But since I have to play background shows/vlogs when I do chores like ironing, folding or packing for work. I chanced upon the first episode of My Love from the Star from GMA network. The last time I embraced a drama series was Judy Ann's Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala and I only watch Judy Ann Santos and no one else's. I read the headlines of the young stars of Philippine show business but I don't watch any of their programs. I wonder how they sound.
But since English Only Please, I don't mind Jennylyn Mercado and her films and Sarah Geronimo (although I only saw her movies with Gerald Anderson, that's it).
The concept of My Love from the Star (or You from Another Star or You Who Came from the Stars, Korean-English translations be damned) is about an alien (Matteo Domingo) stuck on Earth for 300 years (400 years in the original version) and about to leave Earth in three months when he crossed paths with a high-strung, self-absorbed actress (Steffi Chavez) as neighbor. Aliens or immortality are a kind of creepy concept. But it's something different, much like Superman and Lois Lane.
The alien in the GMA version is Gil Cuerva, 21, no prior acting experience and (owner of such beautiful, luminous skin) paired with someone (Mercado) with a few Best Actress trophies displayed in her gorgeous house. And ta da .... they had chemistry. They were believable as a couple. I've read tweets and yes, age is just a number, the nine-year age gap is not apparent through the magic of make-up? For a newcomer, Gil Cuerva's acting is actually viable. He could project and his presence registered well with his emotions. I didn't expect a Piolo Pascual or a Jericho Rosales level of camera nuances. But the young man could actually pursue acting.
I've seen a few actors (hyped by machinery) project with a lot less muster. They try to cry, to deliver punch lines but it's still a vacuous enterprise. (Steffi Chavez said it well in her critique of an usurper, "umiiyak na iyan ha, pero wala akong ma-feel"). Jennylyn played it big in the first few episodes and then settled down and delivered the goods. I don't know with other actresses her age but she has amazing skills and she could soar further in her career without an FHM magazine title attached to her image. I love her outfits in the series. Kudos to the stylist. And the set designers, you know only the rich could afford those neighbouring condominium units.
Joyce Bernal is good with kilig. Kilig rules Philippine mainstream showbiz since the black and white era (so annoying). I know it was a throwback (more than a decade later from its release when I saw it) but Joyce Bernal made Judy Ann-Onemig pairing work. Or Regine-Robin.
The cinematography in the series was quite passable, the Korean version had all the technology of course. But the remake's special effects weren't too deflating. Something might have just been amiss with Gabby Eigenmann hanging from a building or Jennylyn flying in the air. But I'll let that go.
With the writing, there were only a few bits and pieces from Matteo's past lives. I have to re-view an episode on how he acquired vast track of real estate gems. How does the lead male character maintain his assets when one dies every ten years? It didn't explain who would inherit his properties by the time he leaves Earth. Maybe the writers just ran out of time. And the ending did not explain anything (except for the kilig!). I read the Korean drama recaps and I realise that logic is hard to explain in the world of make-believe. But whatever loopholes, this is still a feel-good story, very light and soft, makes you forget about the mess in the world.
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