Kun Maupay Man It Panahon: Movie Review

"Kun Maupay Man It Panahon" or "Whether the Weather Is Fine" is about finding hope and catharsis in tribulation.

After the typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) wreaks havoc on Tacloban, Miguel (Daniel Padilla) finds himself all alone. He lost his girlfriend, Andrea (Rans Rifol), and mother, Norma (Charo Santos-Concio), during the storm. And he seems ready to give up on the hope of ever finding them.

Until Andrea shows up from nowhere. Along with her arrival is news of an incoming storm and a boat heading to Manila, docking near Tacloban port. She plans to board it and find a job as an entertainer in the big city. Miguel is convinced that it’s an opportunity for him as well. But he wants his mother to come with them too. 

So they traverse the dilapidated apartment and witness odd behaviors from its tenants, like a woman dressing up her kids as saints.

Eventually, they find Norma. But unlike Andrea, she’s not enthusiastic about leaving Tacloban. At least not without first reconciling with her estranged husband.

With the impending storm, Miguel must make a choice: will he leave or will he stay?

Love is Color Blind: Movie Review

The blossoming love team, DonBelle, stars in this colorful and cheesy rom-com film directed by John Leo D. Garcia.

Ino (Donny Pangilinan) was a promising artist who was following in the footsteps of his mother (Eula Valdez). However, after a car accident, he loses his ability to see colors other than black, grey, and white.

Meanwhile, Cara (Belle Mariano), his best friend, returns from a trip to Hong Kong to see her family and Ino. Her undying love for him motivates her to find a solution to his color blindness. That's when she meets Iris (Angelina Cruz), a gallery curator.

But this causes Cara problems as Iris gradually becomes a potential rival to her love for Ino and an old classmate (Jeremiah Lisbo) enters the picture to win her back.

Wild Little Love

He was a poor boy. She was a rich girl. Can love blossoms between them?

Teen stars Andrea Brillantes and Seth Fedelin leave their marks as the up and coming loveteam to look out for.

“Wild Little Love” follows the story of Sam (Andrea Brillantes), a wild child from a prestigious academy. Despite her popularity and beauty, she is a renown prankster and bully.

One day, her father, Luis (Alfred Vargas), decided to discipline his daughter by sending her to a public school. The deal is simple. She only needs to stay for a year there. And if she shows signs of humility, she can go back to her old life.

However, it won’t be easy. Not for a certified rich girl like her.

Good for her that the poor yet hard working ladies man, Jake (Seth Fedelin), is there to help her adjust to the new world.

It is a classic rich girl meets poor boy affair. And like any great love stories, their love is forbidden as their world cannot meet.

Ang Henerasyong Sumuko sa Love

Netflix's latest Filipino movie is about five friends whose lives have changed after graduating from college, directed by Jason Paul Laxamana 

Five friends met at a riverside a year after their graduation. It was all part of the pact they made to one another. They shall meet at that exact location annually. No one shall remind one another. And no consequence if they do not show.

The first to arrive is Kurt (Tony Labrusca). He is a freelance graphic designer forced to provide for his family’s needs. The overwhelming obligations laid upon his shoulder prompt him to prioritize work over himself and his friends.

The second to come is Ma-an (Jane Oineza). After graduation, she becomes an influencer. However, her zeal to find success through social media leads to open more insecurities than opportunities. 

Next is Denzel (Jerome Ponce). He spends most of his time managing his business and hooking up with random guys. In his sexual adventure, he met someone who challenges his belief in relationship, love, and desire.

The last to appear are Hadji (Albie Casino) and Juna Mae (Myrtle Sarrosa). The two are in a relationship without labels. The uniqueness and vagueness of their romantic affair spark off doubts and complications.

"Ang Henerasyong Sumuko sa Love" follows chronicle the life of a young adult in a world that expects too much from them.

However, Laxamana’s feature falls short in fully capitalizing its premise.

For a start, the title is misleading. It might sound cool and compelling, but the movie merely talks about love and giving up. It instead embraces the two concepts together. The film is not about submitting to indifference or antipathy. It's about how a generation discovers the many layers of love and the things they have to surrender to nourish it. 

"Ang Henerasyong Sumuko sa Love" is an ode to the youths, indeed. And like the youngsters it wants to represent, the film is imperfect in many ways.

It devotes most of its time filling the narrative with frivolous and useless information. Most scenes are not value-adding to the message of the story. And all of the characters' arc closes without proper closure. That is why the film comes off as a superficial thesis of millennials.

Though, narrative-wise the film is getting there. All stories have the potential to be better. But they usually feel empty and uninspired. "Ang Henerasyong Sumuko sa Love" seems to surrender when things are about to get interesting. If only Laxamana bends it more to address other social issues and generation misconceptions, the film might have become an impactful voice of the youths.

2/5

The Boy Foretold by the Stars: Movie Review

Adrian Lindayag and Keann Johnson both shine as the star of this 2020 romantic BL movie, directed by Dolly Dulu.

Dominic Cruz (Adrian Lindayag) is not just a closeted gay student of an all-boys catholic school; he is also a skeptic.

When one of his best friends, Timmy(John Leinard Ramos), invited him to visit a fortune teller, he grudgingly agrees. Dominic is not a believer in this kind of practice. To him, fortune telling is probably a scam because the future is the future. Whatever is stored for the days to come will eventually happen. And no one will be able to predict what it is.

But Baby R is different, though. She has a 99.5% accuracy rate with her predictions. Besides, fortune-tellers cannot predict the future. They only give their customers guides. Everything that follows is up to them. 

Baby R sees love in the future for Dominic. However, there is an uncertainty that surrounds it.

Fast forward a week later. In a retreat called “Journey with the Lord”, Dominic met Luke. The captain of the basketball team of their school and a firm believer of destiny. His reason why he joined the retreat is simple. He wants to escape and move on from his recent break up with Karen (Rissey Reyes).

Dominic understands where Luke is coming from, even if he never experienced romantic break-ups before. He knows what it feels like to look for an escape. 

Eventually, the two bonded with the little similarities and huge differences they have. As they formed an unlikely friendship, Dominic starts to believe that Baby R might be right with her predictions. Love is in his future. That is until the uncertainty comes. Karen returns to get back with Luke.