'Minamahal' signals arrival of hottest young love team today

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From left: Jason Paul Laxamana, Ashtine Olviga and Andres Muhlach

Director Jason Paul Laxamana is a mind reader.

At the premiere night of "Minamahal: 100 Bulaklak Para Kay Luna," he aired "concern" that the fans about to watch the movie would keep others from enjoying it because they'd be screaming their heads off from kilig every five minutes.

A coming-of-age romance that celebrates young love, "Minamahal" follows a lonely high school flower enthusiast, Raffy (played by Andres Muhlach), who spends years trying to win over jaded visual artist Luna (Ashtine Olviga) by giving her flowers at significant times in her life. 

What starts as a sweet, high school crush blossoms into a heartfelt and complicated relationship that spans into college—where love is tested by the realities of growing up. 

Friends who knew we were watching the movie asked later how AshDres fared. And we told them they were not bad at all for young actors doing their first movie ever in lead roles. Aside from the obvious that they are the loveteam to beat now, they show promise beyond pakilig especially in scenes that we felt Jason wrote and shot strategically to flex what the two can do so far.

Viva Films left no stones unturned in making the night exciting. So many young celebrities turned up in support of Andres in a movie that could follow in the heels of the box-office success of another Viva movie still in theaters, also by Laxamana.

Just how many flowers will it take for a high school loner to reach the heart of someone who doesn’t believe in love? Watch as one boy tries to make something beautiful bloom in "Minamahal."

Also in the cast are Joko Diaz, Giselle Sanchez, Gene Padilla, Marnie Lapus, MJ Cayabyab, VJ Mendoza, Phoebe Walker, Bob Jbeili, Lance Carr, Sam Shoaf, Yuki Sakamoto, Phoebe Villamor, and Jastine Lim.

Just how many flowers will it take for a high school loner to reach the heart of someone who doesn’t believe in love? Watch as one boy tries to make something beautiful bloom in "Minamahal."

Also in the cast are Joko Diaz, Giselle Sanchez, Gene Padilla, Marnie Lapus, MJ Cayabyab, VJ Mendoza, Phoebe Walker, Bob Jbeili, Lance Carr, Sam Shoaf, Yuki Sakamoto, Phoebe Villamor, and Jastine Lim.