Movie Review: Joyce Bernal's For The First Time

Candy Pangilinan plays KC's "yaya" in Joyce Bernal's latest movie, "For The First Time". She also started the ball rolling down to a treacherous slope that has no promise of redemption, except for the fact that KC Concepcion stars in her very first movie. Unfortunately for KC, who is obviously bound for greater glories, the well anticipated movie miserably disappoints.

When the loquacious yaya starts spouting invectives, everything that comes out of her mouth doesn't quite translate into anything humorous. In fact, she was my main source of aggravation in the first 15 minutes of the movie. She just wasn't funny! She inspired my violent rages that I began seeing myself wringing her neck, shaking her endlessly until she realizes that her performance was nowhere endearing or amusing. Her character could be a latter-day incarnation of Suzanne Gonzales or Nova Villa who have played the hilarious nanny to many of Sharon Cuneta's early characters. Unfortunately again, Pangilinan doesn't possess the subtlety of the aforementioned actresses. She is as crass as a those MILF characters spouting ideals on peace. LOL. Having said that, let me go back to the movie.

I had high hopes about this movie. It was an "event" that hasn't escaped even my mother who's vacationing in Davao. And like me, she queued to witness this historical event. Me in Galleria, she in SM Davao. We basically know how the story goes: Rich, but hard working girl Pia (KC Concepcion) meets heartbreaker Seth (Richard Gutierrez) while vacationing in Santorini. She despises him like a fatal disease, which amuses the lothario into wooing her overnight. Sparks fly... or I thought it was supposed to.

There was something amiss with their screen pairing. I can't quite pinpoint the culprit. To be honest, I was never enthralled by Richard Gutierrez. Sure, he is "beautiful" - and though I have watched all his cinematic forays, i was never infatuated with him. His beauty is a novelty that's easy to overcome. He never made my toes curl. He just doesn't seem to possess the gravitas that makes leading men compelling - and that is purely personal. I am sure he has made lots of girls dream wild. Not me. I prefer my men "handsome", not "beautiful".

I have to admit though that his television appearances with KC are something to get yourself worked up with. As a couple, they are a perfection. Which begs the question why they didn't quite work onscreen. The answer must lie somewhere in the technicality of cinematic storytelling. This movie was recklessly told in all its mediocrity. It is such a shame, considering they even have to fly to Greece to spice up the formula. Here's another rub: One hour into the movie, the images onscreen start to blur! Their Grecian canvas becomes badly photographed, I could have shot those scenes better with my amateur video cam. It was so bad, it went on for the next 40 minutes or so! Was this partially filmed using a digital camera? Budget constraints maybe? And isn't Star Cinema a reliable source of glossy, flashy, picture-perfect visuals? The answer is obviously "not all the time". Not this time, at least!

Our troubled heroine Pia trades verbal tussle with Seth while in Greece. By stroke of luck, she makes a deal with the devil (Seth, of course). In a day's worth of flirtation, she falls head over heels in love with the cad. Ganun kabilis nawala ang yamot nya sa manlolokong maningibig. What made her change her mind? Simple! Seth pushed her off the jetty and down the aegean seas! Hahaha. As far as I am concerned, if a guy who woos me pushes me to any body of water, not only will I file a criminal case against him, he will also get a kick in the central recesses of his masculinity! I don't get wooed by murderous maneuvers! In my book, it is brutal, not romantic! But hey, it worked, Pia softens up and even accepts a dinner date that night!

Now let me focus on Seth's character who is inadequately threshed out. He has had a long history of "loving" most of Pia's girl friends, so - when did he have the time to actually live in Greece, learn the language - and in the process stamp an idiotic Italian accent to it - then acquire mastership of a tavern? Not only won't he open the guesthouse at the peak of the tourist season, he also kept dating a bevy of ladies. How did he manage to finance himself or his dates? So, in principle, Richard's character is at best, a figment of an extravagantly fertile imagination; a pulp fiction so desirable that you just have to believe sans logic.

Even as the couple gets back to Manila, the situations kept defying rationality: the greek restaurant scene is one of such scene. Allow me to backtrack to Santorini. When Pia's character fails to find a hotel in Greece, she goes back to Seth's tavern. Instead of eating a humble pie, she kept insulting the owner of the house. Didn't she just beg him to take them back? If so, how can she afford to be rude? This is just among a series of mindbenders littering this cinematic event! And yet, this is such a masterpiece that it actually gets a B Rating from the Cinema Evaluations Board! Which makes you think. Who are these nincompoops manning the C.E.B?

And since when has Phillip Salvador turned into a one-dimensional, sour-faced, caricaturish actor? Maybe coz he was underemployed for years? He comes out with a single expression on his face from start to finish - he might as well wear a mask to save him the agony of a transfixed grimace!

Now, the ending (spoilers beware!). Pia turns up to Seth's family gathering with her whole clan in tow, declaring her undying love for the heartbroken Seth. It was nothing but a failed gimmickry that was farcical at best. It unsuccessfully pushed the boundaries of romance, teetering on the vicinity of desperation. But make no mistake, it was neither romantic nor cute. Again, in my book (which took 22 years to write), romance ends with a cute guy wooing the cute girl. Not the other way around!

Now, to the only gem in this otherwise puddle of mud: KC Concepcion! She overflows with a natural instinct and charm that lights up the screen! She is intuitive and formidably competent - way way better than her mother when the latter was April in "Dear Heart" - or her next 10 movies thereafter! In "For the First Time", a movie star is born! It's just too bad that she had to shine in a mediocre movie! Mel Gibson did it in his very first starrer, the Australian teenage flick "Summer City".

Now, what has happened to Joyce Bernal? Why was this story so banal? Doesn't Star Cinema have creative consultants who scrutinize the storyline and the script? Olivia Lamasan? Ricky Lee? Here's more bad news: I watched the evening screening (7:30PM) at the Galleria, cinema 2 (their biggest I believe) and there was no crowd inside. "Caregiver" was almost-full on its FIRST SCREENING on its first day! What gives? But then again, who cares about that observation? I've read somewhere that the film has allegedly earned P15 million already as of 4 PM on its first day! Alleluia!

Would I still recommend this to people? Of course. This is still a must-see movie if only for the fact that this is KC's first movie! This will be remembered and often referred to when KC is at her prime as one of the stellar movie queens in the distant future - like her mom is!

As to my own mother, she forced herself to watch it in SM Davao. My mom is easy to please when it comes to Pinoy movies. She liked most of the Pinoy films she's seen so far, including Sara Geronimo's "Very Special Love". When asked how she liked the movie, she stopped herself to think, then said, "Ah.... ok lang!" And it was the most tentative thing I've heard from my mom!



















Santorini moments...