It’s fortunate that Jason Paul Laxamana’s ‘Hold Me Close’ has the combined star power of Carlo Aquino and Julia Barretto because they are working hard to try and make this movie, with its thin premise, work. Set in Karatsu, Japan, the magical romance teams up Aquino and Barretto two people with respective traumas who find each other and set the journey towards healing. The catch? Barretto’s Lynlyn has the ability to tell if a person is “positive” or “negative” (whether they will be the cause of joy or pain) by simply touching them.

Aquino plays Woody, a man searching for a place to call home. He seems to be independently wealthy, not having a job but taking on a lovely house in Karatsu. In the morning market, he meets Barretto’s Lynlyn, who sells squid at the market with her two brothers Tantan (Jairus Aquino) and Botbot (Migo Valid). It’s love at first sight. Woody ends up helping Lynlyn and her brothers after her power discovers one customer is a “negative” and sparks a strong reaction that causes a stir. For Lynlyn, she feels that Woody is safe because he is neither “positive” or “negative.” He begins to visit her every day and she tags along because he will not cause her harm. Woody is persistent and consistent and eventually Lynlyn is charmed and what seals the deal is that Woody is now a positive. They begin to date until, on a date, Woody suddenly becomes a negative. The two protective brothers try to keep them apart but Lynlyn, overcome with her feelings for Woody, gives him three chances to turn into a positive. She then helps him evaluate his life and his choice, delving into his past and encouraging him to fix his relationship with his family. In the process, she will soon discover that she must also face her own demons.

What makes the film a frustrating watch is that Laxamana builds the thinnest characters here. Unlike the characters of his previous films, Woody and Lynlyn end up appearing one-dimensional no matter how much work Aquino and Barretto put into them. Woody arrives in the city, and he seems to not do anything except chase after Lynlyn. He has no job, no passions or goals. He’s just a man running away from his issues and no matter how charming Aquino can be, there’s not much there to root for. At some point, he laments that no one loves him, but we don’t actually see him being a part of the world in any meaningful way. Lynlyn, on the other hand, is completely defined by her ability. She panics when she’s electrified by a negative reading of a person but every customer she has, she holds on to them trying to find out if they are good for her or bad. She also seems to not have any other dream or goal than to sell squid with her brothers in the market. Not much is said about her background: why she and her brothers are there and what is their goal in life. It seems these characters are only there to exist for the purpose of this movie.

It doesn’t help that the film takes a moment to showcase all the tourist spots of Karatsu, which ends up taking us away from the film to become a sort of travelogue. Yes, it’s part of the scenes when Woody and Lynlyn are falling in love. But the place doesn’t feel integral to the story. You can replace it with any location, whether local or abroad, and the story can still stand. 

Also, the film doesn’t seem to have a clear representation of what positive or negative means. At one point, Woody is a positive and then another moment he becomes a negative. The film doesn’t quite handle this properly. At one moment, even Tantan becomes negative and then only to turn positive again the next. The whole film’s conceit centers around Lynlyn’s gift but as Woody tries to make himself positive for her, one wonders why Lynlyn gets to determine one person’s worth based on a feeling that she cannot explain. It could be a great metaphor for red flags and green flags, but the film never brings it there. It feels literal in its presentation and that sort of brings down the film’s potential.

My Rating:

Hold Me Close is now showing in cinemas. Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.