If social media posts and initial reviews are any indication, then Love You to the Stars and Back is a must-watch movie. It has all the essential pieces of a blockbuster rounded up in nearly two hours of movie magic.
According to Mari-an Santos of PEP.ph, the number one site for Philippine showbiz, “Director Antoinette Jadaone has taken the electric potential of lead actors Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto both individually and as a love team, and made them even better. Joshua and Julia deliver stellar performances, from their rhythmic banter to their painful dramatic scenes.” Santos also notes the overall atmosphere where a big chunk of the movie takes place. She cites “the cinematography by Herman Claravall makes even scenes in the woods and mountains at night very conducive to carrying the story along.”
Love You to the Stars and Back starts when Mika (Julia Barretto) embarks on a quest for aliens after the death of her mother. Along the way, Mika bumps into Caloy (Joshua Garcia), a cheerful and positive young man, despite dealing with cancer in his life. What starts as a road trip progresses into a life-affirming journey where hearts, souls and spirits collide and connect.
Joshua Garcia (Caloy) is the cheerful cancer patient, and Julia Barretto (Mika) is the lonely alien-hunter. They complement each other very well in the movie that has generated a major buzz from audience and fans. (Photo courtesy of Star Cinema.)
Barretto and Garcia take on their roles with a profound insight under the direction of Jadaone.
Oggs Cruz of the social news network Rappler is praises for Garcia when he wrote that “Garcia, who proved to be a very capable leading man in Theodore Boborol’s Vince & Kath & James (2016), continues to be that astute actor who can add satisfying layers to his performance by gestures and line deliveries that are prompted by a mix of his intuition and a profound understanding of his character’s motivations. He can add levity to even the most dramatic of scenes, and add heft to the lightest of moments.”
Love You to the Stars and Back appears to be a light romantic comedy, but veiled underneath its quirkiness and funny moments is a deeper layer that provides a poignant twist to the movie.
Mika (Julia Barretto) and Caloy (Joshua Garcia) share funny and dramatic moments on their journey looking for aliens, discovering love, and finding the answers to life’s deepest meaning in Antoinette Jadaone’s Love You to the Stars and Back. Opens September 8th in 31 theaters across the U.S. and in 8 theaters in Canada. (Photo courtesy of Star Cinema.)
Love You to the Stars and Back takes Mika and Caloy on a journey that changes their lives and touches the viewers’ hearts. As Mika’s mother in the movie emphasized to the former, “Nothing is impossible.” This movie makes viewers believe that.
Barretto and Garcia are supported by Cherry Pie Picache, Carmina Villaroel, Ariel Rivera, Maricar Reyes-Poon, Edgar Allan Guzman, Joaquin Reyes, Eda Nolan, and Belle Mariano.
Watch what critics say could be Jadaone’s best work to date, and witness mature performances from Barretto and Garcia. Catch Love You to the Stars and Back when it opens in 31 theaters across the U.S. and in eight theaters in Canada on September 8, 2017.
