No ‘sugarcoating’ for ‘JaDine’

James Reid (left) and Nadine Lustre

James Reid and Nadine Lustre nail it again. Their movie by Viva Films, “Never Not Love You,” is a certified blockbuster. We, at the Cinema Evaluation Board, gave the heart-tugging film a grade of A.

Living up to the “JaDine” tandem being called “Team Real,” their latest movie does not “sugarcoat” love. It goes beyond romance and shows the not-too-pretty side of it. The movie is about love in the time of being unlovable.

My chat with Nadine:

How has James redefined love for you? I consider James my first real love. So, he has not redefined love, but defined it for me as something that isn’t just all romantic and lovey-dovey to the point of fantasy. It’s real and raw, and hot and cool at the same time.

What are some of your questions about love that you want answered? My questions are more about myself. How much can I possibly give to the one I love? How much am I willing to endure? How much more will it change me?

What’s your favorite scene in the movie? My fave scene is the end sequence, where I’m driving James around after fetching him at the airport. My character, Joanne, has so many emotions, but she doesn’t know what she should feel. And she doesn’t say a word—she just cries. She’s not sure whether she’s happy, sad or afraid.

What are your thoughts on jealousy? It’s normal. It really depends on how you and your partner handle it. Just don’t overdo it—that’ll be unreasonable.

How do you and James handle misunderstandings? He’s not the type who misunderstands things. He totally gets me.

My chat with James:

How has your relationship with Nadine evolved? We have definitely grown in the last two years. We don’t have the perfect relationship, but we’re getting better at keeping it going as we discover more about each other.

What was the toughest scene to shoot in the film? The big confrontation scene. It was very intense, emotionally.

What did it make you realize about love? That it’s not all romance—it entails compromise and sacrifice.

What do you find hard to understand about girls? The fuss they make about a lot of things.

What’s the best and toughest part of being James Reid? The best part is having these different opportunities to grow and prove myself. The toughest is not having enough time to take all of them.

Where do you see yourself and Nadine in 10 years? I don’t look that far out, so I can’t say. But I hope we’re still together and happily settled down.

My BFF Buboy (Cesar Montano) combines his passion for movies and love for his job as chief operating officer of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) in Cine Turismo, which gives recognition to eight local and two foreign films that have showcased the beauty of the Philippines to lure tourists.

One of the films to be honored is a personal favorite, “Sakaling Hindi Makarating,” shot in Ilocos, Siquijor, Batanes and Zamboanga. It reminded me of Nick Bantock’s book, “Griffin and Sabine,” which I will never get tired of rereading.

Way before his stint with TPB, Buboy was already into film tourism. I remember the time when he invited me to watch the shooting of his movie, “Panaghoy sa Suba” (The Call of the River), which was shot in his hometown and featured the Loboc River and other tourist spots.

Buboy never does things half-heartedly, which makes Cine Turismo another product of his blood, sweat and tears.