Diary ng Panget

Verdict: Proceed with Caution

Pinoy Rebyu Score: 2.31 (8 ratings)

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Director: Andoy Ranay

Writer: Mel Mendoza-Del Rosario

Cast: Nadine Lustre, James Reid, Yassi Pressman, Andre Paras

Synopsis: Poor, acne-ridden Eya (Nadine Lustre) is a scholar at the very exclusive Wilford Academy. To make ends meet, she gets a job working as the personal maid of campus heartthrob Cross (James Reid). Cross isn’t very kind to her, constantly making fun of her appearance and generally being a pain. But she sticks it out. Her proximity to Cross brings her all sorts of attention from the other students on campus. She soon gets caught up in the various romantic entanglements of the students of the Wilford Academy, all the while struggling to make sense of her own feelings for her new friends. (Click the City)

Reviews:

3.0 Rito Asilo (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

“Director Andoy Ranay infuses the foursome’s romantic roundelay with a youthful vibe that captures the spirit of the book’s playful irreverence, but gives short shrift to its narrative weaknesses.” (Read full review)

3.0 Pinoy Exchange

“One thing that saves the movie from failing completely is its wonderful cast. Lustre is just fantastic as she owns the role completely. It’s a star-making turn that oozes with so much charisma.” (Read full review)

2.5 Dale Bacar (dalebacar.com)

“In the end, even if it is nothing more than disposable entertainment, Diary ng Panget works because it speaks the same language that is relatable to most of us.” (Read full review)

2.0 Oggs Cruz (Spot.ph)

“The film is all gloss but with very little glee. A lot of the jokes are hampered by drab execution. A lot of the romance is killed by dull filmmaking. A lot of what could have been fun and hip is squandered by relentless posturing. (Read full review)

2.0 Philbert Dy (Click the City)

“Whatever youthful energy might be behind Diary ng Panget is squandered by the subpar direction. The looseness of the narrative might have even been an asset if the direction was more inclined to make bolder or more well thought-out choices about how it presented the story.” (Read full review)

2.0 Zig Marasigan (Rappler)

“Because of the film’s overt reliance on cliché and stereotype, Diary ng Panget fails to deliver on the soul of any convincing diary – honesty.” (Read full review)

2.0 Cathy Peña (Make Me Blush)

“Director Andoy Ranay’s film adaptation of this best-selling Filipino romance novel follows this director’s penchant for glossy, upper-middle class macrocosm (Sosy Problems, When the Love is Gone). Unfortunately, this acumen does nothing but highlight Ranay’s mediocre directorial vision.” (Read full review)

2.0 Armando dela Cruz (The Pulis Rebyu)

“The script… is formulaic and flat, with little character and conflict to compel motion through the film. The direction is similarly distancing; Ranay’s previous work Sosy Problems serves as portent to his poorly executed, upper-middle class humor displayed here.” (Read full review)