"When Love Begins"
D: Jose Javier Reyes
S: Aga Muhlach, Anne Curtis

MANILA, Philippines?Aga Muhlach returns to the big screen in Jose Javier Reyes' "When Love Begins," a feel-good, romantic drama that follows the love story of lawyer-turned-environmental activist, Ben Caballero (Muhlach), and 23-year-old real-estate heiress, Michelle Valmonte (Anne Curtis), after a serendipitous meeting on Boracay island. What better place for romance to start?

Sparks fly, but commitment isn't in Mitch's vocabulary (because she doesn't want to end up like her estranged parents), so the ready-to-settle Ben grudgingly accepts an undefined arrangement, where there's "no commitment, and no expectations."

Conflict

Soon, however, Ben and Mitch find themselves on opposing sides of a conflict after the former sues a real-estate company for its ecologically destructive housing projects. The situation worsens when they learn that the multinational firm Ben's environmental group had hauled off to court is owned by Paco Valmonte (Christopher de Leon)-who just happens to be Mitch's father! Indeed, choosing between love and family is never easy. But, is the couple ready to give their "consensual companionship" a rest?

As usual, Jose Javier Reyes comes up with an entertaining and technically polished feature. He knows the pulse of the middle class and uses this ability to bring to life characters whom viewers can relate to. But, the side story about Ben leaving the legal profession feels forced and unconvincing.

And, the artistic compromises Reyes makes in the exposition are obvious-for the sake of mainstream cinema's lovesick fans. Hopeless romantics can always rely on Star Cinema to employ its much-utilized narrative trick: The years-later epilogue that allows estranged couples to revive and rekindle failed relationships and facilitate happy-ever-after endings. After constant use, however, the storytelling tack feels contrived.

Muhlach and Curtis appropriately provide the "kilig" factor that will have fans hyperventilating: Anne has a lovely screen presence, and in this movie, the 23-year-old actress comes of age. She inhabits her worldly character with guiltless pleasure and confidence, although she feels a little lightweight when she's at the office "playing" an assistant marketing manager.

Roles

For his part, Aga-undoubtedly one of the country's finest actors-can do these roles with his eyes closed and still deliver more-than-adequate portrayals. Unsurprisingly, his performance in "When Love Begins" is no different-he can make even the most common line simmer with truth and meaning.

In a past interview, he told us that these are movies and roles he prefers to do. But, seeing the 38-year-old actor play the generic lover-boy-with-a-sensitive-heart character from one movie to another makes you wish there were better, grittier roles worthy of Aga's exceptional thespic gifts!