In 2019 Filipino cinema would release a film that quickly became the highest grossing Filipino movie of all time. Hello, Love, Goodbye, told the love story of a bartender and a domestic helper in Hong Kong, that ended when she caught a plane to Canada to chase her dreams. It starred Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, whose careers shot upwards partly thanks to the film. Ever since the film’s release fans have clamored for more, wanting to know what happened to the couple afterwards, and with the release of Hello, Love, Again, they finally get their wish.

A lot has happened in the lives of Joy (Kathryn Bernardo) and Ethan (Alden Richards) in the five years after Joy left for Calgary. The duo tried to make a go of it after her departure, but it wasn’t meant to be. He couldn’t live in Calgary and work monotonous jobs, while she couldn’t move back to Hong Kong and leave her dreams behind. A bitter break-up left them estranged from one another.

When Ethan’s bar goes out of business, he finds himself moving to Calgary to try make a go of things once again. Joy however has moved on, and only wants to focus on her dreams. She is willing to help her former partner out however, and pretend they are a common-law couple long enough for Ethan to get his permanent residency. It’s a plan that just might draw the pair back together, or it could put a wedge between them that can never be removed.

There’s no denying the chemistry between Bernardo and Richards. Even when their characters are at odds, there’s something about them that you just want to see succeed. In fact it’s so strong, that it’s hard to separate real life from fiction at times. The film’s story is also very realistic, and not clouded in fantasy like a lot of Hollywood Rom-Coms are. The couple face real world issues, and react like normal people would. In a time when there is a lot of talk about immigration and the difficulties people face when coming to a new country, this film gives you a view from their perspective.

While the film is mostly enjoyable, Hello, Love, Again does have some issues. Throughout a large majority of the film a soundtrack plays just a little too loudly. In fact there are hardly any silent scenes, which can get a little annoying. Especially at the beginning when you aren’t quite used to it. The film also could have been cut down a little bit to make the story tighter. Although it only runs slightly longer than 2 hours, it needs to be 15 minutes or so shorter. When you get close to the end, you can really start to feel the length.

On the whole, Hello, Love, Again is a cute romantic film that is engaging and will undoubtedly bring out large crowds once again. In fact, it will probably break the record of its predecessor. Women will undoubtedly enjoy it more, but men won’t feel too badly watching it as well. It’s a great date night film, even if you don’t speak Tagalog.