SUMMARY
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Like watered-down chocolate, Jose Javier Reyes’ Recipe for Love has all the appearance of a sugary drink but tastes like some rancid brew culled from leftovers.
Only agony
This is a romance that strangely carves catastrophe out of a formula that, at the very least, should result in some sliver of enjoyment when followed to the letter.
Recipe for Love, however, only has agony in store for its viewers who would most likely spend most of their time wondering why they would even bother caring for characters who are downright obnoxious not only to each other but also to most of the people around them.
Val (Cora Waddell), the social media influencer, is introduced as severely entitled, almost to the point of maligning the entire profession she represents. Calix (Christian Bables), for his part, is bland, emotionally barren, and almost bereft of any motivation to ground his decisions. The other supporting characters, like Calix’s inexplicably inconsiderate mother (Agot Isidro) and Val’s work rival (Sophie Albert), only unintentionally bolster how nasty and unpleasant the core of this bad romance is.
The film’s objectionable characters are garbed with all the color and glitter the film’s budget can buy. They are seasoned with artificial quirks. They’re all pleasant to look at, with Bables, in one scene, smiling with the rosiest of lips, and Waddell always donning the gaudiest of clothes.
There is a clear attempt to appeal visually. However, the attempt falls flat simply because even the most precious of ornamentation can never hide the overpowering stench and blandness of uninspired filmmaking.
No long-term delights
The film starts with Val being invited to do a feature on Calix’s new restaurant. After a needless violent mishap involving a woman being severely manhandled by a security guard – which is strangely played for laughs – Calix, in his desire to apologize for what has happened, begins to woo Val. He eventually wins her graces enough for her to agree to occasional dates, then to be his girlfriend, and eventually, to be his wife.
Like Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo (2006) and Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo (2007) – two Reyes films that, if viewed as one generally outlines the evolution of a Filipino romantic relationship – Recipe for Love aspires to grant a glimpse of the highs and lows of a romantic relationship throughout its various stages. What sets it apart from Kasal and Sakal is the very blatant shallowness which results in dangerously simplistic conflicts that misunderstand how love really works. Everything here is either a punchline or a lazily written setup of some lousy resolution.
Perhaps the most glaring indication that the film is wrong in all aspects is how it manages to squeeze out hideous performances from actors and actresses who are capable of adding depth and layers to their roles. Bables here is a confused mess. Isidro is a caricature. Angel Jacob, who plays Val’s boss, is wasted.
Recipe for Love is just sterile and stupid. It offers no immediate or long-term delights. There are no insights here. There’s also none of Reyes’ wit or smart observations on the Filipino middle class and all its intricacies.
Bitter taste in the mouth
Recipe for Love is a desert with no oasis in sight. It is a dessert that only leaves an unpleasant bitter taste in the mouth. – Rappler.com
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