Last week’s More than Blue premiere night may be considered a mini milestone in local entertainment – perhaps even a footnote in the history of Philippine cinema. It was, after all, the first time movie personalities bothered to dress up to attend a film screening since theaters were shut down almost two years ago, no thanks to COVID-19.
Of course, that premiere night was not as big as those grand affairs showbiz people used to stage before the pandemic. The personnel of Robinson’s Magnolia cinemas where the event was held saw to that – in compliance with the health protocols still being observed in the country.
The officers of Robinson’s were organized, polite and courteous, but rather strict with the implementation of rules when they finally allowed the use of one of their theaters. Marshals were posted all over to make sure people were properly observing social distancing and wearing their face masks properly.
The invitation to attend the private screening of More than Blue was relayed to me the night before by Anna Pingol, who heads this online site. Hmm, I hardly attended premiere nights in the past. Why would I want to do that in these pandemic times – even if the situation has improved considerably?
But seeing a rather light schedule on the date of the premiere, I changed my mind. I decided to go. For one, it gave me the opportunity to check if I still fit into my clothes after almost two years of mostly staying home. And then, there’s the chance to be inside the movie house again. Hooray!
Attending the premiere night was really no sweat. Robinson’s Magnolia is only a few whistles away from my current home. There was also this excitement inside me – wanting to be with friends again from the industry. Oh, the feeling of seeing old faces again was magical.
As it later turned out, the rituals of the premiere night turned out to be mere icing on the cake. There was a bigger treat waiting for me – the actual film product that is More Than Blue.
Originating from Korea, More than Blue had been retold quite a number of times. It is the turn of Vivamax to have its own version this time.
For all its many incarnations, the plot of More Than Blue hardly changes – and cannot be changed because it will destroy the very essence of the story. It is about a dying man who loves his female best friend so much, he makes sure her future is secure by finding the right man for her.
In the Philippine adaptation, JC Santos and Yassi Pressman play the two leads. They meet when they are still in high school. Yassi has just lost both parents to an unfortunate vehicular accident – leaving her alone in this world.
In the case of JC, his father has also just died. But his mother (played by Irma Adlawan) also decides to abandon him. Her reason behind this? She is sick and there is no cure for her illness. If she sticks around with her son, he would only spend whatever money his father left behind for her to get well – never mind if hers is a hopeless case.
This area is my only problem in the entire film. First of all, the location manager chose the wrong house for JC. It is the De Leon mansion at the corner of 9th Street and Broadway in New Manila. Designed by National Artist for Architecture Pablo Antonio before World War II, it was home to LVN matriarch Dona Sisang de Leon until her death in 1965.
Why is this house wrong for the story? It is a very familiar house to anyone who watches local features. It was used as the house of Eat Bulaga’s Lola Nidora and her two spinster sisters. Viewers know how grand that mansion is.
If JC decides to sell that property to fund his mother’s medical treatment, they can avail of truly expensive cures and still have a lot left for his future. Also, JC is in high school when this family crisis occurs. Can a high school student actually make major decisions regarding medical treatments?
And for crying out loud – how dare this mother leave behind a son who is only in high school?!
But except for that kink in the story, More Than Blue is a film worth watching, many times even. The onscreen chemistry of JC Santos and Yassi Pressman, to begin with, is almost unparalleled. It works from beginning to end.
And it also helps that both are very good actors, particularly JC, who is a perennial nominee in the annual Gawad Urian. He was, in fact, among the front-runners in the most recent one – for On Vodka, Beers and Regrets where he plays leading man to Bela Padilla.
They are also lucky to be given a great cast of supporting actors. Ariella Arida is the unfaithful girlfriend of Diego Loyzaga, the man JC chooses to be the life partner of Yassi. Ariella may be playing a secondary role here, but her presence lingers in the viewer’s head for quite a long time. She is that effective in More Than Blue.
But the one performance I enjoyed the most in the film is given by Marion Aunor, who plays a singer with zero talent for singing. She is truly hilarious in a lot of her scenes. Watch out, Matet de Leon, Marion may just easily steal your title as the pambansang best friend of local films. To think they have a connection to each other because of Nora Aunor.
The narrative of More Than Blue, incidentally, is not exactly told in a straightforward manner. But the director, Nuel Naval, is creative enough with his handling of the material and sees to it that viewers don’t get lost in the storytelling. There is, in fact, a clever scene toward the end that may shock viewers – well, at least, those who never had the chance to see any of the previous versions of More Than Blue.
By the way, there is a Taiwanese version of More Than Blue that is still up on Netflix. It is a series with several episodes.
But I like the Vivamax take on More Than Blue better – no, not necessarily because I am a Filipino who is being patriotic. Although engaging, the Taiwanese series has a tendency to meander – well, maybe because it is released in installment and they have to prolong the story.
Vivamax’s More Than Blue has more appeal because it is done cinema-style. The photography is magnificent, particularly in the part toward the end – a scene that features Diego Loyzaga and Ariella Arida.
A word of caution though: More Than Blue can be heart-wrenching. I am actually tempted to call it the greatest love story ever told, but you may find that exaggerated. But in a way it is because of the selflessness of JC’s character. Here is a love so pure, he hardly leaves anything for himself.
Go watch More Than Blue on Vivamax. But be prepared for a roller-coaster ride of emotions that in the end may tear your heart apart.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
More Than Blue special cinema screening, elicits nostalgic feels for attendees
The Butcher | How Carla Abellana's wedding could have even been happier
The Butcher | Three former leading ladies in distress
FOLLOW US ONLINE:
Facebook: facebook.com/pikapikashowbiz
Twitter: twitter.com/pikapikaph
Instagram: instagram.com/pikapikaph/
YouTube: youtube.com/pikapikashowbiz
TikTok: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZGJBapkV4/
and join our Viber Community: tinyurl.com/PikaViber
