Less than a year after Barcelona: A Love Untold, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla team up again for the big screen in romantic comedy flick Can’t Help Falling In Love, where both actors explore more mature roles.
The movie tells how a girl living in an almost perfect world suddenly has to cope with unexpected twists in life. Bernardo plays Gab, who enjoys a happy, almost fairy tale life and who is set to marry her boyfriend of six years, Jason, played by Matteo Guidicelli.
But Gab’s world turns upside down when she discovers she’s already “married” to a man she has never met, much less know. It takes a whole lot of work to resolve such matters, but the problem somehow gets complicated when she finally meets and gets to know her supposed husband, the happy-go-lucky Dos, portrayed by Padilla.
As the two try to figure out what had happened, Gab somehow starts breaking her own rules to survive the confusing situation. But with the unexpected twists and turns in her well-planned life, came a change of heart as well.
Widely popular among their Filipino followers, the duo known as KathNiel have certainly improved their craft both individually and as a couple, and most fans on Wednesday evening’s special screening came out satisfied with their performance
And although it was my first time seeing a KathNiel movie, I found the romantic comedy film refreshing after having mostly seen Padilla and Bernardo in heavy drama television soap operas.
Khai, who came all the way from Sharjah for the special screening at Festival City, says the movie was much better than Barcelona: A Love Untold.
“In this movie, they really matured as actors,” she says. “The movie might be lighter than Barcelona, but you can see that they act naturally — a more matured KathNiel in terms of acting in a light movie.”
The KathNiel magic and on-screen chemistry was certainly evident and palpable in the movie. It’s simple and perhaps even predictable, but it injected themes and life lessons that resonated with the audience.
Gab, for instance, is someone who tries to please everyone around her, especially her mum and fiance. She’s the type of daughter who does all things not to upset her mum, even sacrificing her own happiness and what she really wants in life. Filipino expats used to the sacrifices of being a migrant worker, of course, can relate to the character.
Padilla was equally refreshing and did well with his portrayal of Dos. Although, in some scenes, I can see Daniel Padilla and not Dos, perhaps it was because the character suits him very well. He has the charm, charisma and smile that can melt the hearts of the audience.
Fans who have been used to seeing them as a teenage love team might at times find it awkward seeing the two in a bit more mature roles. But the good thing is that both are starting to come out of their comfort zone, away from teeny-bopper roles that propelled them to stardom.
Can’t Help Falling In Love is a typical romantic comedy movie that can make you laugh and cry at the same time. It’s formulaic and predictable, but lovely and refreshing at the same time. If you just want to be entertained and relax, then the movie is for you.
Don’t miss it
Can’t Help Falling in Love is now playing in UAE theatres.
