Shoes—“a pair of size 8    red pumps owned by Imelda Marcos to be exact—“that's what the movie's about. A young boy named Lucas steals them so he could give one shoe to his widowed mother, and the other to his first love. A decade later, Lucas finds himself in a situation that eventually leads him to bring the two pieces back together. SPOT.ph sat down with The Red Shoes stars Marvin Agustin, Nikki Gil, and Tessie Tomas, together with screenwriter James Ladioray to talk about the acclaimed movie that opens today, March 10, and found 10 good reasons to watch it:

1. It's a different kind of love story.

What self-respecting Pinoy doesn't love a good rom-com? The film is full of kilig moments sure to make any hopeless romantic feel all fuzzy inside. But, mind you, the film is also intelligent. This well-written love story   is juxtaposed against poignant moments in our history, giving the film a whole other dimension that will stimulate both the audience's hearts and minds. Actors Marvin and Nikki were excited to be paired up for the first time to tell this story onscreen.

SPOT: You two have an eight-year age gap, was it difficult to get the chemistry going?

Nikki: May mga eksena kasi na ang chemistry dapat ng dalawang tao genuine because if not, as a viewer, you can tell. You might not be able to point your finger to it, but you can tell something's off, something's wrong. Thankfully, noong nagumpisa kami sa The Red Shoes, our "chemistry" was almost automatic.

Marvin: Working with Nikki is such a breeze, it's a walk in the park. I guess at that time... yung mga love scenes... duon mo mararamdaman yung pagkanatural ng affection.

SPOT: Didn't that love scene feel awkward?

Marvin: [smirking] May mga unusual ways so awkward. Hindi lang basta love scene yung iniisip namin kundi talagang we really have to get into the character. Si Nikki, first [love scene] niya talaga. So it was awkward at the start but we were able to pull it off.

2. It's the first time Nikki Gil is in a lead role.

Back when she was still singing that Coca-Cola jingle in 2005, people immediately knew that big things were in store for Nikki Gil. Given the chance to play the lead opposite Marvin Agustin, she shines. The girl can cry on cue, and the way her lines lash out of her mouth during one pivotal scene in the film is enough to make her goody-two-shoes image fade behind a picture of a serious actress ready for big roles.

SPOT.ph: How does it feel to finally be cast as the lead?

Nikki: It feels surreal but I'm honored. I'm very, very honored to have been part of this production. [The film] is very intelligent to begin with. From the moment I read the script I thought that this was something original. This is something that's definitely Filipino and something that will make a mark in the industry.

SPOT.ph: How does this differ from any of your previous projects?

Nikki: It was very different  All of us were not forced to fit the confines of some mold or some peg. We had the freedom to experiment. We had the freedom to explore.

3. It's unpredictable really.

Unlike many films being churned out by big movie outfits, the film is actually unpredictable. Ladioray's writing contributes to this—“the many twists and turns in the story's several subplots keep its audience interested in what's going to happen next. Even the ending is a really pleasant surprise.