reel: THE LONGEST RIDE

title: THE LONGEST RIDE

genre: romance-drama

director: George Tillman, Jr

release date: April 10, 2015

distributed by: 20th Century Fox

CAST:
SCOTT EASTWOOD as Luke Collins

 

BRITT ROBERTSON as Sophia Danko

SYNOPSIS:
Luke Collins (Eastwood) is a Professional Bull Rider, genuine cowboy who owns a ranch from North Carolina. He dreams of being the top ranked bull rider of the world. This can only happen if he rides Rango (#1 bull to beat) for 8 seconds. 

Sophia Danko (Robertson) is an art major college student of Black Mountain College in North Carolina. She is awaiting a prestigious internship that can launch her career in New York.

They met when Sophia went with her sorority sister to see a bull riding competition, where she caught Luke's eyes. They exchanged numbers and went on a very romantic date by the lake. Driving back they saw an accident and helped this elderly man who asked Sophia to take his precious box back with her. 

Their romance will revolve around their differences, Luke being a country guy and Sophia a sophisticated art lover. 

REVIEW:
I love both Britt Robertson and Scott Eastwood. They make a great pair. The movie does not have any slow moments. It's really watching Nicholas Sparks' book come to life (as most of his movies). Definitely one of my favorite Sparks's movies next to The Notebook, Safe Haven and The Lucky One.

FACTS: 

• Scott Eastwood is the son of actor Clint Eastwood (sans their uncanny resemblance).
• He is Taylor Swift's love interest in her music video "Wildest Dreams".

CREDITS:

Google Images and Wikipedia

reel: A SECOND CHANCE (Filipino)

title: A SECOND CHANCE

director: Cathy Garcia-Molina

genre: romance, drama, marriage

US release date: December 4, 2015

language: Filipino / Tagalog

country: Philippines

CAST:

JOHN LLOYD CRUZ as Rodolfo "Popoy" Gonzales, Jr

BEA ALONZO as Belinda Basha Gonzales

SYNOPSIS;
This is the continuation of One More Chance movie released in 2009. Popoy and Basha after they got back together are finally getting married. Several years later, they talk about the realities of married life - the good, the bad and the ugly. 

REVIEW:
The drama is real but I find the reason of their fights to be more childish. It's mostly financial problems then add the husband's pride into the mix and the wife's insecurities of possibly being barren. All of these in a cest pool of emotions equals chaos. 
Good note, John Lloyd and Bea's chemistry is to-die-for. There is no one better to portray the roles better than these two. They brought Popoy and Basha alive and captured the audience's love and sympathy.
If you loved the movie One More Chance or simply John Lloyd and Bea, then this movie is a must-see. 

CREDITS ~ Google Images

reel: THE SONG (2014)

title: THE SONG

director: Richard Ramsey

genre: romance-drama-Christian

year: September 26, 2014

CAST

Alan Powell as Jed King

Ali Faulkner as Rose

Caitlin Nicol-Thomas as Shelby

Danny Vinson as Shep Jordan

Aaron Benward as David King

Kenda Benward as Bethany King

Jude Ramsey as Ray King

Gary Jenkins as Stan

Landon Marshall as Eddie

SYNOPSIS

This movie is based on the Bible's Old Testament book of Song of Songs written by Solomon, son of King David. 

Jed King (Alan Powell) is the son of a famous country singer David King (Aaron Benward). He is an aspiring singer/songwriter but is living in the shadows of his father. He married Rose (Ali Faulkner) and on their honeymoon wrote her a love song which will catapult him into stardom.  Fast forward five years later, they have a family and lives on the vineyard while Jed's successful music career takes him on the road almost all the time. He asked Rose to come with him on the road but she can't leave her ailing father. This brings a toil in their relationship.  Jed met Shelby (Caitlin Nicol-Thomas) as his front act on his tour. Soon after they will have an affair and comes all the bad vices (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, fornication). Their affair will bring turmoil to his marriage and eventually break his family.

REVIEW

I love Christian movies. There should be more Christian movies produced. It's a feel good movie even if there is drama because it hits home. The movie is realistic and show what marriage can go through if not protected and what happens when a man forgets about God and just follow his flesh or earthly desires. The movie is about hope, dreams, discontentment, mistakes, pain, forgiveness, redemption, love and grace. We all make mistakes, surely no one is perfect. 

honmei: BOKURA GA ITA (WE WERE THERE) part 1

Title: WE WERE THERE part 1

Romanji: BOKURA GA ITA zenpen

Japanese: 僕等がいた 前篇

director: Takahiro Miki

release date: March 17, 2012

genre: Romance / Shojo / Slice of life

language: Japanese

country: Japan

CAST

IKUTA TOMA as Motoharu Yano

YURIKO YOSHITAKA as Nanami Takahashi

SOUSUKE TAKAOKA as Masafumi Takeuchi

PLOT

"We Were There" follows the 10 year romance between Motoharu Yano (Toma Ikuta) & Nanami Takahashi (Yuriko Yoshitaka). During their high school days, Motoharu Yano was the most popular boy in school, but can't get over the death of his girlfriend from a car crash. Nanami Takahashi falls in love with Motoharu Yano and must deals with his inability to let go of the past.

REVIEW

Bokura Ga Ita (manga**if not read, it's highly recommended) will capture your heart because it will bring back your high school sweetheart, your first love, the one you still think about once-in-a-while if you didn't end up married. It's not a sugar coated story. It's real life. Things that can or will happen in a young romantic relationship. 

The pairing of Ikuta Toma (brilliant actor) and Yuriko Yoshitaka is divine! You will love both characters individually and swoon at their love team, you'd wish they are real-life couple.

**there is a Bokura Ga Ita part 2 - so don't just cry at the ending of this movie.