Learning to love at the right time: 'Walang KaParis' review

MANILA, Philippines — The unlikely smash AlEmpoy tandem of Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez reunite under their "Kita Kita" director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo for a deeper turn at romance in "Walang KaParis."

The film sees Paris-based artist and mime Jojo (Marquez) crossing paths with a woman named Marie (De Rossi) who is a startling likeness of a mysterious person he had painted before.

What follows are the two navigating a relationship through uncertainty, hesitance, and underlying wariness to fully commit to a person until the feeling is right, but such moments often come too late.

Bernardo herself has admitted in the build-up to the movie's release it took her a while to finally decide on doing another AlEmpoy film, and acknowledged she may never beat the sleeper hit success of "Kita Kita."

Structural traces of the 2017 film can be seen throughout "Walang KaParis," but undoubtedly it leans more heavily into the relationship of two individuals whose coming together seems — whether through wishes, prayers, or curses — fated.

The film fully relies on the performances of De Rossi and Marquez, whose undeniable chemistry comes through in the subtle sweet moments they share together rather than the big gestures that the script asks of them; its in the teasing touches, the longing stares that make this duo work.

RELATED: Alessandra De Rossi, Empoy Marquez leveling up their chemistry for 'Walang KaParis'

Speaking of subtlety, De Rossi manages to do so much with just her eyes, the way they crinkle at Marquez's floating comfort and stare deeply looking for answers that audiences themselves are searching.

Marquez's enigmatic precariousness in the first half comes to light during the story shift, and how the comedian manages to differentiate these characterizations shows that he has dramatic talents to pull from his belt.

As romance dramas goes, the structural plot comes off as inevitable but Bernardo's script does its best to keep viewers wondering where this relationship leads; without giving anything away, holding back just a bit at the end might have that curiosity even stronger for the better.

The appearance of an award-winning actress deep into the film is a welcome surprise in a film that makes good use of Paris locations — a blend of the familiar tourist sites, common spots of the locals, and where Filipinos living in the city would oft appear.

The secondary location of the film has the major task of mirroring the City of Love, but director of photography Boy Yñiguez does well to balance warmth and coolness, managing colors to better focus on de Rossi and Marquez's performances

There is no question that the biggest challenge "Walang KaParis" faces is being compared to "Kita Kita," but let it be said that this AlEmpoy film can eventually carve its own path without having to bear the pressures of the past; for as the movie shows, love takes time, and patience can be more pivotal than chemistry.

"Walang KaParis" is now streaming on Prime Video.

RELATED: 'Wala nang papantay': Sigrid Andrea Bernardo on reuniting Alessandra de Rossi, Empoy Marquez