‘More than blue’ A Pinoy take to a heart-wrenching Korean film classic

CEBU, Philippines —  Three or four days before filming for his latest Vivamax starrer was when JC Santos started studying his script. Up until then, he had underestimated the material. As he was reading, that’s when the weight of each scene dawned on him.

That almost every sequence he was in required heft from his character was new to JC. Doubt crept in, and after messaging his director expressing almost near-panic if he could deliver, JC found a nifty solution to his dilemma.

The 33-year-old actor penned a final letter of sorts to his baby daughter River Altheia. When he was about to tackle a heavy scene, JC would whip out what his director called his “kodigo” (cheat sheet). Re-reading what he imagines would be his last words to his child ignited, without fail, the needed emotions for his role in the heart-wrenching film “More Than Blue.”

“I feel I wouldn’t have been able to give justice to the role two or three years ago. Or I would just act it out. Now, I think it became a perfect material for me because I became a new father,” said JC during a virtual conference.

“I somehow understand how it feels to be deeply in love. Every corner of my role’s mindset I somehow understood, including the decisions he makes. If I didn’t become a family man, maybe I’d be weirded out by his decisions. So being a father was a huge help in deeply interpreting my character.”

Director Nuel Crisostomo Naval shared of his lead star: “We were chatting before the shoot and sabi ni JC he was nervous. I think that’s a good sign for an actor because he’s not being lax in his craft.”

The film’s writer likewise lavished praise on JC, whose beginnings are in theatre before breaking into mainstream television and bagging leading man roles in movies.

Said Mel Mendoza-Del Rosario, “Si JC, kahit background siya sa eksena, he has these nuances at may ginagawang tama sa hinihingi sa eksena. He’s precise as an actor. And the material for ‘More Than Blue’ needed nuanced acting. He’s an artist more than a leading man. Ibibigay na niya yung huling piga na akala mo bukas mae-expire na yung acting niya. Yung kailangan ubusin na ngayon.”

From the director of the Pinoy adaptation of South Korea’s ”Miracle in Cell No. 7” comes another Philippine remake of a Korean hit, “More Than Blue,” that’s streaming on Vivamax.

“More Than Blue” is a story of K (JC) and Cream (Yassi Pressman), both orphans and best friends who platonically share a home. K was abandoned by his mother when his father died of cancer, while Cream lost her entire family in a car accident. When K discovers that he is dying due to terminal cancer, he secretly keeps it from Cream and pushes her to marry someone kind and healthy.

Cream eventually meets John Louis (Diego Loyzaga), an affluent dentist, whom she announces she has fallen in love with. It breaks K’s heart, but at the same time, he feels relieved knowing that Cream will not be left alone. For K and Cream, will sacrifice suffice to make the person feel all the more loved?

The romantic drama also stars beauty queen Ariella Arida as a happy-go-lucky photographer and ex-girlfriend of John Louis.

Taking on Cream had Yassi feeling a jumble of emotions: fear, excitement…and above all, pressure.

“This project has been in line for two years, waiting for everybody’s schedule to come through,” the actress shared.

“It’s the lightest-heaviest project I’ve done. Lightest, because the characters are just beautiful souls. They’re so willing to live with their free spirits. Cream pushes her fears and pain to the side all the time and I relate to that – how she chooses to be always happy. She focused more on how to make K happy, and I just love that about her. And the heaviest because of the depth which I had to dig down was on a whole other level.”

It was Direk Ruel’s first time to work with the former “Probinsyano” mainstay, and he said he was impressed with her acting chops, to say the least, calling her performance in “More Than Blue” as relaxed, organic, and her most mature yet.

For Yassi, knowing the success that the original garnered around Asia made her feel honored and delighted to be part of the Pinoy remake. It also put “a lot of pressure” on her shoulders.

“More Than Blue”, a South Korean drama classic released in 2009, was adapted in Taiwan in 2018. It was highly received, becoming Taiwan’s highest-grossing film that year, with over a $300 million gross. The remake was also received warmly during the 23rd Busan International Film Festival. It became a worldwide phenomenon with blockbuster screenings in East Asian countries including China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore.

For Mel, the challenge of adapting a well-loved piece are the inevitable comparisons from a “possessive” audience.

“If it’s very popular and has a cult following, the audience tends to be possessive about it. It’s more difficult to please an audience compared to if it’s an original where there are no comparisons and expectations. So the challenge really is to make something old, new and different, but not alienating the original,” she said.

Despite comments of Pinoy creators lacking in originality and always settling for adaptations, Mel said remakes is still a tried and tested trend. Thus, they have faith that the project, just like 2019’s Aga Muhlach-starring “Miracle in Cell No.7” will be well received.

“And that’s why Viva acquired a lot of good titles because they feel that even if you’ve already seen it in Korean, iba pa rin yung experience na sarili mong language and you’re not reading subtitles,” Mel further shared. “From our experience in ‘Miracle,’ hindi rin gusto ng audience na kinopya mo lahat. In fact Direk Nuel refuses to watch the original films.”

And while Philippine cinema hasn’t been lacking in tear-jerkers, Direk Nuel thinks “More Than Blue” stands out because “of the universality of love and sacrifice that is very evident in the movie. Ang laki ng sacrifices nila to show their love, and I think Filipinos value that so much.”

“It’s more wasak puso because walang kontrabida. You feel for every character na ang simpleng gusto lang naman ay mahanap yung taong mamahalin nila and the opportunity na mahalin yung object of affection nila,” Mel opined. “There are different circumstances with each character that prevent them from accomplishing that ultimate happiness. Mas nadudurog ka because you root for everyone. Wala kang hindi tatayaan.

Catering to the Pinoy audience, Direk Nuel and Mel both agreed at the outset to tweak some plot points from the original.

“Nilagyan namin ng Pinoy vibe yung pelikula. Like with the mother, ang Pinoy na nanay hindi niya basta basta iiwan ang anak niya. And then the original had a suicide part. Sabi namin wala sa core namin. Hindi namin kaya yun to inject something that negative. Hindi namin kaya na after watching this, you’ll consider suicide as an option. So we took that out,” the filmmaker said.

Mel added that non-negotiable points for them are the values of life and family. “It’s something we can’t compromise on because life is supposed to be celebrated. The time given to the characters to love is precious. And for us Filipinos, parang hindi tugma to just waste your life after,” she said.

JC, calling K the bravest character in terms of love that he’s played and encountered, picks the wedding scene where he escorts his loved one to the and walks away thereafter as the most difficult to pull off.

“It’s not about the cry. Madaling umiyak, pero pinakamahirap yung magpipigil ka, yung ilalagay mo lang siya sa dibdib mo, hindi mo siya ilalabas. Pero kailangan maramdaman ng tao. So medyo naalarma yung buong pagkatao ko sa eksenang yun. “

While the film reminded JC to treat every day like it’s his last, Direk Nuel said that at the core of it all, the message they are imparting is this: “Hindi porke’t mahal mo ang isang tao ay gagawin mo na ang lahat ng gusto mo. Kung hindi, gagawin mo ang lahat ng mabuti para sa kanya.”