Movie Review: Always Be My Maybe

Image courtesy of www.starcinema.abs-cbn.com

Main Cast: Gerald Anderson, Arci Muñoz, Jane Oineza and Kakai Bautista

Director:  Dan Villegas

MTRCB Rating: PG

Produced by: Star Cinema

Gerald plays Jake del Mundo, a handsome playboy who comes from a privileged background. Years of playing around with women finally got him tired and bored. Just as he is about ready to get serious to take a special girl Tracy to the altar, she finally had enough of Jake and dumped him for another man.

Meanwhile, Tintin the make-up artist, the idealistic one who always dreams of a near perfect relationship suddenly finds out that her man has already committed himself to another girl - and worse even proudly displays his new girl on facebook. Uh oh...that hurt too bad.

Always Be My Maybe is a light comedy movie, with good pacing as the story and characters are allowed to develop naturally. The first and funny encounter of Jake and Tintin kind of set the tone for their succeeding encounters after. And each time, she goes online to make ‘emote’ about something that really hit her.

On her videos, Tintin gives make-up lessons that transform to an online love diary where she shares her happiness and pains in her naturally funny humor. Her videos have thus gained considerable following and get viral in the process.

Jake's and Tintin's occasional ‘friendly dates’ have become a regular thing. Over bottles of beer, they laugh and cry at each other’s joys and frustrations. Misery loves company, indeed.

Ultimately, the not-yet-couple pair realizes that they are hitting it off effortlessly, and that they are happy being together. The magic is clear, yet at some point, they are in denial. The two act out their scenes so naturally, eliciting laughter from the audience who most probably have identified themselves in the story.

Surprisingly, they show a strong chemistry onscreen. Handsome Gerald perfectly complements Arcy’s kind of beauty – oh how the camera loves her. It was bolstered even more during their intimate scenes together. Matched with perfect musical score, the director nails them, executing the scenes beautifully, making it sensual without being cheap.

Director Dan Villegas is consistent, as in his previous films - English Only, Please and Walang Forever. This Star Cinema movie definitely gets the plum.

By and large, this movie is worth your time and money. Gerald and Arcy show good promise and are definitely a delight to watch.