Olivia Lamasan’s follow-up to “In My Life” tells the story of Emman (Aga Muhlach) who starts a new life after an unfortunate incident in Japan where he works as a dancer. Gary was able to prevent the killing of the mayor’s son. Dylan (Jake Cuenca), and as a reward, was asked to be the dance instructor of Dylan and his fiance Mercedes (Angel Locsin). What follows is an interwoven love triangle full of revelations.
The movie was presented in a non-linear structure, thus, it was still able to bring something new to the table despite the storyline too telenovela-ish. The transitions from one scene to another were very much commendable, and this is the first time in yeard where I enjoyed the opening credits of a local movie. The songs used (pretty much repeatedly) blended well with the movie, and does not sound annoyingly repetitive. The musical score was one of the highest points of the movie especially during the first part. They were there definitely to set the mood of the scene.
Lamasan’s direction is good. Testament to this is that even though there were scenes were there were no lines, and no musical score on the background, the feeling that she wants you to convey is translated to the audience. She also brought out the best in her actors. Cuenca though confusingly awkward at first, finally found his footing midway, and continued until the end. This is Aga’s finest performance in years. He looked so awkward during his dancing scenes but his highlight scene showed the vulnerability of his character and furthermore, the versatility of his acting. Locsin delivered a good movie actress performance. There’s a scene where she can’t help but resort to kunot ng noo style of acting but made up for it throughout the film. Her eyes act more than they should, and her screen charisma is undeniable. Her chemistry with both Aga and Jake is so natural.
I love the fact that there is a hint of social relevance in this film, and no filler floating characters. There were those that appeared for a while but they didn’t leave their story lines hanging. if I have my way though, I wouldn’t ended it with how the ending turned out. I’ll probably leave it with the Governor’s Ball ending. But hey, this is still a commercial film. I’m probably asking too much if I wanted my ending to push through. Still, very much recommended and probably one of the best mainstream films in recent years.
Grade: A-/B+
