Entering a cinema packed with shrieking adolescents, one braces for the worst: another disposable teen romance, all sugar and no substance. “Minamahal: 100 Bulaklak Para Kay Luna,” however, proves disarmingly different. Director Jason Paul Laxamana, long admired for the emotional acuity of “100 Tula Para Kay Stella,” “Just a Stranger,” and “Expensive Candy,” again shows an unerring feel for the delicate textures of love, this time through the prism of youth.
The premise is deceptively simple. Raffy (Andres Muhlach), a shy high-school botanist, woos the skeptical Luna (Ashtine Olviga) with flowers offered at pivotal moments in her life. What begins as a schoolyard infatuation evolves into a years-long chronicle of devotion, stretching into college and testing both heart and resolve. Laxamana renders this journey with a light, confident touch: the dialogue natural and unforced, the settings grounded and unvarnished, the sentiment tender without tipping into treacle.
Much of the film’s charm rests on its leads.
Muhlach, while still rough around the edges — his diction occasionally betrays his inexperience — has a screen presence impossible to ignore, a kind of unstudied charisma that suits Raffy’s earnestness.
Olviga, meanwhile, is a revelation. Eschewing conventional “starlet” polish, she exudes a relatable, girl-next-door luminosity and emotional intelligence well beyond her years.
Their chemistry is unmanufactured, the kind that makes the audience lean forward rather than roll its eyes.
Supporting turns from a seasoned ensemble lend depth without distraction, and Laxamana wisely resists melodrama. What emerges is not a saccharine fantasy but a quiet celebration of persistence, growth, and the sweet ache of first love.
“Minamahal…” may be aimed at teenagers, but its sincerity transcends age. Against expectations, this is a coming-of-age romance that feels refreshingly alive.
Opens September 24.
