Paano kita iibigin

I just watched this movie expecting a quality movie. It features some of the Philippines' biggest stars. Sadly, I was so terribly disappointed. It was terrible. I was trying to find some saving grace to this film other than it having a number of stars who I am fond of, sadly, I couldn't find any. The story first of all was so contrived. Its build up was so sloppily done that it failed to substantiate the emotions it was trying to evoke. The last 10 to 15 minutes was particularly excruciating. It was one long continuous over-over-over-melodramatic sequence of crying backed up by the most uncreative and inane musical scoring I have ever heard. Endless minutes of the lead actor crying, followed by the lead actress crying with him, then she crying on her own, then him crying again...and the ping pong of crying scenes between the two just went on and on. I was wondering what was the point of all of that. If that was an attempt to arouse sympathy for the characters it failed miserably. The only emotion it aroused in me was intense disdain for the director and the musical director. Imagine watching a 15minute poorly produced music video featuring people crying and crying, with really really poor instrumental music that just repeated and repeated.

I pity Regine and Piolo, and the ultra talented Eugene Domingo! I can't imagine that people of their creative stature took part in such a monumental piece of garbage. Sorry if anyone is offended by this review, but you have offended your audience!

No wonder the Philippine movie industry is dying. They make trash like this and hype it! Geez

Regine Velasquez plays unwed mother and ex-call center agent Martee, who becomes the accidental manager at a provincial resort owned by the self-destructing Lance (Piolo Pascual), who continues to grieve the loss of his wife (Iya Villania); the usual spats before they eventually hook up, endure the usual soul-searching period, and the requisite Pinoy ending.

I don't understand why some people say Regine and Piolo have great chemistry because she looks like his tita. The unkind close-ups were also very telling of all her cosmetic surgery that detracted our focus from the thin plot. It's not entirely her fault; the make-up work on both Regine and Piolo were at times shoddy, with Regine's foundation too white and unblended at the hairline, her eyelash extensions distracting, and Piolo's foundation and "head wound" looking too obvious despite the low-key lighting.

One thing I'm grateful for: Regine did not have a real singing portion (typical role for singer-actors). Piolo also delivered on his job as requisite eye candy. Comedienne Eugene Domingo played a key supporting role and was the only one who really enabled me to endure the film (sans shirtless Piolo scenes) with her wonderful comic timing and acerbic humor. Incredibly annoying was child actor Quintin Alianza, who played Martee's son Liam. His grating voice and acting was OA and unnatural. His contrived acting and frequent glimpses at the camera was irritating.

The sound effects also needs improvement; Martee and Lance's nightswimming sounded like someone swishing water in a metal batya. The barking dog sounded canned as well. The musical scoring was also clumsily handled.

The cinematography was forgettable; director Joyce Bernal did not have any particularly memorable scenes: Piolo's solo ruminations and the love scenes looked uncomfortably staged with no real motivation. The one hour and 40 mins Paano Kita Iibigin took was indulgent; it could use tighter editing.

Watching Paano Kita Iibigin was my good deed for the day, accompanying a fanatic friend :oP It wasn't excruciatingly bad, and it wasn't fantastic either, but it was a welcome break from the frenzied pace of back-to-back blockbuster season.

Joyce Bernal has made a ton of movies, but in this latest offering I see nothing a new film school grad could not produce given some funding. I see more direction watching a run of the mill TV drama anthology on the Filipino channel, than in this 100 minute picture. Why not give a chance to new directors who may actually contribute to a better film industry. We keep seeing the same sorry product being churned out by the same sorry production companies and same sorry directors. It's a shame because there is a story to be told in movies like Paano Kita Iibigin, but the message gets lost by a fumbling director such as Bernal. I have only seen a handful of Films from the Philippines in the last 10 years, but what's the point when there is no progress, there is no advancement of the art. Because in the end we are talking about a form of art.I wonder if Bernal even remembers what art is about?