Film Review: Finally Found Someone

Finally Found Someone is a 2017 Filipino romantic comedy film starring Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz. The film is directed by Theodore Boborol. It is under the production of Star Cinema and Viva Films.

My notes on Finally Found Someone:

1. I knew something was wrong with this production as soon as the rumor came out that Star Cinema had to scrap sixteen days' worth of filmed scenes and basically reshoot everything. Apparently, several spoiler-ish photos leaked online and ruined the entire story, or possible twist (ooh, very Game of Thrones!). After watching the entire thing, all I could think of was, This was the improved version?!

2. As a huge fan of the Laida-Miggy trilogy, I was happy that Star chose to give the Sarah Geronimo-John Lloyd Cruz tandem a fresh and new story...until I realized that there was nothing really fresh or new in this trope-filled mess. It felt like the creative team just gave up on the project and threw in every lazy detail that they could think of to come up with a finished product.
• "Eto bagong-bago. Kelangan more kilig so may habulan at batuhan ng harina!"
• "Oh my gosh, ang ganda! Tapos since nag-bake na ng cake eh magpahiran na rin sila ng icing! Awww!"
• "Guys, di pwedeng pa-cute lang dapat maiyak din ang mga tao. Eto as in naisip ko lang now, dagdagan kaya natin ng may sakit na nanay?"
• "Ay, don't forget ang mga chuwariwap friends! Very important! Check mo na rin ang schedules nina Joey Marquez at Dennis Padilla for the tatay roles."
• "Current and relevant din dapat so kelangan involved ang social media."
• "Wait, nagamit na natin yan sa Dear Other Self, My Ex and Whys atsaka Vince & Kath & James diba?"
• "Eh di ulitin! Pati theme song na nagamit na sa Born for You nina Coco at Angeline i-recycle na rin."
• "Yung hugot line ha wag kalimutan. Eto naisip ko, Love needs truth to be true."
• "Eh why not, Does love need truth to be true or does truth need love to be true?"
• "Sakit sa ulo. Tulog na tayo."

3. Raffy Sandoval? Why not Oliver Papa?
Anywho, I was just happy that John Lloyd was here because he made everything bearable, very much like a cinematic Rumpelstiltskin turning crappy scenes into pure gold with just his radiant smile (faney alert!). I would not be doing that Lungkot Kembot bit any time soon (unlike the Sun Dance that I perform before any out-of-the-country trip), but I'd always remember how sad it made me feel when he sobbed while making kembot near the BGC fountain.
And yes, I also shed a few tears in the scene where he opened up to his sick mother, but then I would probably cry watching him cry over a paper cut.

4. Lakas ng appeal ni Sarah to the older crowd. Was it because they could see the ideal and virtuous anak/apo in her? I watched this twice on opening day and there was always that one old person that would loudly say, "Ang galing ni Sarah!" or "Ang ganda ni Sarah!" (bias aside, I think everyone would agree that she looked really, really good here).

I just wish she was given a character that didn't need to be too quirky to be funny. The clunky opening sequence alone didn't do her any favors because it just looked too awkward (that ladder scene should have been saved for Toni Gonzaga).

Sarah fared much better when she wasn't forced to act funny and her natural self would come out. Ever since Filipinas, I knew that she could effectively handle a dramatic role so I really loved that confrontation scene with Aprilyn saying, "Alam mo kung bakit ka tatanda mag-isa? Kasi takot ka magsabi ng totoong nararamdaman mo. Well, ako hindi. I've fallen in love with you." Ang sakit! Bravo!!

5. I could feel the tension between the two when they recently guested in Gandang Gabi Vice and it was obvious as well in that Two Truths and a Lie kitchen scene. Whatever personal issues they had actually helped make that scene authentic and honest. (Now if only it didn't stretch on forever...)
Pero iba pa rin talaga ang kilig ng AshLloyd. My favorite moment was the restaurant scene where John Lloyd said, "Meron special diyan. Wala sa menu. Nasa harap mo." Like Sarah, I giggled like a schoolgirl.

6. It was sad to see recent Urian winner Christian Bables sounding like BFF Barbs acting all paminta to get near Lloydie. His talent was wasted on a thankless role that probably could have been saved by (trope alert!!) Janus del Prado or Ketchup Eusebio.
Also, what was up with that checkered polo and striped cardigan combo? Trisha definitely wouldn't have approved.

7. As expected, product placements galore. What I found amusing was that we didn't even need to see the brand of the pill that John Lloyd was handing over to (yet another) sick relative. Everyone assumed (knew!) it was Biogesic. Now that was an effective endorser.

8. So Aprilyn's a pre-school teacher (and probably The Voice Kids coach given the incredibly high pitch of that Hello, Hello, Hello song), an Honesty Cookies baker, and a successful Hallmark card maker, samantala ako bum sa bahay. Okay.

9. Pet peeve: continuity issues. And this one just had too many from the changing lengths of Sarah's hair to the missing icing stain on the back of John Lloyd's shirt. My OCD self died a little.

10. Dear Future Star Cinema Rom-Com, if ever Sarah finally agrees to do a kissing scene by the time she's 35, can you make sure it will be with John Lloyd, please? Goodbye drone shot!!

Movie Rate : ★★☆☆☆
Movie Review by : Jason Javier