Imagine the pressure for both Jennylyn Mercado and Direk Dan Villegas to outperform their two previous collaborations 'English Only, Please' and 'Walang Forever' which definitely brought their names to new heights. I thought their 2017 offering, 'All Of You' was meant to join this parade. It turns out, however, that it can't be compared directly with the other two films because 'All Of You' is not a rom-com flick. It's a rom-dram, a romantic drama. There's nothing comedic about it - no funny punchlines, no comic reliefs, no ticklish scenes. And that's exactly why I think you need to watch this film. While others say that this us generic, dare I say this just levelled the playing field of Filipino romantic drama films.
The tested chemistry of Jennylyn Mercado and Derek Ramsay was first proven in their 2014 MMFF breakout hit 'English Only, Please'. I know people who have not watched 'All Of You' or its trailer may fear that the tandem will only give the same feels the way they did in EOP, I feared this too. But I'm so glad that All Of You was too far from what I expected.
Don't expect to giggle the way we all did when we saw Jennylyn acting quirky in her previous roles. Don't also expect to laugh the way we did when Derek's character made funny mistakes in EOP. 'All Of You' is a serious film. It is uncomplicated. It has no twists and turns. It feels like the story in this movie is also the story of someone you know. This is probably why some people say 'All of You' is generic or boring. It does not try to stand out by infusing plot elements that people will be talking about. But just because the story is safe doesn't mean it is unwatchable. Sometimes I guess we need to see an everyday story echoed on the big screen without imaginative complications. All Of You is one of those films - raw but enjoyable.
Jennylyn just doesn't get it wrong when it comes to her characters especially those conceived by Dan Villegas. Her portrayal of Gabbi here sure feels like something we have seen before (especially if you notice that she is left-handed lol) in her previous movies when she gets serious or troubled. In All of You, you'll see her as more mature, more effortless. Derek on the other hand is given all the spotlight to shine as Gab in this movie. It's funny how we all might have stereotyped him as the macho actor whose swagger precedes his character on films but in All Of You, he shows more emotions than what we have seen of him. It surprised me that Derek could make me feel his anger that way. This film definitely has Derek-centered scenes of authenticity that are Best Actor-worthy.
I still believe however that if this film cast another set of leads, the formula would not have worked. I know Jericho Rosales was intended to play the male lead but I'm betting that this wouldn't have been as effective if it were him. The formula worked because our expectations of fun and lightness for both actors were countered by an unsolicited sober tone and issues of millennial couple life we already know about.
We finally have a romantic drama film that involves characters that don't conform to usual Filipino cinematic romance conflicts - no third parties, no infidelities, no imminent deaths. All of You is perhaps the realest, most honest and to some extent, the most relatable MMFF entry this year.
It may be easy to forget the plot of All Of You after you watch it but it's going to be hard to forget that this film did it first.
RATING: 8/10
xxx
@callmenorby
