STAR CINEMA finally has a good romantic-comedy entry at the Metro Manila Film Festival.

The story isn’t extraordinary, but that’s exactly what makes it work: it’s simple, relatable, and takes teenage love seriously as it wades into family, friend, and relationship conflicts. It’s a familiar film to most young viewers, but familiar enough to still land emotionally with anyone who gives it a chance.

‘Vince and Kath and James’ isn’t a full return to old-school MMFF, but it bridges the gap between indie sensibilities and today’s youth audience — a reminder that the festival’s changes aren’t meant to alienate its more casual viewers. It’s a genuinely good film, and a welcome one after a run of weak MMFF entries, without leaning on an overcomplicated plot or overly poetic dialogue.

The film also makes smart use of how young people actually communicate: Vince’s blog, the back-and-forth of text messages, the borrowed quotes everyone’s generation seems to run on.

Vince and Kath and James stars Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto.

The lead pairing carries the film further than the material alone would. Julia Barretto as Kath and Joshua Garcia as Vince make it more loveable than it has any right to be — the two land every emotional beat naturally, and it shows.

Barretto, arguably the most photogenic of the Barretto name in Philippine show business, is clearly building something beyond a famous surname or a pretty face — there’s real acting instinct here to bank on.

Garcia leans into his own charm, and it works for him. The film wouldn’t hold together nearly as well without him. Owning the role is one thing; making it look effortless is another, and he does both. Handed the right projects going forward, Garcia is shaping up to be Star Cinema and ABS-CBN’s next gold mine — and the studio would be smart to keep betting on the Garcia-Barretto pairing.

Ronnie Alonte as James lands somewhere in between as the film’s third wheel, but the performance itself is uneven — stiff in nearly every scene he’s in. He’s one of the most-followed Kapamilya names on social media, which makes the gap between his online following and his screen presence more noticeable, not less. More workshops would help; right now, the acting hasn’t caught up to the popularity.

Maris Racal, who plays Kath’s best friend Maxine, needs more seasoning too. She’s strong in a handful of scenes and overplays several others. She’s not quite ready for the big screen yet — but there’s enough here to suggest she will be.

Theodore Boborol directs well, especially in how he frames the chemistry between his two leads. The cinematography isn’t flashy, but it never drops below solid either.

Whether you’re young or just young at heart, ‘Vince and Kath and James’ is worth watching — it’s the kind of film that revives old feelings you didn’t realize you still had. Worth your money.

Rating: 7/10

Note: ‘Vince and Kath and James’ is one of the eight film-entries in the Metro Manila Film Festival 2016. We will do our best to watch and review all the films on this blog within the week. Read the rest of our reviews by clicking this link.