The Dailies

Since I did not watch the movie but was interested with the brouhaha it created, I searched for a good critique and remembered Nestor U. Torre. Here’s his review of the movie A Love Story.

The movie love triangle redefined

At first blush, “A Love Story” looks like it’s going to unfold in a standard manner, as its “generic” title intimates. In fact, it starts with the “regulation” confrontation scene between two women who we presume are the wife (Maricel Soriano) and the young mistress (Angelica Panganiban) of the “confused” male protagonist, played by Aga Muhlach.

As the film progresses, however, it turns out that we’re in for a series of twists and other surprises that make Maryo J. Delos Reyes’ new love triangle quite different from the usual romantic melodrama.

By skewing its perspective so “naughtily,” it’s as if the production is saying that the usual contexts of “a love story” are no longer operative, and that new definitions and declensions of “love” are definitely in order.

We’re all for cinematic surprises, so we welcome the plot and character twists. Later, however, our involvement is marred when Aga’s character turns out to be a psychological mess—but the movie doesn’t make it clear why.

Yes, it informs us that he comes from a broken home, that his mother left her family high and dry, that his father was disappointed in him, that his father, who now has Alzheimer’s, can’t even recognize him, etc.

But these downbeat notes don’t adequately explain Aga’s dangerous mood swings, which wreak havoc on the women he professes to love.

Despite this lack of psychological focus, we’re glad to see Aga go beyond his patented “cute but sensitive” acting style, and come up with some harshly compelling acting highlights.

Unfortunately, some of these raw moments are marred by excessive musical underscoring, which robs them of their passion and power.

As for Maricel, she does well enough in this movie, but her “signature” mannerism (pursing lips) occasionally distracts.

The acting find here is Angelica, who despite her young age is able to hold her own in her scenes with the vastly more experienced Aga and Maricel.

Another fine place of acting is turned in by Mark Gil as Maricel’s former husband. He figures in only a few scenes, but he fills them with the quiet but intense truth of his portrayal.

As the movie’s plot and characters are further developed, we appreciate the production’s other strengths, which include effectively off-tangent “coincidences,” like Maricel finding herself involved in the delivery of Angelica and Aga’s baby. Oh, how she suffers through it all, and the women in the audience empathize with her pain!

This, again, stretches the limits of the traditional concept of “love,” which is the movie’s most remarkable contribution to the constantly evolving lexicon of screen romances.

Too bad that the film paid less attention to its characters’ back stories, and the psychological underpinnings of its male protagonist’s many, knotted-up angsts.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 25th, 2007 at 8:26 am and is filed under Infotainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.