad Urian Best Actor nominee Khalil Ramos. The film is one of the two indie films of Khalil Ramos yet to be released. The other one is entitled Kasunduan, a thriller  drama where he co-starred with Joey Marquez, Joem Bascon and Ejay Falcon.

The film follows the story of two people: Miguel (Abalos), an ex-convict and former hired killer who is looking for his wife, and Jonard (Ramos), a young man who sets out to avenge the death of his sister. Together, they team-up and embark on a dangerous path through the gritty and cutthroat world of hired killers known as riding in tandem.  The film also stars Mara Lopez, Sue Prado, Nina Dolino, Joem Bascon, and Victor Neri. It is distributed by Star Cinema, and is now showing in Cine Lokal's 8 SM Cinema: Mall of Asia, Megamall, North Edsa, Fairview, Southmall, Bacoor, Iloilo and Cebu (Ticket price at Php150).

Screenshot from the trailer

To be honest, I had no idea what to expect from this action drama when we watched it during it's special screening in SM Megamall last October 15, 2017. The screening was graced by the cast themselves, led by Jason Abalos, Khalil Ramos and Mara Lopez. I have little background about the film and only got a bit of an idea on what it is all about through it's trailer. I'm also not a big fan of action films and I rarely watch them in cinemas. But I was so surprised when I actually enjoyed watching Toto Natividad's Riding In Tandem.

The story itself isn't something new. The film's drama can be compared to the Primetime series Ang Probinsyano or a late-afternoon soap opera. It's a bit predictable, but there were some nice twists along the way. The film is threading between complete seriousness and outright camp. At times, when the film's campiness works, it works. It makes the film more enjoyable to watch, but not all the time. There's a particular scene featuring a montage of memories of one character that felt a bit out-of-place. There are moments where you would feel like you're watching an overdramatic teleserye, but at least, there were also parts where you can really feel the tension between the characters.

Also, the film's extensive use of slow motion sequences doesn't quite work for the most part. Most especially since it's CGI effects aren't that good. But to it's credit, the film has some of the best opening credits in a local film in recent memory. It also puts a lot of great use to it's drone shots, featuring some dizzying shots of the city. There's also some pretty impressive action scenes and chase sequences featuring Abalos and Ramos that reminds me of those old local action flicks from the bygone days.

The film also boasts an amazing cast. Mara Lopez was really fun to watch as Jonard's girlfriend Ganda. I love Sue Prado in her role as Jonard's sister. It was really nice to see Dido Dela Paz again after his work in Respeto and Birdshot. Nina Dolino was also quite impressive. Joem Bascon's role was a bit short so there weren't a lot of moments for his character to grow. But it was Jason Abalos and Khalil Ramos who really owned the spotlight in this movie. Abalos did an impressive job in his portrayal of Miguel. Ramos was a revelation in his incredible performance of Jonard. Both actors really carried the film from start to finish.




All in all, I pretty much enjoyed it. Though it has some flaws, Riding In Tandem is still an entertaining throwback to our country's action movie heydays.



Rating: ✰✰✰✰ of 5
"Riding In Tandem" directed by Toto Natividad, starring Jason abalos, Khalil Ramos,  Mara Lopez, Sue Prado, Nina Dolino, Joem Bascon, and Victor Neri.

Movie Review: Prime Cruz' "The Debutantes" (2017)

Sue Ramirez, Miles Ocampo, Chanel Morales, Michelle Vito and Jane De Leon
star in Prime Cruz' "The Debutantes"

Director Prime Cruz is ready to take a new challenge. This time, he's taking the responsibility of giving audiences frights and chills as he gives us The Debutantes (2017), his first straight-forward horror movie to date. Prime Cruz has been known for his award-winning and critically acclaimed romance stories, from Sleepless (2015), Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B (2016) and Can We Still Be Friends (2017). Although he had experience in the horror genre before after directing the web series The Complex and the romance-gore film Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B, this will be his first full-length horror movie. Tagged as a teen color horror film, it stars Sue Ramirez, Miles Ocampo, Chanel Morales, Michelle Vito and Jane De Leon and is produced by Regal Films.

Screenshots from the trailer

The film follows a shy and weird-looking girl named Kate (played by Sue Ramirez). She's always alone at school and is distant with everyone else. Until one day, her classmate Lara (Miles Ocampo) approaches her and asks if she could her her study Math as she is failing the subject. Kate immediately agrees to help her, and she ended up being close to her. In the meantime, Lara's friends, Jenny (Jane De Leon), Candice (Michelle Vito) and Shayne (Chanel Morales) finds pleasure in bullying her. They staged a prank during Jenny's birthday party, embarrassing Kate in front of the whole student body. Soon, Kate starts having nightmares about Jenny, Candice and Shayne all meeting horrendous deaths. Can she and Lara save them before it's too late? Who (or what) is behind these deaths?

As you can notice, the film follows a typical slasher set-up with these characters meeting deaths one by one. The film also pumps up the story with classic horror movie tropes and stereotypes, from the rich and bratty It girls of the campus bullying a shy, nerdy girl. I guess it was Prime Cruz' intention to make the film as campy as it could be. The film doesn't try to make itself a genre-bending film. Instead, it's obviously aiming for the opposite. And this is what makes the film more interesting. Instead of putting numerous twists and turns in the film, the story is pretty much straight-forward to the point that it's predictable. This makes the film more fun since we already know that something is very wrong from the beginning of the film and the audience is left anticipating a final pay-off.

But since we are looking at a movie following a typical slasher format, we are of course looking forward to some pretty sick kills. Unfortunately, this is the part that the film failed to pull off completely. Although the first death was staged pretty nicely, the ones that followed weren't as grandiose nor inspired. I've seen a lot of horror movies and those deaths have been used several times in one or two of those films before. If the film was aiming for camp, it should aim for more theatrical or extravagant kills which is a rule in the horror genre. Also, I noticed that there scenes in the trailer that were not actually in the movie itself which got me a bit distracted as I was waiting for those scenes to show up in the movie while watching it. There were also some questions that kept me wondering like what happened to Kate's cousin and aunt, why the demonic being following them can control social networking sites to scare the shit out of them or where the hell are their parents?

Luckily, the film has an effective cast who helped pull off the whole movie with flying colors (the film is literally boasting with colors). Sue Ramirez who plays Kate was good in portraying the shy and aloof girl ala-Carrie. Chanel Morales, Michelle Vito and Jane De Leon who played the It girls who were responsible for bullying Kate were quite convincing. Most of their performances may come as a bit over-the-top, but since the film is aiming for camp, they worked perfectly to the film's benefit. Miles Ocampo, who played Lara, I guess is the one who really stood out in this movie. Her portrayal of the perfect good girl was really effective and believable. I was really rooting for her during the final act.

To it's credit, the film boasts some really gorgeous cinematography and lightning. This is how one will know that a film is directed by Prime Cruz. He always know how to play with lights and colors, and he played them really well in this movie. It somehow reminds me of Dario Argento's Suspiria (1977) and Chito S. Rono's Feng Shui (2004). I've never seen a local horror movie this colorful, fulfilling it's promise of a teen color horror. Also, the film's final moments was one of the most thrilling and heart-pounding finale I've seen in a local horror movie this year so far. Those final minutes of the film did put me on the edge of my seat and it deserves some additional points for that.

The film does succeed in it's aim to be a campy and fun horror film. Though it's a bit predictable (with one of it's character's big twist being way too obvious from the very first frame where she showed up), it's still undeniably entertaining. Just watch it as a straight-forward horror film and you'll definitely enjoy it.


Rating: ✰✰✰✰ of 5
"The Debutantes" (2017) directed by Prime Cruz, starring Sue Ramirez, Miles Ocampo, Chanel Morales, Michelle Vito and Jane De Leon

Featured: Ethan Salvador is 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten

Ethan Salvador as Magnus Synder

It's been almost a year since Petersen Vargas' critically-acclaimed coming-of-age film 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten swept everyone off their feet with it's honest and raw portrayal of friendship and first love in last year's Cinema One Originals. The film earned 11 nominations from the festival, including a Best Actor nomination for it's star, Khalil Ramos. The film ended up winning 3 awards: Best Cinematography for Carlos Mauricio, Best Supporting Actor for Jameson Blake and the highly-coveted Best Film. The film also got director Vargas a Best First Feature award in the 27th Young Critics Circle Awards, and nominations for Khalil Ramos (Best Actor, 40th Gawad Urian Awards) and Jameson Blake (New Movie Actor of the Year, 33rd Star Awards for Movies).

But it seems like this was just the beginning for the film's success as it premiered in the recently concluded 32nd Lovers Film Festival - Torino LGBTQI Visions in Italy, where it won the Audience Choice Award. After it's debut, the film garnered critical acclaim from foreign critics. QuotidianoPiemontese.it says "It works perfectly and gives us feelings and fears of the protagonists, surrounded by the new experience it is rolled slowly on their souls and involves their bodies." GayPost.it calls it "One of the most interesting, visually seductive and stylistically impeccable proposals, in competition at the Lovers Film Festival, is without a doubt "2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten". The film also had it's Asian Premiere at the recently concluded 28th Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and will be having its North American premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Last September 23, 2017, the film was screened for this year's Cine Europa at the Premiere Theater of Shang Cineplex, Edsa Shangri-la Manila. After the screening, I was able to meet and have a little conversation with one of the film's star, Ethan Salvador who plays Magnus Snyder.

Ethan Salvador in Pinoy Boy Band Superstar
(Source: Pinoy Boy Band Superstar)

Ethan Salvador, originally from Las Vegas where he grew up with his mother, started pursuing his acting career at the age of 16. Acting has always been in his blood, even before he met his estranged father, ’80s Regal actor Emil Salvador. His first venture into showbiz in the country was the now defunct reality show, Pinoy Boy Band Superstar. After this, he got one of the lead roles in Petersen Vargas' full length debut and entry to the 12th Cinema One Originals Film Festival. His performance in the film earned him rave reviews, and even got him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Since then, he had joined different projects here and there, from a cameo role in the Sarah Lahbati horror pic Ang Pagsanib Kay Leah Dela Cruz, as leading man in one of the episodes of the teen anthology series Wattpad Presents (Episode: Breaking the Bad Boy) and now as part of ABS-CBN's newset Primetime series The Good Son.

Source: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten page

Here is my short interview with everyone's favorite Omega Boy, Ethan Salvador.

Q: Did you had hesitations in accepting the role after learning that it's a queer film?

Ethan: No, not at all. I had hesitations just because it was my first film and because I was originally be casted as Maxim. So when I read the masturbation scene, I was like hmm, i don't know. But I mean, hey, the show must go on. Art is art. So let's just go with it. It's just a character. And then, they put me as Magnus. But I have no objectification against gay people. Lesbian people.

Q: Did you expect that the film would be this successful? I mean after winning last year's Cinema One Originals Best Film award, it got the Audience Choice Award in the 32nd Lovers Film Festival, and now it is being shown in Hong Kong and soon in Vancouver.

Ethan: Yeah. That... That... That blew my mind. I had no idea this film would reach that high of a magnitude. I mean, we won three things but... Everyone loves it. I'm just happy for that.

A scene from the film. Source: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten page

Q: What was the first thing that you said when you first saw yourself in the movie?

Ethan: I said this is so weird. So weird. Right? You know, when you see yourself on TV, it's just... you're not only watching yourself, you're watching the character but at the same time, it is you. I kinda don't like watching myself on TV or movies. It just feels weird (laughs).

Q: So after 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten, you had a small role in the horror film ang Pagsanib kay Leah Dela Cruz as Sarah Lahbati's younger brother...

Ethan: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Did you see that?

Me: Yeah. I watched it.

Ethan: Wow.

Q: And you were in an episode of Wattpad Presents, a part in the upcoming Goyo film and some endorsements here and there. So among all the characters that you have played, would you consider Magnus Snyder as the most memorable role ever?

Ethan: Uhm... I mean, there's so many movies that I wanna do. But I guess you could say that. This is my very first big movie character. So yeah, he's my most memorable character.

A scene from the film. Source: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten page

Q: So there were some fans of the film (me included) who were hoping to see a happy ending, or at least see Felix and Magnus being together by the end of the movie (alive). If you were given the chance, would you prefer a happy ending for the two characters?

Ethan: No. No. If I could, no. I like it just the way it is. It gives it more robust, because I mean, the Philippines is all about happy endings. And then, you put a movie like this, it's just like shucks. Everybody would go oh, what? They didn't go to college? Oh, he died. Aw, so sad (laughs).

Q: Okay, so last question. Tell me, why are you too cool to be forgotten?

Ethan:  Because I am chasing my dreams like everyone else, and that everyone can chase their dreams. So, yeah.

Ethan Salvador during the Q&A
after the Cine Europa screening

Everyone is excited
to meet Magnus Snyder

Me, with Ethan Salvador after the Cine Europa screening.

Source: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten page

To Ethan Salvador, we wish you more success and we look forward to your next story to tell. You are truly 2 cool 2 be 4gotten.

"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