Piolo Pascual was already popular when Toni Gonzaga shouted "I love you Piolo!" in a soda commercial. Years later, she found a way to catch up with her leading man when it comes to luster and maybe, talent. Now came their long overdue first movie tandem, aided with the perfect hype, and boasted with a brilliant script.

Nothing obvious went wrong for Star Cinema’s Valentine offering but more than the actors’ fine performances and director Olivia Lamasan’s decent execution, Star Cinema should be providing the brightest and the biggest trophy to screenwriter Carmi Raymundo. Pushing the overused scenario of a love triangle to a spot that is innovative and original is an exceptional task, especially for a movie which is designed for commercialism.

It was a slow start. Though fun and light, I was wishing for it to pick up. Fortunately, it did as the emotional sequences that our melodramatic moviegoers are looking for came at the second half. It was worth the wait. The ending is not favorable for the fans of love stories but it was fresh. Bringing it to real life, “Starting Over Again” provided lessons of when to push, to fold, to accept and when to move on.

The transitions from the then and the now were not conventional and even if unmarked with music or annoying floating texts, the time travel was cohesive and audience-friendly. The lines of the characters were smart and strong too. Ginny (Tony Gonzaga) is brutally assertive, showing how the timid Filipina can scream her hearts out and get what she believe belongs to her. Patty (Iza Calzado), on the other hand, is the sophisticated, polished and secure woman packed with wisdom. Marco (Piolo Pascual), meanwhile, is your usual gentleman who is calm despite the pains. But if there’s one character which made the movie significant, it was the role that Calzado portrayed. This is how well-represented different personalities were and they were beautifully weaved together.

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