'KUNG AKO NA LANG SANA'
by Mario E. Bautista, Manila Bulletin, October 8, 2003

THE FIRST FILM together of Sharon Cuneta and Aga Muhlach, ìKung Ako Na Lang Sanaî, turns out to be one of the best films weíve seen so far this year in local cinema. It will not win awards but itís a well-made endearing romance about friends who go on a platonic relationship for years then finally fall in love with each other. Films that belong to this genre include ìWhen Harry Met Sallyî with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan and ìBrown Sugarî with Taye Diggs and Sanaa Latham.

Actually, this film is difficult to do because there are no melodramatic twists and turns of plot but is more character-driven. Emmie (Sharon) and Vince (Aga), who their barkada fondly call Enteng, belong to the same circle of friends since college. Their female friends are Vicky (Christine Bersola), who loves taking pictures each time they have a gathering; Janet (Jennifer Sevilla), an unwed mom who has the habit of making a mess of her life; and Melvi (Banaue Miclat), the first one to get married. The guys are Jaime (Dominic Ochoa), who got married and migrated to the U.S., and Christian (Shintaro Valdez), who was pissed when Vince bedded his 17-year old niece.

Sharonís father died early on and she became her familyís breadwinner, even sending her nephews to school. She is a no-nonsense young woman with good business acumen and succeeds in an export business with Vicky helping her.

Vince is a freewheeling kind of guy who cannot stick to a job. He is at odds with his dad (Butz Aquino), whoís estranged from his mom (Lollie Mara) and has found a younger wife (Chat Silayan.)

In this kind of story, itís easy to predict that Emmie and Vince will eventually end up with each other. This is foreshadowed when Vince tells Emmie: ìWhen you reach 40 at wala ka pa ring boyfriend at ako, ganoon din, ibig sabihin, tayo na.î The problem is how Writer-Director Joey Reyes will make it interesting for us to follow their long-winding love story.

It helps that we also get involved in the private lives of their friends who get married one by one and have kids of their own. Emmieís nephews grow up, graduate from college and also have their own careers. Vince goes abroad twice but his restlessness remains. He finds a new girlfriend in Elaine (Mickey Ferriols), who subsequently realizes that he and Emmie are the ones really meant for each other.

Another plus is that Sharon and Aga do have good chemistry on screen. Aga and the script even make fun of Sharonís being slightly overweight and she stresses that she feels comfortable about how she looks. Aga drips with effortless charm as the aimless, rakish Vince who says: ìAng daming temtasyon sa mundo. Ang hirap. Sumpa na yata ang kaguwapuhan ko.î This is not very far from his role in another Joey Reyes film, ìBakit Labis Kitang Mahalî.

Emmie is supposed to be spunky, but Sharon shows her vulnerable side when she tells him: ìAnakan mo kaya ako para maging maganda ang anak ko. Huwag lang magmamana sa ugali mo. Walang malice, ha?î To which Aga retorts: ìWalang malice. Puede ba ëyon? Ako pa!î Sharon is at her best in scenes where she has no lines at all but just shows what she feels through her face and eyes, like that scene when she meets again her first boyfriend (Reggie Curley) who had previously dumped her.

The fine ensemble cast gives excellent support, with Jennifer Sevilla standing out in her role as a big burden to her friends. In any barkada, you really have a friend like that who borrows money from you and dupes you. There maybe tiffs and misunderstandings, but there is also healing. The scene where Sharon and Jennifer meet again after several years is so touching, with them just forgetting about the past and greeting each other with ìHoyî. Christine Bersola makes a charming acting debut as the supportive Vicky and itís nice to see Mickey Ferriols again looking so lovely on screen and doing so well in her role as Elaine.

You know itís mostly fluff just like his other favorite film of ours, ìRadio Romanceî, but Joey succeeds in making it a heartwarming story about friendship that lasts through the years and about love, not at first sight, but after several sights.