Genre: Romance
Director: Bb. Joyce Bernal
Stars: Piolo Pascual, Regine Velasquez
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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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ang ingay niya nga bilang pelikula, parang yung Blue Moon dati. natawa nga ako everytime narinig ko si Piolo and/or Regine singing sa background. kumusta naman ang soundtrack. i know they want to force emotion on people but it doesn’t have to be so…forced.
i disagree on Regine’s performance. there were some scenes na OA parin siya. at kumusta naman ang wardrobe? i had trouble believing she’s a struggling mom kasi familiar sa akin yung mga suot niya bilang nakikita ko sa Mango, Zara, etc… not to mention na if you’re so hell-bent on preserving your independence, one night of hot sex won’t change that. it would have been interesting if she fought against it more pero parang nagsex lang kayo, in love ka na. eh kasi, i think it was in part because they wanted to maintain “moral” high ground and a “good” woman won’t sleep with someone unless she’s totally in love. but a “good” man can sleep with as many women as long as he’s severely, emotionally troubled.
i think the Lance character was a waste of Piolo’s talent. medyo stereotypical nga siya at kulang sa motivation. i liked him better sa first parts of the film when he’s an unruly drunk. sana hindi na siya nagbago because i don’t believe that he ever “got there.” i also wish that they played with his guilt more kasi honestly the tragedy was totally his fault. buti naman kung accidente lang talaga siya. but he was drunk. stinking drunk on alcohol and happiness but that does not excuse his actions. he should have known better. and i didn’t really see that struggle within him to deal with that fact. it was more of an i-blame-you-god anger then i’m-such-an-idiot-i-don’t-deserve-to-live anger.
owel.
actually it can. vulnerable na kasi si bakla kasi andami ngang problema na sa kanya. pag single mom pa kasi lalo, mas naghahanap ka ng companionship, e shug, nakita nya agad, syempre minestake nya for love. baka hindi lang napakita nang maayos.
tinatamad na ko magcomment hehe. pero mas maganda nga talaga dont give up on us. juday-piolo-direk joyce yun e. YUN NA YUN EH. sana makapag-sama-sama sila uli. hayayay.
kumusta naman ‘to?! Hahaha. Dapat pala pumasok muna ko sa Mango store bago ko pinanood ‘to para na-sense ko rin. Hehehe.
sobrang agree ako sa’yo dito, ayn.
yun nga yung problema. Kung tutuusin naman maganda yung story, kung story lang. kasi hindi lang talaga kagandahan ang screenplay at habang pinapanood ko, andami kong naiisip na “should’ve beens at could’ve beens.” andami kasing sayang dahil hindi naipakita ng maayos.
Eh. I’m not used to watching pinoy movies anymore. The plot takes too long, tapos yung iba sobrang lungkot na ewan and most of the time, i can predict what’s going to happen next or sa ending.
Eh.
“baka hindi lang napakita nang maayos.”
haha, yeah. owel. ewan ko. feeling ko it should have been a more subtle change rather than the sudden about-face that happened. ewan ko. basta nabigla ako nung nag-’i love you’ siya kaagad. i get what was supposed to happend pero parang…basta….feeling ko may mali sa characterization or at least sa pagtransition niya.
^^^ TRUE!!! nakakaHUWAAAT?!?! yung nag-alabyu sya kaagad. Nubayun?
it’s really funny. when a movie is slow paced, critics say it’s soooo slow parang short film lang na inextend to two hours. but when a film is fast paced, critics say it’s soooo fast before you know it tapos na yung movie. hahahaha.
ever heard of the word “appropriate”?
may mga movies na dapat lang mabilis, at merong dapat lang mabagal.
Comment on the movie..
Why do filipino films need to show bed scened in order to establish love or transitions on the relationship of the characters in the story?
Why Korean dramas and films need not to show such scenes but they were abe to establish a transition or (sudden change in within their feelings), extreme love between the two charcters?
Is it something to do with the actors acting? or with the directors interpretation or shall I say style?…..or
Mybe the filipino viewers who are more into explicit things in order to understand the story..
i think the Lance character was a waste of Piolo’s talent-Ayn
- no it’s Piolo’s talent who wasted Lance character, sxempre nasa actors nakasalalay yung ganda ng kalalabasan ng character nun tao sa story and not the other way around.. (sorry if I have to comment on this..)