Jesse and Celeste meet at an unexpected time in their lives at a coffee shop. They then realize their names are the same as the characters in the popular break-up romantic comedy, "Celeste and Jesse Forever." In the story, Celeste (Bella Padilla) and Jesse (Carlo Aquino) have a one-night stand and then go their separate ways, only to end up meeting again in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
‘Meet Me in St. Gallen’ has taken Philippine cinema’s trend of very verbose, very conversational films about love and mastered the craft to deliver a wonderfully performed story of chance encounters, missed opportunities, and the importance of timing in any sort of relationship.
Written and directed by Irene Emma Villamor, ‘Meet Me in St. Gallen” happens in three particular days in the span of six years in the lives Bela Padilla’s Celeste, an artist, and Carlo Aquino’s Jesse, a singer whose father wants him to be a doctor.
The film masterfully details their chemistry in these fateful moments when they come across each other’s path but the character, as written, lack the conviction to sustain this moment further than what they have been presented.
On screen, it’s a captivating exchange of ideas, the camera pans to and from between characters, capturing their reactions to each other’s prodding, constantly teasing the what ifs from the electricity that is so evident between them.
From Pao Orendain’s cinematography to Emerzon Tecson’s music to Carlo Francisco Manatad’s editing, each scene is almost devoid of plot and is solely focused on two people recognizing kindred souls in the other.
Because you have to see the film, despite my misgivings, ‘Meet Me in St. Gallen’ is a joy to watch. Padilla is unafraid and very committed to her character and her character’s shifts and evolution through time. Aquino acts with every inch of his body, every movement betraying his character’s inner world.
One will even notice how he tenses his hands or arms, or how his posture would change when Celeste and Jesse find themselves at a painful crossroad, which they do several times in the film. It’s excellent work, which we’ve come to know from Aquino.
The film was released February 7, 2018 in theatres nationwide.
