All of You Full Movie Review: Given the success of “English Only Please”, one may think that reuniting Jennylyn Marcado and Derek Ramsay with director Dan Villegas would be a recipe for another blockbuster. The 2014 movie was a hit, and it already proved Jennylyn and Derek’s on-screen chemistry. But following the same formula became the pitfall for Villegas’ MMFF 2017 entry “All of You”. It was predictable, formulaic, and didn’t have anything new to offer.
Gabby (Mercado) is on a work-related trip in Taiwan when she meets Gab (Ramsay) through a dating app. They instantly get along, and continue to date each other even as they get back home in Manila. But when Gabby moves in to live with Gab, their relationship is put to the test, as they discover they are not as compatible as they thought they were.
All of You Full Movie Trailer
All of You Full Movie Review
“All of You” fits well among the romance films that rode the “hugot” wave brought by Antoinette Jadaone’s “That Thing Called Tadhana”. It commits itself to a formula typical of these guy-meets-gal love stories – characters who are fresh from heartbreaks, an out of town location, and a bunch of hugot-worthy scenarios. It’s a recipe that’s been tried and tested in recent Pinoy romance films, but one that is also heavily character-driven. Sadly, “All of You” is lacking in this department.
While we are able to follow Gabby’s development as a character in detail, Derek Ramsay’s Gab is bland and not completely fleshed-out. His character becomes this dreamy cardboard cutout that ended up being a plot device used to move Gabby’s story forward. We never fully grasp why he has commitment issues, or where his motivations are coming from. It’s almost as if he’s simply there to be the love interest of Gabby. At some point, I thought to myself that “All of You” isn’t the story of two lovers; it’s essentially Gabby’s story only.
Thankfully, Jennylyn Mercado’s performance redeemed the story. She is raw, genuine, and her expressions speak volumes. She is able to get us hooked into Gabby’s transition from somebody who’s reluctant to fall in love again, to an imposing live-in partner, and finally to somebody who comes out stronger from all the heartbreaks she went through. Admittedly though, the ending was slightly disappointing since it did not give Gabby the empowerment we were hoping for, but it’s intriguing enough for discussion even as you leave the cinema.
“All of You” plays safe by betting on tried and tested elements from previous films. To be fair, the movie treats us to beautiful visuals, and the performances of the cast are notable but sadly, the wobbly story pulls down the proven chemistry of the leads. Or maybe this is just me getting tired of this recent trend of Pinoy romance flicks.