Genre: Romance
Director: Bb. Joyce Bernal
Stars: Piolo Pascual, Regine Velasquez

I was able to watch this film last week for free. To be honest, I really had no plan of watching this movie. Let’s just say that Tonet, a friend who was a part of this production, was very persistent and forceful, and she gave me a movie pass so I could watch it for free. It’s actually hard for me to write this review because everybody knows I love Direk Joyce Bernal but it doesn’t necessarily mean that I loved all her flicks. And Paano Kita Iibigin is one of those films — the ones I didn’t love. Not even like.

Piolo Pascual is Lance, a man who succumbed to his guilt after his wife and two other friends died in a car accident just hours after their wedding. Since then, he has tried to kill himself again and again. Until he meets Martee, Regine Velasquez, a struggling, lonely single-mom desperately trying to raise her much-loved asthmatic son.

To be honest, for someone whose all-time fave local movies list includes Don’t Give Up On Us, it is very difficult to like this film. I know it’s not so proper to compare films, but what the hell, I shall compare. Both films are Piolo Pascual-starrers. Both are directed by Bb. Joyce Bernal. And both are produced by Star Cinema (though this one is a co-production with Viva Films). But technically and creatively, there are big differences.

  1. Don’t Give Up is a genuine romantic comedy with some effective drama sequences. Paano is a romantic drama pretending to be a comedy with its many comedy scenes but only a few are effective.
  2. Last year’s blockbuster is funny because of the situations, dialogues, and performances. Paano’s only saving grace as far as comedy is concerned is Eugene Domingo’s character. Remove her character from this film and it’d be an utter disaster entertainment value-wise.
  3. Don’t Give Up are composed of well-crafted, well thought-out scenes. What happens in one scene is supported or is supporting another. There are good motivations for every element. And the pace is just right. Paano’s scenes are shot in a manner that it’s obvious they were forced to shoot it fast due to time constraints. The pace is so fast, before you know it, the film is over.

The characters have good motivations but their actions don’t. For example, it is too easy for Martee to fall for Lance, and it is so easy for Lance to suddenly realise he is also in love with Martee just when he is about to kill himself again. The script tends to explain rather than show, making this film very noisy. It is overscored. I cannot remember a sequence where there is no background music. And the songs and music used are not even good, either. Moreover, it is obvious that most of the sounds used are canned.

I was already expecting another effective performance by Piolo Pascual, and I was not disappointed. What surprised me was Regine Velasquez’s. Although I liked Regine’s portrayal of a mentally challenged woman (opposite Piolo, too) on Maalaala Mo Kaya years ago, I’ve considered Regine in her past acting stints as almost always bordering on OA. Fortunately, she is able to pull this one off. She’s very effective. But among the cast, the one that the viewers will not forget is Eugene Domingo. She’s hilarious. The few times that I laughed while watching this movie, Eugene was in the scene.

Charlie Peralta did a pretty good job here. The cinematography is good. There are well-composed shots. It’s not fantastic but it’s not terrible, either. There’s nothing special about the production design and editing. This is definitely not Direk Joyce Bernal’s best romantic film but I’d still prefer this over I’m Sorry My Love or Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw.

Bernal’s last romantic comedy before this is Don’t Give Up on Us and it’s one hell of a movie — excellent screenplay, rich entertainment value, wonderful performances, great direction. I guess that’s one hard act to follow. Paano Kita Iibigin is not a bad film. It’s good. But then again, Bernal is one director whom I’ve always looked up to. And at this point in her career, after Till There was You and Don’t Give Up on Us, I’m not expecting good films from her anymore. But great ones. Paano fails to sustain that momentum. Anyway, thank God I watched it for free.

1.5

Raves: Acting performances
Rants: Screenplay, Musical Score, Sound

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