KITA KITA (2017): A FILM REVIEW
1:55:00 PM
I don't think I'm already over Cielo (Alessandra de Rossi) in 'Sakaling Hindi Makarating' riding a motorcycle at the end of the movie, promising to come home, so when I saw Lea (still Alessandra de Rossi) riding a bike on her way to work at the opening scene of 'Kita Kita', a part of me was already won over by the mere sight of the female lead. And as the movie ended, 'Kita Kita' did not just win my heart, it also captured my occasionally-poetic soul, definitely not something a rom-com normally does to me. Or does a rom-com even do that? Capture souls?
Meron akong isang libo't isang comments about Kita Kita, to the point na di ko na alam ano ang pinaka-importante. Haha.
Si Empoy, he's a revelation! I can't get enough of the fact that he has somehow shattered our male lead stereotype. Jericho, John Lloyd, Piolo, James Reid, who? Hindi naman si Empoy matangkad, ma-appeal, yung buhok nga nya naka-pomade pa, tapos the bigote. Sinong male lead ba nakabigote in his optimal state sa isang Pinoy rom-com flick? Pero si Empoy, being the comedian we all know he is, kuminang, effective, and at a surprising extent, nagpakilig effortlessly. All the million Filipino jaws dropped collectively. Boom! Pwede pala ganun.
Yung story. Di naman ground-breaking yung story, if you dig deeper into the plot. We have seen many of the plot's elements from various Korean, Japanese, American films and Young Adult romance novels. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a Wattpad story that is largely similar to the film's plot. Personally, I would recognize the fact that there are parts of the movie that aren't perfect, could have been replaced or could have been better. But all this almost didn't matter at all. Forgivable given that rom-coms are made with escapist intentions. Even before 'Kita Kita' asked for an apology (because of the somewhat creepy STALKER element of the plot? Lol), we have already forgiven it.
Si Alex, the Alessandra de Rossi. The underrated Alessandra de Rossi, whose previous roles in the entertainment industry were all either dark or troubled, was cast as a light-hearted female lead who is expected to smile, laugh, giggle and act lovable as Lea in the film. Another revelation. Boom, si Alex, pwede pala. Kathryn, Nadine, Liza, Sarah G, who? Lol. But seriously, if I liked Alessandra de Rossi before for her film efforts, call me obsessed right now. She is too real on-cam and off-cam that I don't think she is capable of a bad angle or a bad take while filming. All emotions people feel after watching Kita Kita, remember, the film is centered on her point of view.
You will never hear 'Two Less Lonely People In The World' the same way again after watching the movie. Even if you hear the original version by Air Supply, you'll always look for KZ Tandingan's and you'll always remember Lea and Tonyo. The moment the whole song started playing and it showed a slideshow of different nostalgic places in Sapporo with Lea blindfolding herself, I had two things:
1. Goosebumps all over my body as I found that extremely, extremely poetic (I mean, come on, isn't that what they call Panata? Sobrang malalim yung gesture my head exploded into a hundred IG caption materials.)
2. Immediate want to travel to Sapporo, Japan (films like this always tend to promote places for Tourism effectively).
I know showing na ngayon yung movie nina Sarah at John Lloyd but if you haven't watched Kita Kita yet, unahin niyo na. If you won't enjoy it, then you don't deserve watching rom-coms at all. Lol
XOXO,
@callmenorby
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