Still lovely the second time around

Film review: When I Met U

MANILA, Philippines - When I Met U is the second pairing of KC Concepcion and Richard Gutierrez, our film industry’s version of young royalty. A co-production of GMA Films and Regal Entertainment, we have Joel Lamangan taking on the directorial chores, putting our princess and prince through the emotional wringer of twenty-something love.

 As Jenny and Benjie, KC and Richard are both in relationships with other people. She’s a promo girl who’s attached to a successful vet (played by Alfred Vargas), while Richard is a charter pilot who owes his job to his girlfriend Tracy (Iya Villania). When both aforementioned partners are in a Palawan resort for the wedding of a common friend, destiny finds Jenny taking a flight with Benjie to make it to the said wedding. She arrives late thinking his text mentioned 1 p.m. when he meant to send 11 a.m., he’s stuck with a decrepit seaplane because the regular plane he flies had to be requisitioned for a mercy mission. Starting their friendship on such a wrong foot is soon exacerbated when the plane experiences engine trouble and they have to make an emergency landing on a deserted island and spend one night together waiting to be rescued. Of course, the seeming “cat and dog” animosity makes for a sweeter Valentine offering as hostilities thaw and they’re soon talking about the magic of love and what it means to be really in love; and not just with a person who it seems everyone around you is saying is right for you. Reality check kicks in when they’re rescued, and they’re restored to their respective partners; but of course, something irretrievable has been established, and the friendship and feelings grow.

The chemistry between KC and Richard is now more evident. If their first movie banked on the exotic locations and the mere fact that these two were paired for the very first time, that novelty would have outlived its usefulness for this second outing and it’s great to report that the story of the movie does engage the audience. Joel maintains a fairly fast pace for the development of the plotlines, and the rapport between our two stars is that much more visible. They’re more comfortable with each other, their scenes have more immediacy. In fact, their respective acting skills have improved. I especially liked the scene between KC and her screen dad (Tirso Cruz III), as he exclaims, he may be blind, but he’s not manhid and he senses someone “new” occupies her heart. Richard, while on his trip to Canada with Tracy (Iya), shows his mettle when confronted with the knowledge that the trip was all a pretense to get him away from KC’s character. There’s confusion, frustration, anger and despair written on his face and actions.

 It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how the movie will end (it is a Valentine release), but to the credit of its makers and the cast, the getting there is part of the fun. During the movie, someone poked me and asked if I was getting kilig, and I had to laugh and joke that at my age, I’m way beyond getting kilig and that’s just a dim, cobwebbed, senior-moment memory. But I can say it’s wonderful to watch KC taking the right first steps with her showbiz career, and if there is a third outing for this loveteam, I sense it will be something a lot of fans will readily watch.