irector Lauren Dyogi redeems himself in Now That I Have You after the cumbersome All My Life which dragged on and on because they didn't know how to give a fitting death to Aga Muhlach 's character. In his new movie, Dyogi comes up with a vibrant and sparkling romantic comedy filled with exuberant performances, dynamic production design and throbbing with the jole de vivre of young love.

Much of the credit should go to Joey Reyes 's terrific screenplay that perfectly captures the behavior of today's young people, just like what he did in Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin . The characters are so well defined you cannot help but sympathize with them and root for them. You actually wish that they would end up in each other's arms. And mind you, it does this without resorting to such trying hard pa-cute elements like the pandesal and ketchup crap in All My Life.

Betsy ( Bea Alonzo ) has long been praying for a boyfriend and she harbors a big crush on this bespectacled young man she always sees at the train on her way to work in a call center. Her parents are both concerned with the ills of our society. Her dad sends letters to the editors to complain about social problems. Her mom is an activist who has decided to join the rebels in the mountains. But Betsy herself wants to go abroad.

Michael ( John Lloyd Cruz ) is an uptight and conservative accountant who is still smarting from a broken heart after his past girlfriend dumped him for a basketball player. His parents quarrel all the time but still stick together and are now born again Christians.

Being more forward and aggressive, it's Betsy who makes the first move for them to know each other, with the help of her supportive friend, Stefi ( Nikki Valdez), who sets them up on a blind date. When this didn't work, a strange man ( Jojit Lorenzo ) acts as an omnipresent Cupid who helps the two leads get closer to one another. He steals Michael's wallet just as he is about to pay for his train ticket and Betsy turns up to give him money for his fare. Because of this, Michael invites her to lunch; they start going out more often, and eventually fall in love with each other.

But naturally, things should not be that easy for this boy-meets-girl story. Boy has to lose girl first before getting her again after realizing how important she really is to him. As they get to know each other better, Michael sees the negative qualities of Betsy and becomes attracted to a new girl in their office ( Nerizza Narig ). Betsy sees them together and they split up for a while. It's easy to guess that they will subsequently patch things up, but how Reyes and Dyogi do this with the help of some magical plot ploys make the proceedings even more romantic.

One reason why the movie works marvelously is the winning chemistry of the John Lloyd-Bea loveteam. ABS-CBN is fortunate to have developed another appealing screen pair that succeeds in attracting the attention of the viewers. Bea is a scintillating surprise as she looks perfect in the role of the perky and impulsive Betsy, even with the way she delivers her lines in a rapid fire manner. She also handles her dramatic scenes well.

John Lloyd is also convincing as the nerdy Michael who steals that scene at the club when he does a hilarious dance number. They are ably supported by Jojit Lorenzo, Nikki Valdez, Nerizza Narig, John Arcilla and Jean Saburit as Michael's parents, and Noel Colet and Rio Locsin as Betsy's parents.

What makes the film even more meaningful is the fact that it shows us the nuances and vagaries of true love. It makes young viewers realize that love is a decision. One falls in love not with the view of changing your partner but with the openness to accept him or her and the fact the you are two totally different people whose lives can converge beautifully as long as you accept each other's individual differences. After the romantic illusion stage wears out and it's time for a reality check, only those who make that crucial decision of loving your partner despite his oddities will be able to reach that final phase of true and lasting love.

That's why this film is a perfect companion piece to Joey Reyes' Hindi Magbabago , where Rustom Padilla and Carmina Villaroel still marry each other in the end even if they know that both of them will no longer change in their set ways (hence, the film's title, Hindi Magbabago). Here, Bea and John Lloyd reconcile realizing that each of them has his or her own peculiarities, but they are both ready and better prepare to deal with those idiosyncrasies now that they have realized that their life will not be complete without one another. (Articles lifted from S Magazine) - -