A once and future love

You can say Us Again is one of those Valentine offerings cashing in on the commercial appeal of St. Valentine’s Day.

But midway into the film, you realize the project is well-written, the direction sensitive and the actors (especially Jane Oineza) have more than a pretty face to offer.

The actress registers very well and she conveys emotions by just showing them in her eyes and face with minimum dialogue. There is something of the free spirit in her she overlooks a friend, goes with her boyfriend all the way to a Zambales art festival.

 Just to fall in love with a taken partner.

On the whole, Us Again is about a once and future love and the stages of which the film defines with more than its ounce of good storytelling. It is the details that set this film apart from other romantic Valentine diet.

The moviegoers freely join the journey of Margie, (Jane) the medical technician who falls for a promising visual arts practitioner Mike played by RK Bagatsing.

After their present status is established, we are taken to revisit a love affair of five years ago, how it started and ended and how they end up in the same world but not without some retelling of a greatly emotional past and the wounds she incurred while building up her profession.

The journey into their past relationships is quite engrossing.

RK as Mike delivers a portrayal that matches the vulnerability of Margie. One expects some footage of him as a painter to further establish his character but the story is indeed hinged on a love that looks promising in the beginning but looks worrisome towards the end.

Jane is one actress who can go deep into her role and looking utterly credible as she reveals her heartaches. In the process, the character becomes her and you realize it is her presence that gives you more patience to see through the end of the movie which towards the end tends to be rather tedious and bordering on circumlocution.

But make no mistake about it: Us Again is a well-crafted film and an auspicious film debut for direk Joy Aquino. She has a way of telling a story on her own terms and succeeding every inch of the way.

For another, she shows a film sensibility not too far from the likes of Sigrid Bernardo and Irene Villamor.

Released by Regal Films, Us Again is now showing in cinemas. It also stars Miko Gallardo, Sarah Edwards and Jin Macapagal.