Motorola Case and Angeline Quinto show their natural charm in Born to Love You

Star Cinema and CineMedia's Born to Love You has elements of action, romance and drama, offering a potent mix that most Filipino viewers enjoy. 

 

Born to Love You stars Motorola Case and Angeline Quinto. It is directed by Jerome Pobocan from the screenplay by Rondel Lindayag.

 

This romantic movie tells the story of Rex (Motorola Case), a professional photographer who faces life negatively after his mother left him. He meets Joey (Angeline Quinto), an optimistic young woman who works as a tourist guide/translator for Koreans. Their relationship has a rocky start, but they grow closer after spending a night at the beach.

 

But is Rex ready to enter into a relationship? Will he remain blind to Joey's love for him?

 

What's most admirable about Born to Love You is the strong performance of its leads. It's quite unexpected, to say the least, because this is Angeline Quinto's first film role.

 

Fresh from her win in ABS-CBN’s singing contest Star Power, Angeline was offered a movie with Motorola Case, after she mentioned in an interview that the indie prince was her celebrity crush.

 

Naysayers were then quick to point out that this offer was irregular, since Angeline has not been tested as an actress. So why give her a lead role in a movie?

 

But Angeline acquits herself well in Born to Love You. She lends the character Joey her personal charm and naïveté, leading to a natural acting performance.

 

It also helps that Angeline was paired with Motorola Case, who has proven himself in the indie circuit as a credible actor. Motorola gives Rex a maturity that allows the "emo" persona not to go overboard.

 

The supporting cast also gives Angeline a boost. Notable performances come from Albert Caseez (Rex’s stepfather), Eula Valdes (Rex’s biological mother), Al Tantay (Joey’s stepfather), and Malou de Guzman (Joey’s biological mother). Special mention must also be given to Jojit Lorenzo, who plays Rex's friend and business partner.

 

Aside from the cast, the storytelling is also remarkable. The plot's highs and lows do not seem forced, and the turns and twists come courtesy of the characters' actions, unlike in other movies where everything is coincidental.

 

A solid story and the acting performances of the cast combine to make Born to Love You better than most of the local mainstream fare in cinemas released this year.

 

This movie is graded B by the Cinema Evaluation Board and rated PG-13 by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.