Movie views: "Moments of Love"
"Moments of Love" is a
consequence of an old malfunctioning telephone.
The time-machine-like communication device connects the two phone pals, Marco (Dingdong Dantes) and Divina (Iza Calzado) who come from different time periods. They eventually fall for each other, literally giving meaning to the timelessness of love.
Reminiscent of "Somewhere in Time" and
notoriously recognized as a rip-off of the Korean film "Il Mare,"
Moments of Love is short of good acting and character build-up. I
understand though that Dingdong made a lot of effort to represent the
character the best way possible. However, some of his excessive
histrionics are uncalled for, which highlighted the film's shortness of emotional build-up. I just cannot understand how Marco
could have fallen deeply in love with Divina to the extent that Marco cries
and screams his throat off (in the course of a heavy rainfall of course) upon
learning of Divina's death days later after he foolishly persuaded her
to go to Manila and look for him. The casual correspondence or the
nightly small talks of the two people through the freaky phone line is
not enough to build the emotional intensity necessary to justify the
actor's performance. Dingdong's excessive dramatics could have given me
goosebumps, if it was only amply justified through a little more
reiteration in the story.
The first time Marco and Divina picked up the phone and heard each other's voices, anticipation would keep your eyes glued to the big screen. However, there seemed to be an excessive anticipation-building montage sequence for the exposition part of the story. Too much of this ruins the surprise. And let's not forget the customary "lightning" to end the bizarre contact between Marco and Divina.
Although typical, the scene was able to build the eagerness of the audience to wait for what will happen next. And what will happen next will definitely excite the viewers especially on how these two people will be able to discover that they live in different time periods. And guess how... all carved in an old tree of course!
Side Dish. Vital to a Pinoy love story is another love story on the side. If there is a love team, there has to be the "supporting love team." Although it would be proper to call it the "side love team" since you can always take them out without the main plot being affected. Apparently just a filler, the side love story did a little to add moments to Moments of Love. Had it been more connected with the main plot and given more twist, I would have given more attention to Dion Ignacio and Isabel Oli in the film. I even enjoyed watching Jojo Alejar act like Professor Lockheart more than finding out how the two actors would fare in the course of the film. The comeback of Jojo Alejar as the film's comic relief being Dingdong's sidekick is definitely a significant break given to a That's Entertainment veteran. His egocentric character as a defunct celebrity who was a renowned actor in the old times fits Mr. Alejar perfectly and he acts it with almost no effort at all!
Music. Moments of Love, the movie's theme is a lovely song as long as it does not persistently flood your eardrums in the duration of the film. And great news, it did. As predictable as it can be. Divina places her fingers on the piano and guess what song she plays. Lianne (Divina's granddaughter played by Dantes' ex-love Karylle) also plays the old piano in the old house and guess what song she plays. At the end of the movie, I can only conclude one thing, that the song "Moments of Love" has already been composed 50 years ago more or less. Every sound in the movie is a "Moments of Love" adaptation. This exaggerated consistency definitely supports the title of the movie. Why should it be titled "Moments of Love" if the entire musical scoring of the film isn't themed after the song anyway?
Moments of Love presents us two ideas. One, that love is timeless, that it will exist no matter what because time is no obstacle. Second, that absence makes the heart grow fonder. That even if the one meant for you is right in front of you, you'll still be looking for the one that isn't there, and oddly that someone sometimes doesn't even exist!
Then again, the most important lesson to be learned in this movie is to let go of your madness and learn to appreciate reality. The character of Dingdong Dantes eventually fell for Lianne. They really had a nice chemistry, those two actors. (Oh how I miss the old days!)
This movie tells us that what really matters is what we have now rather than what is impossible to have. Well, Marco could have married the old Divina (played by Gloria Romero) instead couldn't he if he really loved Divina in the first place. But then, would you be happy to see Dingdong Dantes and Gloria Romero kissing in the big screen?
The time-machine-like communication device connects the two phone pals, Marco (Dingdong Dantes) and Divina (Iza Calzado) who come from different time periods. They eventually fall for each other, literally giving meaning to the timelessness of love.
The first time Marco and Divina picked up the phone and heard each other's voices, anticipation would keep your eyes glued to the big screen. However, there seemed to be an excessive anticipation-building montage sequence for the exposition part of the story. Too much of this ruins the surprise. And let's not forget the customary "lightning" to end the bizarre contact between Marco and Divina.
Although typical, the scene was able to build the eagerness of the audience to wait for what will happen next. And what will happen next will definitely excite the viewers especially on how these two people will be able to discover that they live in different time periods. And guess how... all carved in an old tree of course!
Side Dish. Vital to a Pinoy love story is another love story on the side. If there is a love team, there has to be the "supporting love team." Although it would be proper to call it the "side love team" since you can always take them out without the main plot being affected. Apparently just a filler, the side love story did a little to add moments to Moments of Love. Had it been more connected with the main plot and given more twist, I would have given more attention to Dion Ignacio and Isabel Oli in the film. I even enjoyed watching Jojo Alejar act like Professor Lockheart more than finding out how the two actors would fare in the course of the film. The comeback of Jojo Alejar as the film's comic relief being Dingdong's sidekick is definitely a significant break given to a That's Entertainment veteran. His egocentric character as a defunct celebrity who was a renowned actor in the old times fits Mr. Alejar perfectly and he acts it with almost no effort at all!
Music. Moments of Love, the movie's theme is a lovely song as long as it does not persistently flood your eardrums in the duration of the film. And great news, it did. As predictable as it can be. Divina places her fingers on the piano and guess what song she plays. Lianne (Divina's granddaughter played by Dantes' ex-love Karylle) also plays the old piano in the old house and guess what song she plays. At the end of the movie, I can only conclude one thing, that the song "Moments of Love" has already been composed 50 years ago more or less. Every sound in the movie is a "Moments of Love" adaptation. This exaggerated consistency definitely supports the title of the movie. Why should it be titled "Moments of Love" if the entire musical scoring of the film isn't themed after the song anyway?
Moments of Love presents us two ideas. One, that love is timeless, that it will exist no matter what because time is no obstacle. Second, that absence makes the heart grow fonder. That even if the one meant for you is right in front of you, you'll still be looking for the one that isn't there, and oddly that someone sometimes doesn't even exist!
Then again, the most important lesson to be learned in this movie is to let go of your madness and learn to appreciate reality. The character of Dingdong Dantes eventually fell for Lianne. They really had a nice chemistry, those two actors. (Oh how I miss the old days!)
This movie tells us that what really matters is what we have now rather than what is impossible to have. Well, Marco could have married the old Divina (played by Gloria Romero) instead couldn't he if he really loved Divina in the first place. But then, would you be happy to see Dingdong Dantes and Gloria Romero kissing in the big screen?
This is an old movie review posted on an old blog.
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