A different kind of kilig

Film review: Can’t Help Falling in Love

MANILA, Philippines - Many things about the new Kathryn Bernardo-Daniel Padilla starrer are not predictable but the kilig factor remains the centerpiece of the latest blockbuster from Star Cinema.

But from the outset, this is a different kind of kilig that used to bamboozle gullible audiences. It comes naturally in the film when one least expected it.

It is a strange combination to see millennial stars acting out a story inspired by an Elvis Presley hit song of the early ‘60s.

The first meeting was in fact surreal when one in their circle of friends cooked up a bad joke that tied them in a legal marriage to their surprise. And shock.

After one drink too many, Gab (Kathryn) staggers into the men’s room to relieve herself and before she knew it, someone succeeded in producing a document that binds them together as husband and wife.

Thus, their excruciating desire to annul it by hook or by crook. Because as the story goes, Gab is very much engaged to a young lawyer (Matteo Guidicelli) and there is no way she can get away from it. At least in the beginning. As they contemplate various grounds for legal separation, they realize they are falling for each other and the joke suddenly turned true-to-life.

From one state of confusion to another and from one state of endearment to another, the two develop a kind of acting rapport that is pretty much natural and engaging.

Matteo as the poor Jason Aguinaldo completes the love triumvirate by looking and sounding credible as a young ambitious lawyer.

The screenplay of Carmi Raymundo and Kristine Gabriel liberates the love team from teenybopper expectations and pushes them into another level of adult relationship that suits well their new level of acting.

To be sure, their acting is far from excellent but their sense of spontaneity gives them the highest edge to be considered good actors in the making. The film also gives them a good leverage in which to give their best and as it turned out, they went beyond standard expectations.

This rapport allowed them to interact very well with the seasoned actors in the cast like Cherry Pie Picache (as the mother of Gab) and Pinky Amador (as the mother of Jason), among others.

The key to this wide box-office acceptance is naturally director Mae Cruz-Alviar, who guided the actors while thoroughly shifting through the material with an objective eye always on the lookout for things and situations that can still improve as they went along with the project.

The result is a film that appealed to the very young while giving seasoned adults the opportunity to reflect on their own past loves and relish them as they watch this fascinating loveteam goes through the highs and lows of love.

The music of Jesse Lucas created an atmosphere of love developing in unexpected places and it enhanced both the story and direction of the film.

The unusual hospital scenes towards the end did look mawkish at first but then it served as a useful transition from unexpected love to acceptance of destiny.

Nothing was spared to give the film an all-star cast look with the cameo roles given to screen hunks Zanjoe Marudo, Ejay Falcon and Piolo Pascual, among others.

As in everything with good results, direk Mae is right when she points out she keeps her audience in mind in all movie projects assigned to her.

What she believes in probably catapulted the film into the box-office giant it has become. “My goal is for more people to watch it so that the message of the film reaches more people. But it won’t get to a point where I will end up with a hodgepodge of a film just trying to accommodate the various audiences. Ultimately for me, what’s important is we tell a good story and that we impart values and send out a message that the audience can learn from.”

Can’t Help Falling in Love is now showing in cinemas. It has been rated B by the Cinema Evaluation Board.