''Can't Help Falling in Love'' is a 2017 Filipino romantic

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film directed by

Mae Cruz-Alviar Mae Czarina Reyes Cruz-Alviar is a Filipino film and television director. She is known for the films '' Crazy Beautiful You'' (2015), ''Can't Help Falling in Love'' (2017), '' Four Sisters Before the Wedding'' (2020) and ''Rewind Rewind may ...

, starring

Kathryn Bernardo Kathryn Chandria Manuel Bernardo (born March 26, 1996) is a Filipino actress. She began her career as a child actress, portraying young versions of lead characters in series such as '' It Might Be You'' (2003) and '' Endless Love'' (2010). She ...

and

Daniel Padilla Daniel John Elago Ford (born April 26, 1995), known professionally as Daniel Padilla, is a Filipino actor and singer. He is a recipient of multiple accolades across television, film, and music, including the FAMAS Award for Best Actor and PMP ...

. It was their very first project right after their blockbuster film '' Barcelona: A Love Untold'' last 2016. The film was produced and released by

Star Cinema ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc., trade name, doing business as Star Cinema and also known as ABS-CBN Films (since 2018), is a Philippines, Philippine film studio, film, television production company, production and distribution (marketing), di ...

on April 15, 2017. ''Can't Help Falling in Love'' earned ₱33 million on its first day making it the highest Black Saturday opening for a Filipino film.

Plot

Gab (Kathryn Bernardo) is a "close-to-perfect girl" who is set to wed her long-time boyfriend and soon-to-be lawyer in the U.S. Jason (Matteo Guidicelli). Her world, however, suddenly turns upside down when she discovers that she is already married - but to a total stranger, the happy-go-lucky Dos (Daniel Padilla). As she figures out with Dos how this unlikely incident happened, Gab starts breaking her own rules to survive their crazily confusing situation. But the changes in her well-planned life seems to cause a change of heart as well.

Cast

Main cast

as Gabriela "Gab" Benedictos De La Cuesta *

as José Ibarra "Dos" García González Jr.

Supporting cast

Matteo Guidicelli Gianmatteo Vittorio Fernan Guidicelli (, born March 26, 1990), known professionally as Matteo Guidicelli, is a Filipino actor, military officer, model, singer and former kart racer. Early life and career Matteo Guidicelli was born in Cebu Ci ...

as Jason Aguinaldo *

Cherry Pie Picache Cherry Pie Sison Picache (born May 27, 1970) is a Filipino actress. Known primarily for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters and television productions, she has received numerous accolades, including two Durban Internati ...

as Mama Em *

Lito Pimentel Joselito Pimentel (born May 27, 1963), known professionally as Lito Pimentel, is a Filipino film and television actor. He is the nephew of the late game show host Pepe Pimentel. Early life and career Pimentel's career began in the early 1980s ...

as Papa Jun * Lotlot de Leon as Mama Two *

Dennis Padilla Dennis Esteban Dominguez Baldivia (born February 9, 1962), popularly known as Dennis Padilla (), is a Filipino comedian, TV host, radio broadcaster and actor. He is the son of the late Dencio Padilla, and the father of actress Julia Barretto. ...

as Papa Two *

Joross Gamboa John Ross Sanchez "Joross" Gamboa (born November 28, 1984), is a Filipino actor, comedian and model who was a 2nd runner-up in the 1st season of '' Star Circle Quest''. Career After four years of being with ABS-CBN Star Magic, ''Joross Gamboa' ...

as Nilo / Alpen Rose * Kristel Fulgar as Viel * Janus del Prado as William Charles *

Pinky Amador Pilar Cristina "Pinky" Roxas Amador (born March 16, 1966) is a Filipino actress, singer, commercial model and TV host. She was in the original London cast of the Cameron Mackintosh musical ''Miss Saigon''. She is seen mostly on GMA Network and ...

as Mrs. Alma Aguinaldo * Johnny Revilla as Mr. George Aguinaldo * Hannah Ledesma as Marie * Chienna Filomeno as Shine * Devon Seron as Tet * Earl Ignacio as Atty. John Francis Langit * China Cojuanco-Gonzalez as Ms. Faye Corpuz *

Niña Dolino Niña Dolino (born October 26, 1982) is a Filipino actress. Filmography Television Film References External links * Star Magic Actresses from Cebu Filipino film actresses Filipino television actresses 1982 births Living peo ...

as Janine Aguinaldo *

Belle Mariano Belinda Angelito "Belle" Mariano (born June 10, 2002) is a Filipino actress, singer and model. She began appearing on television at the age of nine playing supporting roles and starring in the comedy-themed show '' Goin' Bulilit'' (2012–2015 ...

as Grace De La Cuesta *

Clarence Delgado Clarence William Verzosa Delgado (born December 15, 2004) is a Filipino teen actor. He was discovered by Star Circle Quest 2011 where he won as The Male Winner. He had appeared in '' Goin' Bulilit'' and '' Way Back Home''. He transferred to GMA ...

as Prince De La Cuesta *

Archie Alemania Archibald Nicholas Alemania (born March 6, 1978) is a Filipino actor, host, comedian, and dancer. Career Alemania has appeared in several television commercials such as Chippy, San Miguel, Globe and Pop Cola. He is a talent of ABS-CBN and a ...

as Tito Paul

Special Participation

Zanjoe Marudo Zanjoe Acuesta Marudo (; born July 23, 1982) is a Filipino actor and model. He began his career after finishing as the 4th Big Placer of '' Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition 1'' (2006). Since then he has starred in the TV series' ''Lovers ...

as Mayor Luis Villarin *

Ejay Falcon Edward Jake "Ejay" Lasap Falcon (born 21 November 1989) is a Filipino actor, model, endorser and politician who is the Lieutenant governor, vice governor of Oriental Mindoro. As an actor, he came to prominence in 2008 after winning the reality ...

as Trino *

Piolo Pascual Piolo Jose Nonato Pascual (, born January 12, 1977) is a Filipino actor, model, singer, television host, comedian and film producer. Pascual began a career in 1993 after landing a bit role in the film ''The Vizconde Massacre Story (God Help ...

as Emil * Ruben Maria Soriquez as Cristofano

Production

Cruz-Alviar at the grand press conference shared that ''Can't Help Falling in Love'' was shot almost immediately after Barcelona: A Love Untold. It took Padilla and Bernardo a while before they were able to shed the personalities of their Barcelona characters. On January 21, there were reports of shots from some underwater scenes for ''Can't Help Falling in Love''. The photos of them spread online as they were seen shooting scenes diving in the Moalboal located in the southwestern tip of Cebu. Based on the photos, they travel around South Cebu went from Cabana Beach Club Resort in

Moalboal Moalboal (), officially the Municipality of Moalboal (; ), is a municipality in the Philippine province of Cebu. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 36,930 people. Pescador Island, a popular tourist attraction, is part of th ...

on Sunday to visit the hidden Mantayupan falls, located in Barili town, around 30 km from their first location. They were in Cebu for a week in January 2017 to shoot some important scenes for their movie. They explored the white sand beaches of Moalboal, Bukilat Cave and Boho Rock Resort of Camotes Island, Osmeña Peak in Dalaguete, as well as the towns of Boljoon, Argao and Oslob. Editing process finished on April 5, 2017, Just 9 days before the official release. The film received a rating of PG from the

Movie and Television Review and Classification Board The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB; ; is a Philippine government agency under the Office of the President of the Philippines that is responsible for the classification and review of television programs, motion p ...

(MTRCB) and rated B by The Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB).

Music and soundtrack

The soundtrack title for ''

Can't Help Falling in Love "Can't Help Falling in Love" is a song written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss and published by Gladys Music, Inc. The melody is based on " Plaisir d'amour", a popular French love song composed in 1784 by Jean-Paul-� ...

'' is a

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

song originally recorded by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy ...

with the same title performed by the lead actor, Daniel Padilla. The music video officially released on March 16, 2017, while the song officially released on radio through MOR 101.9 on March 23, 2017. The MV launched for the first time on ABS-CBN's music program, ASAP on April 2, 2017. The song officially released on April 13, 2017, through

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

and

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

Release

Promotion

During filming, the first teaser of the trailer officially released on March 15, while the second teaser was released on March 21, 2017, has garnered more than 2 million views in less than 24 hours. The production of the film still on editing room, when Star Cinema released first trailer on March 29. followed by the press conference which was held on March 30 at Villa Immaculada Events Place,

Intramuros Intramuros () is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila. Intramuros comprises a centuries-old hist ...

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

. The malls tour promotion, dubbed "Can't Help Summer Road Tour" kicked off on April 2, 2017, at TriNoma & Market! Market! and ended on April 10 at

SM Seaside City Cebu SM Seaside City (also known locally as SM Seaside and formerly but still officially known on exterior signage as SM Seaside City Cebu), is a large shopping mall owned and developed by SM Prime Holdings in South Road Properties, Cebu City, Phili ...

which has aired live on

TV Patrol ''TV Patrol'' is a Philippine television news broadcasting show broadcast by ABS-CBN, Kapamilya Channel, A2Z and All TV. Originally anchored by Noli de Castro, Mel Tiangco and Robert Arevalo, it premiered on March 2, 1987, on the netw ...

. To promoted the film, Padilla and Bernardo performed on several live shows such as

ASAP ASAP usually stands for " as soon as possible". ASAP may also refer to: Arts and media Music Performers * ASAP (band), a hard rock band fronted by Adrian Smith * ASAP Mob, a recording group from Harlem, New York ** ASAP Ferg (born 1988), Americ ...

, It's Show Time, and Your Face Sounds Familiar: Kids. They also guest starred in episodes of

Magandang Buhay ''Magandang Buhay'' () is a Philippine television talk show that premiered on April 18, 2016 and produced, trademark and copyright registered by ABS-CBN Studios. The show was originally broadcast on ABS-CBN until the network's shutdown in 20 ...

Tonight with Boy Abunda ''Tonight with Boy Abunda'' is a Philippine television talk show broadcast by ABS-CBN. Hosted by Boy Abunda, it aired on the network's Primetime Bida line up from September 28, 2015 to May 4, 2020, replacing '' Aquino & Abunda Tonight'' and was ...

. and an episode of

Family Feud ''Family Feud'' is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson. Two families compete on each episode to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. The show has had three separate runs, the ...

Box office

The film was released on April 14, 2017, initially in 270 cinemas and was expanded to 300 cinemas and eventually in 400 cinemas (worldwide) for its seventh days. ''Can't Help Falling in Love'' has grossed ₱33 million on its first day of showing, making it the biggest Black Saturday opening for a Filipino film. After 4 days, the film grossed ₱100 million. After 10 days, the film grossed ₱180 million. On its 13th day, the film grossed ₱200 million locally. On its 24th day, the film grossed ₱300 million worldwide. (Partial Gross)

International release

For the first time in the Filipino movie history, a local film held a premiere night at United Arab Emirates. ''Can’t Help Falling In Love'' has an advanced screening for fans on April 19 at 8pm at Novo Cinema Festival City. The film released across the

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...

on April 20 and it has grossed $150,443 after 4 days. The film has grossed $900,000 in North America after 10 days. The film was screened in the United States and Canada starting April 21 in 63 cinemas. Due to popular demand it was extended up to four weeks The film also screened in key countries worldwide, including

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

, Hongkong, and for the first time in The Filipino Channel history screened in

Brunei Darussalam Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...

and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Critical reception

''Can't Help Falling In Love'' received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Pablo A. Tariman of ''

The Philippine Star ''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...

'' reviewed the film as "a different kind of kilig" In other hand, Philbert Ortiz Dy a professional movie critics of ''The Neighborhood'' rated the film 2.5 out of 5, called it "lapsing into lazy formula," stated the screenplay is "patchy". But he gave credit to the leads especially Padilla's performance. Francis Joseph Cruz a movie critics of ''

Rappler Rappler (portmanteau of the words "rap" and "ripples") is a Mass media in the Philippines, Filipino online news website based in Pasig, Metro Manila, the Philippines. It was founded by 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and convicted cyberlibelist ...

'' also stated the film is "relentlessly charming" and "too committed to formula," but admitted it as,"... Cruz-Alviar's most entertaining movie," and complimented Padilla stating that he, "...who really manages to keep the movie from being tedious in its reliance on formula." Irish Eden R. Belleza of ''

Gulf News ''Gulf News'' is a daily English language newspaper published from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. First launched in 1978, it is distributed throughout the UAE and also in other Persian Gulf countries. Its online edition was launched in 1996. Thro ...

'' share same thought, she name it as "typical romantic comedy," but "...lovely and refreshing at the same time." Stephanie Mayo a film reviewer of ''Concept News Central'' admitted, "''Can’t Help Falling in Love'' may have some cringingly corny scenes" but "..it fun and entertaining" and rated the film 3 out of 5. Nazamel Tabarres a film enthusiast of ''Pelikulamania'' also rated the film 3 out of 5 stated the film "predictable, formulaic but lovely." Ro Manalo of ''Cosmopolitan'' complimented the film wrote, "Overall, I found the movie to be funny, fast-paced, and full of ''kilig''."

Feedback

According to Twitter Philippines, "Filipinos couldn't stop talking" about the film, releasing 700,000 tweets related to the movie from April 10–17. Netizens can't help but give their positive reviews, ratings and comments about the movie.

References

External links

''Can't Help Falling in Love'' Official website
*{{IMDb title, tt6725484, Can't Help Falling in Love 2017 films Star Cinema films Star Cinema drama films Philippine romantic comedy-drama films 2017 romantic comedy-drama films Films directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar