Rhian Ramos, JC Santos share ultimate takeaways from ‘Meg & Ryan’

MANILA, Philippines — Rhian Ramos and JC Santos recently opened up about the lessons they took from portraying the titular characters in “Meg & Ryan,” directed by Catherine Camarillo.

Speaking on the sidelines of the film’s premiere night, Rhian shared her excitement over the project.

“I’m so excited because this story is a beautiful one. I think it’s a movie where a lot can be learned in a fun way. It’s entertaining but there’s also a lesson,” she said.

Asked what that lesson might be, JC answered: “Of course, we still want them to be hopeful about love and relationships.”

Rhian added, “And how love inspires us to be the best version of ourselves.”

In the romance, “Meg & Ryan,” JC gives a nuanced and convincing portrayal of Ryan — a professionally stable 30-something man who is inexperienced in romance but has managed to deflect peer pressure.

Rhian plays Meg, a wealthy and free-spirited woman who struggles with unresolved “daddy issues” and has trouble managing alcohol. Her emotional trauma and vulnerability are masked by carefree-ness bordering on recklessness.

The film plays into the trope of serendipitous meetings. Meg and Ryan encounter each other in improbable and awkward situations: he nearly runs her over while she’s crossing the street naked; they later end up spending the night together after a drunken encounter. Despite the wrong timing of their initial meetings, they eventually reintroduce themselves properly.

From there, the story explores the idea of whether meaningful connections require perfect timing or if destiny can override circumstances and personal baggage. The film likewise suggests that even imperfect beginnings can lead to something real.

While some scenes — particularly those involving the friends — could have been trimmed for pacing, the film finds its footing when it centers on Meg and Ryan’s evolving relationship.

Special mentions go to content creator Poca, who brings his online to the big screen as Ryan’s scene-stealing co-worker, and to Metro Manila Film Festival 2023 Best Actor Cedrick Juan, who plays a reformed playboy. “Meg & Ryan” is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

What may surprise viewers is that the film was completed long before its release.

“December 2023 pa namin ito ginawa,” JC revealed.
 “Finally, it’s a sigh of relief for direk Cathy Camarillo kasi ang dami niyang pinag-daanan sa pelikula na ito, bago ipalabas. I’m happy for them (Pocket Media Productions, the producer).”

At a separate press conference, direk Catherine opened up about the long delay and the emotional journey behind the film’s completion.

“Going back to my experience of doing it… actually, it’s my first time (to) do a love story. I really enjoyed the set, I didn’t face any difficulties, I had a great cast. They gave everything that I wanted to see in the film, my vision for the film.

“And then for a time, it stopped. I didn’t know how to relaunch (restart) the project because there was also a particular song that I wanted to acquire…. It was a struggle for me, especially as a filmmaker, because you want your masterpiece to be complete with everything that you want to see in a film.

“Because I had a lot of films wherein I made a lot of compromises. I had a lot of films where I needed to make adjustments based on (kung ano ang kaya lang) what was possible. But this particular film, I gave it my all. I waited and I got what I wanted to see in the film. And now that I’m seeing it in the film, I’m just so happy that even in just this film, I was able to do everything that I wanted to do.

“And I was really supported by my cast. Hindi matatawaran ang respeto na binigay nila sa material and kung paano nila ako nirespeto bilang director, kung paano nila binigay yung 100 percent nila na minahal din nila.

“Tapos nung huminto and medyo matagal na launch, akala ko hindi ko na makikita yung support dito. But they’re here. It’s a commitment that they gave me that I really value so much.”

Direk Catherine also spoke about the casting process and what convinced her that JC and Rhian were the right choices for the roles.

“Ang ganda-ganda nila together. It started with… I was really just eyeing to work with them. Aside from knowing their craft, when I read the script, I looked for the physical attributes at the same time their personalities (of the characters).

“As a director, right, when you read the script, you started imagining who could possibly play the characters here. Then again, I also thought… what if they won’t accept (the project) if pitched? So I had a Plan B.

“But when we pitched it to them — it was a Zoom meeting — I saw right away that they could pull off the characters of Meg and Ryan. It’s not hard for me later on to work on this film.

“They were very professional and they embraced their characters. They already knew what to do with their characters… And another reason why I was very appreciative of them, they were very collaborative when it came to the script. They added more flavor to their characters and gave them justice.”