To be honest, it was difficult to empathize with Dani (Maine Mendoza) because we don’t know much about her and her boyfriend Matthew (Jake Ejercito). All we know is what we saw on the trailer–that Dani’s a flight attendant, Matthew’s a pilot, and they are in a romantic relationship. At the early part of the story, Matthew dies and his lover Dani and best friend James couldn’t move on.
If there was an attempt to create an emotional bond between the viewer and the characters, it unfortunately failed. This bond should have been established at the initial part of the story. It should have been conveyed through their body language, for instance. Every touch, every eye contact, every verbal exchange shouldn’t feel bereft of intimacy and passion (referring to Dani and Matthew). If there was any chemistry between Dani and Matthew, it was that of a liquid N7.
Yes, we saw Matthew through flashbacks. We saw him through Dani and James’s (Alden Richards) recollection. But was that enough to make the viewer feel the ache that these characters “felt” upon the death of a lover and a friend? Were the characters poorly developed? Were the actors not ready to pull off a naked, truthful portrayal of pain, guilt, and longing?
Nontheless, EB’s Lenten special, “God Gave Me You” was a useful opportunity for Alden Richards to showcase his acting prowess (which he has always been recognized for), and for the newcomers Maine Mendoza and Jake Ejercito to unleash their acting potential. I hope they’d be given more opportunities to improve on their acting abilities. With enough preparation, the actors will be able to effectively get out of their “real” bodies and into the character’s psyche. The viewer would want to see and understand Dani, Matthew, and James, NOT Maine, Jake, and Alden. Throwing these stars into an intimidating pool of actors will certainly push them to do better. Given enough time to prepare, I’m sure these stars will feel much more at ease in front of each other, and in front of the camera.
The Filipino Spectator 