Gabby Concepcion’s return in the Philippine entertainment scene was a big deal way back. Why? Aside from his matinee idol status in the 80’s, his personal life is also controversial. The public were eager to know what happened to him after he turned his back from fame. For anyone who is bankable and interesting, leaving showbusiness is a big deal.

Scenes of Cristine Reyes as Cassie in “When the Love is Gone”

His showbiz comeback is considered successful. He is an in-demand teleserye actor and is even paired with leading ladies that are close to his daughter’s age. There were rumours before that his movie comeback will be via the remake of the 80’s film “Nagalit ang Buwan sa Haba ng Gabi”. What happened was he and daughter KC Concepcion starred in a movie for Father’s Day. I am not sure if they met the expected box-office gross, but the movie wasn’t as markable as the producers wished.

Cristine Reyes is one of the hottest stars in the biz. Just like Gabby, she is bankable and controversial. She entered showbiz via Starstruck and for a time, she was just known as “Ara Mina’s Little Sister”. When she turned 18, she embraced her sexiness and began accepting daring roles. When she moved to ABS-CBN from GMA, she played the title role in Eva Fonda and that’s where her talent was seen by the masses. There was a time wherein she was crowned as box-office queen with Anne Curtis when they did “No Other Woman“, where she played as the legal wife.

This time, Cristine Reyes is the mistress. And what a fierce mistress she is!

When The Love is Gone is a remake of the 80’s film “Nagalit ang Buwan sa Haba ng Gabi”. I’ve seen the original movie via Cinema One and I can say that the new version is better than the original. I wasn’t expecting much from this film when I watched it, but I am pleasantly surprised.

Gabby Concepcion as Emman is truly irresistible. You wouldn’t question why someone as young as Cassie (Cristine Reyes) would fall head over heels for him. He seems to be the ideal man that every woman would like to have as a husband.

One of the many steamy scenes between Cristine and Gabby

The problem is, Emman is married to a freelance pastry chef Audrey and a father to an intelligent daughter Jenny (Andi Eigenmann). Being busy with her home-based business pushed the husband to fall for Cassie, who is actually married to a politician named Rudy (Jake Cuenca).

Rudy is a closet gay and uhm, let’s face it – intimacy lacked between him and Cassie that’s why the lady felt really bad. With her eagerness to be with ‘a real man’, Emman and Cassie had an affair, which turned into something serious.

There is a number of twists in the story that’s why it is hard for me to divulge information in this post. What I love about the film is that there are no dull moments and the actors were really good in their respective roles. I salute Cristine Reyes because the audience tends to get mad at her character and at the same time feel pity for her. You can see the desperation in her eyes and that overflowing sexuality that only confident women could project.

Gabby Concepcion still has it – that leading man appeal that lacks in some actors his age. He is almost 50 years old, but he did maintain that really great body! If you have it, flaunt it! There is an undeniable chemistry between Gabby and Cristine. From the opening scene alone (exhibit), you can already sense some strong sexual tension in there.

Andi Eigenmann is also good as Jenny, although it is not her first time to portray such character. In fact, she also played the role of Gabby Concepcion’s daughter in a teleserye. You can see her angst and how protective she is of her mother, who is sadly weak in facing the reality of her troubled relationship.

Ingredients for a Perfect Family… or not.

It serves as a good comeback film for Alice Dixson too. You pity her character for being that martyr housewife who eventually learned to fight back in stand on her own.

Jake Cuenca’s role as Rudy is short, but memorable. I love how he portrayed his character with no exaggeration, yet he was very scary in that important scene. This will confirm that he is not just a star, but an actor. Newcomer Anton Revilla shows good promise too.

Pilar Pilapil and Dina Bonnevie have brief, but important scenes.

Andoy Ranay is becoming one of my favorite directors today. I’ve seen his teleseryes and yes, even Sosy Problems. He knows how to direct in executing crucial scenes. We need more movies from him!

My verdict? Among all the ‘kabit’ movies, this is the best one not just because of the acronyms and witty lines (KKK=Kalma-Kalma sa Kalandian). The editing, fast-paced story and good acting of the cast members made it a very nice movie experience. It seems that every cast member is eager to showcase his/her talent particularly Cristine Reyes and Jake Cuenca.

I do predict “When The Love Is Gone” will do good in the box-office via word of mouth. If you’re thinking of watching this movie, just go. You won’t waste your money, i promise.