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| (Image Source: Star Cinema) |
The eagerness and anticipation of Filipino movie buffs began to brew
when Star Cinema released the first teaser and official poster of "Hello, Love, Goodbye"
last month and it would seem that this highly-anticipated romantic drama flick
can eventually become a breath of fresh air for local mainstream cinema following a storm of box-office failures in many of the year's interesting sleuth of movies. And,
to my delightful surprise, it did on its first four days as long lines of moviegoers
flocked every cinema in the country amidst the bad weather just to watch the film
and feel refreshed and teary-eyed at the same time.
"Hello, Love, Goodbye", a movie revolving around the love
story between two young OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers), did not disappoint
critics and moviegoers as evidenced by mostly positive reviews from
entertainment critics and Filipino netizens who have watched the movie and the
increased number of cinemas where it is shown from 350 (July 31st) to 465 (August 4th). Heck, it was unanimously graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board
which was definitely a rarity for upcoming Filipino flicks. Aside from the deeply
impressive storyline and overwhelming respect for the OFW community, the biggest
factor for the film's quick success is no less than the chemistry of its two main
stars Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards.
Coming from two different major Philippine television networks and are
known for being part of two of the country's most popular and well-loved
tandems today, Kathryn and Alden have transcended themselves from the so-called
network wars and become the new symbols of unity for their respective fanbases
ever since the pairing was announced. Even those who are not fans of the two
would be awed and impressed by the versatility and acting prowess of these two
when they watch the movie as if it was their own love story. I could imagine
the reaction of those inside the theaters if I have a chance to watch it even
though I am, to be honest, a non-profitable blogger.
In case you don't know, "Hello, Love, Goodbye" revolves
around Joy (Bernardo), an OFW who is striving for her family, who meets Ethan
(Richards), a bartender who permanently lives in Hong Kong, one night and
slowly develops a "for now, but not permanent" relationship between
the two. However, as time passes by, their relationship will be put to the test
when Joy is about to end her stay in HK. The movie is produced by Star Cinema,
written by Carmi Raymundo and directed by the box-office blockbuster filmmaker
Direk Cathy Garcia-Molina. As of August 3, 2019, "Hello, Love, Goodbye"
officially made a four-day box office gross of Php176.67 million. It is still showing
in 465 cinemas nationwide.
