REVIEW: Just One Summer

Title: Just One Summer

Director: Mac Alejandre

Producer: GMA Films

Distribution: GMA Films

Date of premiere: August 15, 2012

A lot of questions were formed in my head after watching Just One Summer. The following are some of them:

1. Masarap kayang maging tatay si Joel Torre? (Will Joel Torre be a good dad?) Because that scene where he tries and succeeds to wake up a defiant Elmo Magalona seems strangely succulent.

2. Why is this film too formulaic? On the first meeting of Beto (Julie Anne San Jose) and Daniel (Elmo Magalona), I knew something chaotic will come up. And I was right: Beto vomited on Daniel's shirt. Spell cliche.

3. Isn't Daniel too young to go abroad to study medicine? He looks like he has not yet finished high school.

4. Why is the film insisting on building up minor characters? Several actors playing these parts come up laughingly-bad, particularly Sef Cadayona. His character could have been done away with.

5. Is Beto too smitten that she very easily forgave Daniel after he sexually harassed her? One scene he was trying  to abuse her crush for him by kissing her forcefully, the next scene they're washing carabaos by the lake.

6. Why bring up Beto's scholarship and tuition money, when this is not anymore mentioned after Daniel falls in love with her. Did she even go back to school, or is schooling chucked away from her life goals after she attracted the haciendero's son?

7. Who is this film's production designer, and scout locator? They did a good job. The nice shots of the farm and well-designed sets made the film tolerable to watch. Eye candy everywhere.

8. It's a good decision to cast award-winning actors around the newcomers Julie Anne San Jose and Elmo Magalona. Whatever they lack in the acting department, the senior actors make up for it.

9. Too many kissing scenes, but all of them are chaste. Have they ever kissed before, or are they still too underage to do it onscreen?

10. Is this a better film than The Reunion? Yes, but only by a hair.

RATING: 3 stars out of 5
SUMMARY: The plot is too formulaic, but the cast's acting and the production design make up for it.