This review may contain spoilers
Characters and Romance Fell Flat for Me
My rating 7.5/10
That Kind of Love** (2024) is a light-hearted Filipino romantic comedy that delivers the classic rom-com formula, adversarial at first, slow warming, then growing feelings. It stars Barbie Forteza and David Licauco (the reputed popular "BarDa" pairing) in their first film together. The premise— a dating coach helping a skeptical, high-standards guy find love—sets up plenty of banter, growth, and opportunity for heartwarming moments. There are beautiful visuals, some humor, and a focus on an imperfect people learning about relationships.
It's entertaining and the couple had potential but the characters felt a little flat to me. The chemistry is there, but the relationship dynamics sometimes came off as lukewarm, especially in the middle when the attraction is obvious yet the push toward other matches drags on a bit and gets repetitive. It still works as a solid, easy-watch rom-com, especially if you love the leads, but it didn't quite hit the emotional highs I wanted for a truly captivating love story.
Spoilers
This par is supposed to be an exciting rom com match up but I just didn't feel it. Mila comes across as overly rigid and too quick to step back or sacrifice her own feelings, which made it harder to fully invest in the romance. Adam seems too open to other options at times, and their emotional stakes didn't always feel intense—there were moments of separation where the heartbreak felt muted rather than gut-wrenching.
The film's emotional core revolves around Mila (Milagros "Mila" Maharlika) falling for Adam while she's supposed to be matchmaking him, but her rigid professionalism and self-sacrificing nature lead her to keep pushing him toward Sofia (often called Sophie in casual talk), even as her feelings grow obvious. She sheds a few tears and shows quiet hurt during their temporary separations, but neither she nor Adam appears truly heartbroken or devastated when apart—Adam pursues Sofia seriously enough that it feels like he could have settled there, and Mila is too willing to let him go without a big fight for what she wants. This makes the romance feel lukewarm and less passionate than it could be; the "will-they-won't-they" stretches too long with her still coaching him toward others despite clear mutual attraction. In the end, they realize their feelings and come together for a happy resolution, but the lack of deeper emotional intensity (like more raw heartbreak or urgency) left me wanting more fire in their connection.
That Kind of Love** (2024) is a light-hearted Filipino romantic comedy that delivers the classic rom-com formula, adversarial at first, slow warming, then growing feelings. It stars Barbie Forteza and David Licauco (the reputed popular "BarDa" pairing) in their first film together. The premise— a dating coach helping a skeptical, high-standards guy find love—sets up plenty of banter, growth, and opportunity for heartwarming moments. There are beautiful visuals, some humor, and a focus on an imperfect people learning about relationships.
It's entertaining and the couple had potential but the characters felt a little flat to me. The chemistry is there, but the relationship dynamics sometimes came off as lukewarm, especially in the middle when the attraction is obvious yet the push toward other matches drags on a bit and gets repetitive. It still works as a solid, easy-watch rom-com, especially if you love the leads, but it didn't quite hit the emotional highs I wanted for a truly captivating love story.
Spoilers
This par is supposed to be an exciting rom com match up but I just didn't feel it. Mila comes across as overly rigid and too quick to step back or sacrifice her own feelings, which made it harder to fully invest in the romance. Adam seems too open to other options at times, and their emotional stakes didn't always feel intense—there were moments of separation where the heartbreak felt muted rather than gut-wrenching.
The film's emotional core revolves around Mila (Milagros "Mila" Maharlika) falling for Adam while she's supposed to be matchmaking him, but her rigid professionalism and self-sacrificing nature lead her to keep pushing him toward Sofia (often called Sophie in casual talk), even as her feelings grow obvious. She sheds a few tears and shows quiet hurt during their temporary separations, but neither she nor Adam appears truly heartbroken or devastated when apart—Adam pursues Sofia seriously enough that it feels like he could have settled there, and Mila is too willing to let him go without a big fight for what she wants. This makes the romance feel lukewarm and less passionate than it could be; the "will-they-won't-they" stretches too long with her still coaching him toward others despite clear mutual attraction. In the end, they realize their feelings and come together for a happy resolution, but the lack of deeper emotional intensity (like more raw heartbreak or urgency) left me wanting more fire in their connection.
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