Crazy Beautiful You is a teeny-bopper movie. This statement is not to inflame, nor to denigrate the film, it is a romantic story between two young people who aim to start a relationship despite their respective situations. It is a feel good movie, beautifully shot, with beautiful people, a bleak yet photogenic set of locations, and with a simple yet inoffensive script about love and family that's sure to entertain.
Taken in that context, there's little to criticise about this movie. While I'm not a hardcore fan, I've enjoyed the Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernado 'love-team' back from their TV tele-serye days. Daniel usually plays the bad-boy and Kathryn the goody-two-shoe; their roles are reversed this time around, and it works!
Daniel seems more comfortable playing a happy person, which Kathryn can play a boy and she'll still be good at it. The chemistry is there, and the director milks it for all its worth, with long, drawn out shots of the two doing their thing. GF said there were kilig moments a-plenty. I admit nothing.
While the movie is plenty good, there are some niggles I'd like to point out (none of which can be considered deal-breakers but I am splitting hairs here). You get your requisite product placement shots (ABS CBN Mobile, a long-ass sequence involving KFC, and maybe a Condora ad-let). You get about four disruptive transitions (music stopping abruptly, scene changing just as suddenly) and Inigo Pascual's character.
Inigo plays the perfect second fiddle here, and (requisite cover-your-ass disclaimer) while there is no accounting for taste, he simply does not match up to Daniel's character or looks or situation -- he's a straw man built just to be toppled down, probably one of the story's weakest points (aside from an exposition between Kathryn and her mother, full of feels but not enough storytelling).
In the end, you watch this movie because of Daniel and Kathryn -- you see them growing more mature with their role, and you can see glimpses of what they can become. Daniel is the winner here, being charming without being shallow, sensitive without being too weepy. Kathryn is, well, her usual excellent self, though she does this by supporting Daniel in subtle ways.
The support case is decent, but entirely forgettable. Lorna Tolentino (playing Kathryn's mom) had the biggest support role, though it's a shame to see an actress of her caliber play a bit part. Gabby Concepcion plays your typical well-heeled politico (he plays Daniel's dad) with even less screen time (or consequence) than Ms. T. Oh, Annaliza (Andrea Brilliantes) is here, marking her first step into maidenhood (but only with a tiny amount of screen time). And, well, there's also Inigo but yeah :P
Who should watch this? If you like Daniel+Kathryn, then it's a given. If you enjoy feel-good local movies, yep, this one should be on your to watch list. Or if you just like watching beautiful people and places, then you'd have that aplenty.
Verdict: Highly Recommended (4/5)
TL;DR:
++ Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla
+ Daniel Padilla levelling up his acting skills
+ Beautiful shots
+ Kilig Momments
- Inigo Pascual
+/- Supporting cast pretty much negligible
+/- Simple, Inoffensive story
- Requisite tear-jerking scenes
Details:
Movie Release Date: 2/25/2015
Seen at: Eastwood Citywalk 2 Cinemas
Notable Stars: Daniel Padilla, Kathryn Bernardo
No comments:
Post a Comment