Lovi Poe and Paulo Avelino in a scene from 'Sana Dati'.
“Sana Dati” is some kind of a rarity in Philippine cinema — a beaut of an intelligent romance drama that feels genuinely fresh and freshly genuine.
It’s a wedding film that has none of the usual trappings of movies of the genre, whether local or foreign. The story revolves around Andrea, a pretty young woman who goes under a heavy cloud of grief, desire, doubt, and uncertainty on her wedding day.
To spill what happens is to spoil the various surprises in the narrative. Suffice it to say that Andrea’s past, present, and future converge unexpectedly, headily but organically that ends not “cinematically” but rather deeply cathartically.
Director Jerrold Tarog, working on a sharp, first-rate script by Ramon Ukit, presents this celluloid bouquet with the delicacy and deliciousness of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese romance cinema. And that’s a compliment.
He is served exceedingly well by his entire cast led by a pitch-perfect and never-better Lovi Poe, who is sexy, sophisticated, and soulful as the conflicted bride-to-be, and TJ Trinidad, even more soulful as the clueless but patient and understanding groom.
But it is relative unknown Benjamin Aviles who almost steals the movie with a star-making turn as the man from the past whose shadow hangs heavily on the present.
No wonder this film won seven awards at the Directors Showcase competition of the recent Cinemalaya film festival, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor (for Trinidad).
If you’ll go see only one romance movie this year, make it “Sana Dati.” It’s a keeper.
REVIEW | ‘Sana Dati’ is intelligent, fresh, genuine romance drama
Source: InterAksyon.com (September 26, 2013 at 01:33PM)
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