Tag: Five Breakups and A Romance

Prime Video Unveils February 2024 Lineup: TV Shows & Movies

Get ready to mark your calendars because Prime Video has just unveiled its lineup for February 2024, and it’s packed with an exciting array of TV shows and movies that are sure to keep you entertained all month long. From gripping dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies, there’s something for everyone in this month’s lineup.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith
February 2, 2024

Two lonely strangers land a job working for a mysterious spy agency that offers them a glorious life of espionage, wealth, world travels and a dream brownstone in Manhattan. The catch: new identities in an arranged marriage as Mr. & Mrs. John and Jane Smith. Now hitched, John and Jane navigate a high risk mission every week while also facing a new relationship milestone. Their complex cover story becomes even more complicated when they catch real feelings for each other. What’s riskier, espionage or marriage?

Upgraded
February 9, 2024

Ana (Camila Mendes) is an ambitious intern dreaming of a career in the art world while trying to impress her demanding boss Claire (Marisa Tomei). When she’s upgraded to first class on a work trip, she meets handsome Will (Archie Renaux), who mistakes Ana for her boss– a white lie that sets off a glamorous chain of events, romance and opportunity, until her fib threatens to surface.

Five Blind Dates
February 13, 2024

Twenty-something Lia is stuck. Faced with her failing traditional Chinese tea shop inherited from her beloved grandma, and the prospect of attending her younger sister’s impending wedding single and alone, she is reluctantly gifted with a prophecy – the fate of her shop and her love life are intertwined, and the secret lies in one of her next five dates. Under pressure from her family, Lia agrees to be set up with five different suitors. With her best friend Mason by her side, will Lia find herself (and love), or risk disappointing those she loves the most and losing the business she has put her whole life into.

Five Breakups and A Romance
February 14, 2024

Lance (Alden Richards) and Justine (Julia Montes) meet at a concert in Singapore. Their best friends are lovers who then introduce them. They gravitated towards each other and had a one-night stand. What’s supposed to be a casual fling becomes a romance when Lance pursues Justine.

The film tracks the eight-year relationship via the five break-ups they experience. The story is structured into five acts, with each act as a slice of the couple’s lives.

This Is Me…Now: A Love Story
February 16, 2024

This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is like nothing you’ve ever seen from Jennifer Lopez. Alongside director Dave Meyers, Jennifer has created a narrative-driven cinematic odyssey, steeped in mythological storytelling and personal healing. Dropping in tandem with her first studio album in a decade, this genre-bending Amazon original showcases her journey to love through her own eyes. With fantastical costumes, breathtaking choreography, and star-studded cameos, this panorama is an introspective retrospective of Jennifer’s resilient heart.

Apartment 404
February 23, 2024

Apartment404 is a retro reality-variety program that stars Yu Jae Seok, Cha Tae Hyun, Oh Na Ra, Yang Se Chan, Jennie, and Lee Jung Ha. The show is set in an apartment building where the six residents trace the truth behind extraordinary events that occur in their residences. With events based on true stories, each episode will have a unique setting and take place in a different period. The 6 cast members will split up into 2 teams, along with special guests, and compete against one another. At the end of the series, one person will be crowned the winner of the show.

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy
February 23, 2024

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy follows Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak–aliens, best friends, and intergalactically renowned surgeons—as they tackle anxiety-eating parasites, illegal time loops, and deep-space STIs. In Season One, doctors Sleech and Klak take on a highly dangerous and potentially groundbreaking case and, in doing so, put existence itself in jeopardy. Although considering their dismal personal lives, oblivion might be an improvement. The series stars Stephanie Hsu, Keke Palmer, Kieran Culkin, Sam Smith, Maya Rudolph, and Natasha Lyonne.

Reina Roja (Red Queen)
February 29, 2024

With an IQ of 242, Antonia Scott is officially the smartest person on Earth. Her intelligence made her the “Red Queen” of a secret and experimental police project, but what seemed like a gift became a curse, and she ended up losing everything. When the son of a powerful tycoon is found gruesomely murdered and the daughter of Spain’s wealthiest man is kidnapped, the Red Queen organization is set in motion. Mentor, Antonia’s former boss, turns to Jon Gutiérrez, a hot-tempered Basque cop on the verge of being expelled from the force, to reactivate Antonia. The twisted cat-and-mouse game in which Jon and Antonia become entangled in during the investigation helps them discover that they admire and complement each other almost as much as they irritate each other. Red Queen is a haunting thriller set in Madrid, a city that plays a central role to the story, and combines the urgency and action of the investigation with the juicy and witty chemistry between its two main characters.

With such a diverse and compelling lineup, February 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting month for Prime Video subscribers. Whether you’re in the mood for a thrilling new series or a classic film, Prime Video has you covered. So grab your popcorn, settle in, and get ready to dive into a month of unforgettable entertainment.

Stay tuned to Prime Video on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates and surprises. February 2024 on Prime Video is not just about entertainment; it’s an exploration of diverse stories and experiences. Don’t miss out on this captivating lineup!

For the latest on what’s streaming, follow Prime Video on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This February, get ready for a whirlwind of emotions, excitement, and entertainment, exclusively on Prime Video.

February 1, 2024
MOVIE REVIEW: Where Is the Love: a review of ‘Five Breakups and a Romance’

Director and writer Irene Emma Villamor takes an interesting approach to the romantic drama in her latest film ‘Five Breakups and a Romance.’ Villamor fills up her 102-minute movie with only certain key points during the tumultuous relationship of her two main characters, Lance and Justine. The chosen moments? The film chronicles their union and their breakups. It never shows us the relationship of the two. We always witness them at the point when they get together (or get back together) and the point when they break up. It is a theatrical structure that is interesting to use in a film, but it has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The film opens in Singapore in 2015, when Lance and Justine meet for the first time. He’s visiting with his friends to watch a concert and he meets Justine, who is a friend of a friend who has been living in Singapore for 3 years. It’s love at first sight as Lance can’t get let Justine leave without making his move. One thing leads to another and the two make a go for it. Lance extends his stay for an extra day and the two get to know each other more. When we get back to them again for scene number two, it is two years later, they are now a couple, but the cracks are already there. They are on the verge of splitting up.

The movie continues on in this manner. Each scene is either of them coming back together or breaking up (hence the title). The advantages of this is that Villamor can focus her narrative on just the highly emotional parts of her character’s world. She can situate her character and these emotions in particular locations for full use of any symbolic meaning whether it be the streets of Singapore at night, a mansion in Alabang during a barkada Christmas party, a beach-side celebration of Justine’s parent’s renewal of vows, or the claustrophobic hallways of a hospital during the height of the Covid pandemic. This is a space for nuanced and detailed filmmaking. It is an arena for capturing human behavior and passion and longing in confined spaces.

The disadvantage here is that the film favors telling over showing, a risky endeavor for any filmmaker. David Fincher does it well in his series ‘Mindhunter.’ Ridley Scott also manages this well in his film ‘The Counselor.’ There are great moments in both where the story is told rather than shown but it works because of the actors involved. This structure puts the whole burden of director and writer Irene Emma Villamor’s film on the shoulders of its leads, Alden Richards and Julia Montes. We never get to see the relationship in action so all of each other’s joyous moments together and the growing resentments are not for us to see. We need to see it when Richards and Montes go through these raw, emotional moments in the respective scenes.

And this is where the film doesn’t find its footing. There is a missing chemistry between the two that happens as early as the first scene and they never quite pick it up as the film progresses. At the beginning, Montes struggles with Justine’s cold and dismissive attitude towards the forward Lance. Montes doesn’t seem comfortable being mean or cruel and you can see this later on because when she has to play Justine as warm and loving, she does it so well. She seems more comfortable with Justine’s vulnerable side than she is with her strong moments. Montes gets better as the film unfolds. I can’t say the same for Richards.

Richards has never looked better than in this movie. He has the looks and the presence of a leading man. Unfortunately, he has a tendency to push out a rehearsed smile and that sparkle in his eye that I see in his commercials. I feel that he is afraid to get ugly for the scenes that requires it. The scenes Villamor wrote and directed requires a rawness of emotion that Richards doesn’t quite get. He is always poised, always pretty, I needed him to get real.

‘Five Breakups and a Romance’ does not have Irene Emma Villamor’s usual masterful navigation of the intricacies of the economic factors that affect a relationship. Here, Lance is supposed to be privileged and rich and it is supposed to inform on some of his choices (and mistakes) while Justine is from a simple, middle-class family from Batangas. But Justine’s first appearance is that of a professional in the cosmopolitan Singapore and that never actually leaves her. And Richards never seem to carry the posture or the air of the upper class, which he is supposed to be from. And as much as the film tries to bring these issues up as important ones to the story, there are no real implications of it to the characters and their relationship because we never get to see it at play.

Both actors needed to really live out their character’s whole lives in each other their scenes with their posture, line delivery, their physicality. The film doesn’t allow us to really get to know them, so they have to completely inhabit these characters in those five or six scenes that they are given. It’s a great demand for any actor and unfortunately, these two can’t seem to bridge it together.

The chemistry isn’t there. There are scenes where I truly wonder what it is that they see in each other, other than physical attraction. This is something both deliver well. When they kiss, there’s magic. But when they talk to each other, something is missing. Richards comes off as stiff in comparison to Montes’ outpouring of pain and affection. The love that is at the center of this film is missing and doesn’t allow the film to fully realise its risky cinematic structure.

My Rating:

Five Breakups and a Romance is now showing. Check screening times and buy tickets here.

October 20, 2023
New Movies This Week: ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ ‘Five Breakups and a Romance,’ and more!

Welcome to another exciting week of cinema as we unveil the latest movies hitting the silver screen today. Whether you’re in the mood for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a gripping historical drama, “Deep Fear,” a heart-pounding thriller, “Five Breakups and a Romance,” a modern love story, “Love Reset,” a memory-resetting romantic comedy, or “Target,” an intense Korean action, this week’s lineup has something for every film enthusiast. Here’s a sneak peek at the films you can catch:

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

2023 • R-13 • 3 hrs 25 mins
CRIME, DRAMA, THRILLER
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Unearth the chilling mystery that unfolds in 1920s Oklahoma when oil is discovered beneath Osage Nation land. As the Osage people are hunted down one by one, it’s up to the FBI to crack the case.

DEEP FEAR

2023 • R-13 • 1 hr 23 mins
ACTION, HORROR, THRILLER
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Join a solo voyage aboard a yacht that takes a terrifying twist. A woman encounters drug traffickers in dire straits, clinging to a sinking boat with kilos of cocaine below shark-infested waters.

FIVE BREAKUPS AND A ROMANCE

2023 • PG • 1 hr 42 mins
COMEDY, ROMANCE
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Prepare for a heartwarming love story starring Alden Richards and Julia Montes. Their journey explores the intricate balance of love and ambition, as they navigate the complexities of modern relationships.

LOVE RESET

2023 • PG • 1 hr 59 mins
COMEDY, ROMANCE
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Experience a romantic comedy as ‘Roh Jeong-yeol’ and ‘Hong Na-ra’ find themselves amidst a mysterious accident erasing their memories, just 30 days before their marriage ends. Love and laughter ensue as they piece together the fragments of their shared past.

TARGET

2023 • R-13 • 1 hr 42 mins
THRILLER
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Delve into the dangerous world of online second-hand shopping in this Korean action thriller. Starring Shin Hae-Sun, Kang Tae-Oh, and Kim Sung-Kyun, the film explores the real dangers of online scams through compelling and realistic characters.

FAN FAVORITES STILL SHOWING

Meanwhile, don’t forget to catch up on some of the movies that are still captivating audiences in theaters. Here’s a list of fan favorites that are still showing in cinemas:

PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE

2023 • G • 1 hr 32 mins
ACTION, ANIMATION, COMEDY, FAMILY, SCIENCE FICTION
BUY TICKETS

DR. CHEON AND THE LOST TALISMAN

2023 • PG • 1 hr 38 mins
ACTION, MYSTERY, THRILLER

THE FORBIDDEN PLAY

2023 • R-13 • 1 hr 50 mins
HORROR
BUY TICKETS

THE CREATOR

2023 • PG • 2 hrs 14 mins
ACTION, SCIENCE FICTION, THRILLER
BUY TICKETS

SAW X

2023 • R-16 • 1 hr 53 mins
CRIME, HORROR, THRILLER
BUY TICKETS

A VERY GOOD GIRL

2023 • R-13 • 1 hr 57 mins
DRAMA
BUY TICKETS

EXPEND4BLES

2023 • R-13 • 1 hr 43 mins
ACTION, ADVENTURE, THRILLER
BUY TICKETS

THE EQUALIZER 3

2023 • R-16 • 1 hr 48 mins
ACTION, CRIME, THRILLER
BUY TICKETS

THE NUN II

2023 • R-13 • 1 hr 49 mins
HORROR, MYSTERY
BUY TICKETS

That’s a wrap for this week’s new movie releases. There’s no shortage of exciting films to check out this week. From new releases to ongoing hits, there’s a movie for everyone. So gather your friends, pick your favorite flick, and enjoy a spectacular movie-going experience. Have a great time at the movies!

October 18, 2023
Alden Richards and Julia Montes Set to Ignite the Big Screen in “Five Breakups and A Romance” on October 18

The Countdown Begins:
The much-awaited big-screen love story Five Breakups and A Romance starring Alden Richards and Julia Montes is gearing up to make cinematic history when it hits local theaters nationwide on October 18.

A Perfect Blend:
Directed by Irene Villamor, known for her award-winning works in “Meet Me in St. Gallen,” “Sid and Aya,” and “Camp Sawi,” this film promises a harmonious blend of romance and realism.

Alden Richards & Julia Montes in Five Breakups and a Romance

The Ultimate Team-Up:
It’s a cinematic first as GMA Pictures, Cornerstone Studios, MYRIAD Corporation, and Alden’s multimedia company join forces to bring this love story to life.

Julia Montes & Alden Richards in Five Breakups and a Romance

Fresh Faces, Timeless Love:
Five Breakups and A Romance marks the inaugural collaboration between Alden Richards and Julia Montes for the big screen. These talented actors step into fresh roles, exploring complex characters in a tale of modern love and ambition.

Navigating Love and Career:
Lance (played by Richards), a carefree soul, and Justine (Montes), a career-focused woman, find themselves at the crossroads of love and ambition. Their journey mirrors the complexities of modern relationships.

Unexpected Twists:
As the story unfolds, unexpected challenges test their love. Will they choose the path of love over career? The present over the future? How many times must they part to find their way back to each other? The film teases exciting scenes that showcase the actors in fresh, mature roles.

In Theaters Only:
Circle October 18 on your calendar and get ready for a cinematic adventure with Five Breakups and A Romance. The film promises to ignite your heart and inspire you to chase your dreams without losing sight of love.

October 12, 2023