Celeste was the female main character of this movie that was played by Bella Padilla who met Jesse, played by Carlo Aquino, in a coffee shop in an unprepared situation.

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On this film, it was just a coincidence that these two main characters have similar names with the main characters of a Hollywood movie entitled Celeste and Jesse Forever. But in the minds of the people behind this film, it was intentional.

 

The American movie and this film were both about destiny.

 

Meet Me in St. Gallen would want to tell us whether the person we just met somewhere could be the person that was destined to stay in our lives forever or not. That’s something we know nothing about. What we just know and we’re sure about was what’s currently happening.

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We do not know if we’ll get to meet again the person we met once and if that happens, would that person finally stay or how many times your paths have to cross again for the destiny could at last say that the two of you are really meant for each other.

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Sadness was the overall atmosphere inside the cinema. Many felt connected to the scenes and everything that Celeste and Jesse have talked about. But at the same time, after feeling blue, you would feel a bit of satisfaction because you’d realized that in the end, the movie was just showing the reality.

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One reality that was shown on this film was “What if” as one of the hardest questions in the world, harder than Abstract Algebra or Quantum Mechanics as it cannot be studied. You’re lucky if you still have the chance to answer this question because in most situations, it cannot be answered anymore.

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Scary but true.

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Also, I have realized only on this movie that sadness doesn’t always have a negative description. I thought you have a black-colored life when you’re sad. But I’ve learned that you can also appreciate happiness in sadness.

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“Solitude is different from loneliness. Solitude is quiet by yourself but you’re completely fine.” Celeste explained to Jesse.

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Now that we’re talking about realities in life, this film also depicted something true about working. “Mahal ko ang trabaho ko, pero mas mahal ko ang sarili ko.” That was what Celeste told her boss over the phone. As much as you love your job, if your superior was very controlling already, you’ll definitely quit. This was also on the trailer and one of the reasons why I watched this movie on the big screen.

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What was also shown on the film was the negative attitude of taxi drivers in the Philippines. I have a pack of personal experiences to share but let’s not get into it to avoid stress for now. It was nerve infuriating to remember.

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Anyway, what Bella Padilla’s character said in the movie was hilarious. “Hirap kaya maging pangit ngayon. Maraming pasakit.” It was a funny reality. I know the struggles, ask me one. But we shouldn’t forget what Lady Gaga has said that we’re beautiful in our own way. Believe in that.

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The actors played their roles very well.

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I like the attitude of the character of Bella Padilla here, very straightforward with an attitude of a tough guy. Her name was Celeste.

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“Okay, so nagagandahan ka sa’kin kaya mo ako sinusundan? Hindi? Dahil napapangitan ka?” Celeste confronting Jesse as to why he was stalking her.

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That was savage.

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It was also on the trailer and one of the things that caught my interest to really watch this film.

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Celeste was a graphic artist. She wanted freedom in showing her creativity. That’s why I think being blunt was normal to someone who’s into arts. Well, every artist has different ways of expressing themselves. I agree that in this kind of job, you’ll get frustrated of the demands coming from the clients who were almost requiring you to get the moon for them. I have a friend who could testify that.

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Bella Padilla was able to handle the role aesthetically. Perhaps, there’s similarity in her real-life personalities and Celeste’s characteristics so it was not difficult for her to portray the role. I cannot forget the taxi bay scene. Celeste was really hilarious.

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I’m not aware that Carlo Aquino can sing until this movie. He not just sang but also rapped one of the soundtracks entitled “Bituin” and it was great. It was an original song of Shehyee with Keiko Nacesario singing the chorus part.

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I just want to say that I appreciate Shehyee’s songs. He’s really good in composing and rapping, as well as the other Fliptop known rappers like Abra, Loonie, and many more.

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Carlo was Jesse on this film. He was experiencing a big conflict between his passion and his parent’s ambition towards his life. He has a father who’s not supportive, the reason why he has a bit of a rebellious attitude.

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Jesse was mute in front of his parents. He cannot easily voice out feelings, which was the complete opposite of Celeste’s personality.

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Carlo Aquino has been a great actor since my childhood. ”Akala mo lang wala. Pero meron, meron, meron” then a slap on the face.

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I just noticed a bit of consciousness in some of the two main actor’s adlibs. It’s unlike Angelica Panganiban and JM De Guzman in That Thing Called Tadhana. Well, Angelica is exceptional in building connections with her co-actors in every scene. She makes it normal and easy to portray.

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And here, Angelica Panganiban was part of the film. Her role was just a silly idea, I can’t get over it.

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In addition, I felt happy after seeing Kat Galang as Bella’s best friend. I have been admiring her since her Salbakuta viral video.

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The musical score was perfect. I think it was brilliant to input “Pasok Moira” thing on the trailer. It’s clever, in fact and again, one of the reasons why I watched this movie. The people behind this idea know that Moira Dela Torre is currently being loved by the masses.

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This film has an uncommon set design for a Filipino movie. Every set were Instagram-able because of its coffee shop motif. The silent scene in Celeste’s house, in the table, was one example. It was superb. There were no dialogues but perfect. The set arrangement was like inspired by the restaurants or coffee shops in Switzerland, where St. Gallen is located. It’s brilliant.

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I think coffee shops played a big role in this movie. It’s where the first and second meet-ups of the two main characters took place. Many revelations and conversations have been made in this place. Filipinos are becoming coffee shop-goers today so this idea was excellent.

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As well as the photography for this film, very remarkable. The positioning of the actors was well-planned that’s why the shots were extraordinary, not very common to a Filipino made movie. I could say that our Filmmakers are becoming more idealistic.

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This masterpiece was for the people who passed by to probably give life to our lives or to just calm our disturbed hearts. A film that always has beginnings; this film is a must-watch.

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And since I wasn't able to get over everything about this movie immediately, I searched for some of the locations where they filmed the first part, went there, and re-felt the atmosphere while watching this destiny-filled film. Here are some of it: