June 22, 2022
Rich pre-med student AM Fernandez (Janine Gutierrez) and poor working student Harold Coquia (Paolo Avelino) were the very best of friends. They first met in college, drawn together by their common love for making music. Upon AM's passionate suggestion, they formed a band together called AM/PM to perform their original material, Harold on guitar and vocals, and AM on the keyboard and synthesizer.
After nine years of no contact, the two of them meet again at the wedding of common friends. Harold had immigrated to Canada and was now the manager of a restaurant there. AM did not push through with med school, and was working as a payroll manager of a firm. Their short reunion was marred by awkward silences. However, an unexpected glitch in travel plans gave them 16 more hours to reconnect.
There is no argument that the camera loved both Janine Gutierrez and Paolo Avelino. They looked good the whole film, wearing whatever clothes in wherever location. There is no more doubting their abilities to act or to carry a film, as both have proven in previous films. Their romantic chemistry together had already been seen in their television series "Marry Me, Marry You." Audiences will care if they get together at the end or not.
This film really needed the charisma of its lead stars and potent musical soundtrack (with two classic songs by band Mayonnaise -- "Jopay" and "Bakit Part 2") to beef up its very simple plot of unspoken sentiments, missed opportunities and what ifs. Director Prime Cruz alternated scenes of present and past to give his familiar story a stylistic edge. The cinematography looked classy, but I did not like the unnecessary shaky cam in Act 3.
"Ngayon Kaya" has the distinction of being the first Filipino film in wide-release after the pandemic. However, after two years of getting hooked on online streaming apps, we would want a film to be something worthy of spending for an expensive cinema ticket. This film is very well made and well-acted, but I could not help a feeling of familiarity, that I had already seen it before. Merely mentioning parallel universes does not really count. 7/10.
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