Romantic comedies are only as good as their leads and To Love Again (Viva Films, 1983) is no exception. It's already hard to imagine the movie without Sharon Cuneta and Miguel Rodriguez. Their chemistry is perfect and permeating even without contrived moments of romantic tension. Danny Zialcita also benefited from his actors' pitch-perfect comedic timing and propensity for subtle but effective physical comedy. Watching Raffy (Cuneta) and Bullet (Rodriguez) together is a delight every time. What's also delightful is Zialcita's quirky script. It's filled with all the wackiness you'd expect in a movie like this, but with filled out characters and backstories. What's so refreshing about To Love Again is that every character has a moment. Liza Lorena (Clarita) is a consummate performer and plays steely better than anyone else in the business. Even supporting players Tommy Abuel (Rodolfo), Suzanne Gonzales (Nina) and Rodolfo "Boy” Garcia (Raoul) all have their moments to shine. Still, Cuneta and Rodriguez are the stars here and drive To Love Again with incredible charm. You can't manufacture charm in a movie like this. It takes talent. And there's a lot of talent behind this movie.
The release is sourced from a very old master supplied by Viva Films. It is a mostly serviceable, occasionally decent looking print, but it is awfully easy to tell that To Love Again should have looked vastly superior in high-definition. This digitally enhanced version simply cannot give the film the consistently strong organic appearance it needed to impress the right way. Some close-ups can look quite good, but then there are outdoor shots that lacked proper delineation and depth. It does help that there are no traces of problematic digital adjustments, but you will keep noticing how highlights, darker nuance and shadow definition are not optimal. The entire film should have a range of healthy colors, again, there are parts of the movie that looks decent but saturation and balance could've been better. I noticed a few flecks and even a couple of blemishes, but there are no distracting large cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames. To Love Again is the perfect example of broad romantic comedy done right. It adheres to the formula for the most part but isn't afraid to break. It has its own style and moves to the beat of its own drum.
Production Design: Peter Perlas
Director of Photography: Felizardo Bailen, FSC
Film Editor: George Jarlego
Supervising Editor: Enrique Jarlego, Sr.
Sound Supervision: Rudy Baldovino
Musical Director: George Canseco
Screenplay: Mike Vergara
Directed By: Danny Zialcita
