Do you know which one you’ll choose? This is the question that the new Star Cinema rom-com tried to tackle. Starring two of the country’s biggest stars in their first movie team-up, Angelica Panganiban and Coco Martin. Love Or Money was written by Crystal San Miguel and directed by Mae Cruz Alviar whose other works include Crazy Beautiful You and Everyday I Love You.
Originally slated to be part of Metro Manila Summer Festival (April 11-20, 2020), they had already started production in Dubai before it was halted due to the COVID-19.
Shooting in the midst of a pandemic was already a huge challenge but Angelica jokingly said that another challenge was adjusting to Coco’s Ang Probinsyano schedule. She added that shooting in Dubai had its difficulties as well, like being away from the comfort of your home and having to work non-stop to make each day count. Coco, on the other hand, recalls the frustration of being in Dubai while CoVid was spreading in the Philippines. He said that they did not know whether they could go home or if they needed to isolate. When they were finally able to go back to shooting the film, they had to adjust doing it under the new protocols.
Since Coco was also doing Ang Probinsyano, Direk Mae shared that she had to teach him to “shed off” Cardo and become Leon. Coco said that he constantly asked their director for guidance and even asked her to tell him off if need be as being Cardo has been part of his life for six years.
Shot in Dubai, Direk Mae said that the country was the perfect backdrop for the film as apart from being home to a diverse group of Filipinos workers, it is also a progressive city where it is possible to reach your goals and dreams.
I was given an opportunity to join the advanced screening of Love Or Money and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Angelica’s kikay personality complemented Coco’s quiet and shy demeanour. Their chemistry can be seen and felt on screen. The movie also stars Gelli De Belen, Matet De Leon, Ketchup Eusebio and Cai Cortez who also shone on their parts; all these plus a well-written script made for a very good movie. It delivers a lot of different emotions, which will not only entertain but also touch you.
You can also experience this for yourself by watching the movie thru TFC IPTV from March 12 with early bird rates available until March 11.
