This movie can
be easily described in two words: “very relatable.”
And most of those who have seen this blockbuster
movie would agree. Star Cinema’s Starting
Over Again has successfully portrayed love in its different phases: falling
in love, being in a relationship, breaking up, letting go, and moving on---
which everyone can relate to. These stages of love were all narrated in a very creative
story telling that did not seem to be predictable nor contrived. The story was
intricately woven, which did not give any hanging questions but gave its
viewers something to think about.
The movie was brilliantly portrayed by Ginny (Toni
Gonzaga), Marco (Piolo Pascual), and Patty (Iza Calzado), although everyone
knows that the film is dominated by Ginny’s character. She ultimately
represents the emotions of anyone who has ever been in love: passionate, hopeful, fearful, confused, desperate,
and most of all crazy. And her
depictions of such emotions captured in this film have made us all cringe,
laugh, blush and cry---- as we all, at some point, see ourselves in her.
There were several memorable scenes in the movie that
made the audience feel like riding in an emotional roller coaster. The solo “bed
scene” of Ginny made us all squirm in our seats. The hilarious “love scene” of
Ginny and Marco made us all laugh our hearts out. The impressive “confrontation
scene” between Ginny and Patty made us respect the poise of the “perfect girlfriend”
and loathe the desperation of the “other woman.” The poignant “goodbye scene”
between Ginny and Marco also made every one of us realize that we can never ‘unlove’
a person, but we can always love that person in a different way.
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| from starcinema.abs-cbn.com |
The movie is definitely an exceptional romantic
comedy that not only entertained, but also enlightened the audience. It is a
very holistic take on love that portrays the romantic and cheesy side of it,
but also depicts the hard trials and its painful realities. It presented not only
the romantic possibilities of a second chance, but also underscored the valuable
gift of a final closure. Overall, it is an ingenious movie that made everyone
of us reflect on the mistakes and lessons of our romantic experiences, and yet
allowed us to be comforted with the thought of PSP--- that “past is past.”
The movie’s blockbuster
success can be credited to its creative story- telling and its boldness not to
succumb to the conventional “happy endings” that are typical of Filipino
rom-coms. Credit goes to Director Olivia Lamasan and the production staff for creating
a very intelligent movie that does not bore, idiotize, or turn off the Filipino
audience with none of the unnecessary cheesiness and corny spiels prevalent in
most local films. Hopefully, the movie’s record-breaking performance at the box
office should motivate the local film industry to produce similar quality
movies that affirms the increasing maturity and discerning tastes of the
Filipinos.
However, the movie is not without its Pinoy clichés
and commercial formula present in most local rom-com flicks. To those who have
seen a lot of these films, these questions are almost always asked:
Why do these
movies need to be titled after a song?
Why do rom-com flicks employ so many “friends”
for their lead characters who are not given enough exposure and substantive
roles except as comic relief?
Why
does it have to be mostly the female protagonists who have to go through a lot (humiliating
and embarrassing situations) for love? (Think Sarah Geronimo with her movies
with John Lloyd Cruz).
And why do these flicks have to end in a “happy ending”?
Apparently, it is hard to do away with this tried
and tested blueprint for local rom-com films. Though admittedly, Starting Over Again provided a happy
ending with a different and unexpected twist. It may be a very surprising
ending but it actually revealed a lot of realizations for exciting possibilities
and presented a semblance of reality. Nonetheless, it satisfied the Filipino audience’s
expectation of a light-hearted finale to a simple yet complicated love story.
Yet despite its theatrics and clichés, the movie appealed
to a wider audience and reached out even to the elitist crowd. It also helped
that Star Cinema aggressively advertised the movie and released it in time for
Valentine’s day. Its efforts surely created so much buzz for the movie that cinemas were
still full even after the Valentine weekend. Ultimately, it all boils down to the
film’s romantic appeal and its “relatability” to the Filipino audience that
made everyone of us feel that, no matter where we are in our lives, we always
have a chance to “start over again.”
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