Awfully brilliant, or brilliantly awful?

It's the latter. Let the Love Begin is one of the most brilliantly awful films I have ever seen in quite some time. There's only one reason (well, make it one and a half) why I watched the film, but even that reason could not make up for the film's two-dimensional characters, conventional plot, and atrocious acting. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Awful: Almost everything. First, the two-dimensional characters. Each major character involved in this film can be boxed into rigid personality types. Here's the kikay cheerleader who's so boba that she even has to vandalize school property with easily researchable questions such as: "What is Newton's Third Law of Motion?" Here's the cute, down-to-earth poor boy who's so awesome that he's able to work as a janitor in the morning + study his lessons at night + make his friends' assignments + compose a love letter for the token funny guy + take care of his lola + be a model for Bench shirts. Aside from these two characters, we have the ailing lola, the domineering dad, the token funny guy, the subplot friends who almost talk of nothing else but the main characters, and the mean girls.

Second, the conventional plot. Boy sees girl. Boy falls for girl. Girl ignores boy. Girl starts to see boy. Girl likes boy. Mean boy comes in. CONFLICT! Girl rejects mean boy. Girl loves boy. Boy loves girl. Boy and girl smooch. HAPPY ENDING!

There are, of course, various subplots. Subplot 1: Boy's friend has a tomboyish best friend. Tomboyish best friend falls for boy's friend. Boy's friend sees the lady inside the tomboyish best friend. Boy and girl smooch. HAPPY ENDING! Subplot 2: Dad scolds girl. Girl fights back. Dad slaps girl. Girl runs away. Dad has a heart attack! PLOT TWIST! Dad and girl smooch. (Kidding.)

Third, the atrocious acting. I like Richard Gutierrez and Angel Locsin in Mulawin, and I think they've carried themselves well in that series, so I don't understand what's with this atrocious acting? Every scene seems forced, every line lacks conviction. The only times their acting succeeds are when they're smiling their pa-cute smiles and wiggling their little asses.

Brilliantly awful: It's a film to be laughed at. We snickered at the most dramatic scenes, when the audience was at its most silent. We rolled our eyes at the funniest scenes, when the audience was at an uproar. If you wish to laugh at all the wrong reasons and keep silent at the right ones, then this is the film for you. Make sure you have another agenda in watching the film, though, because even though it's unintentionally funny, it might eventually get the best of you and you might emerge out of the theater fuming mad, eager to box the ears of those who stole your 80 pesos.