“Forever” is perhaps the word of
the year for Filipinos. We’re in this day and age where people question
the infinity. Can happily ever after exist? Do you believe in forever? Well, I
don’t know much but I believe that #WalangForever is great.
This is perhaps one of the most personal films I’ve seen this year. I don’t know if Paul Sta. Ana wrote this from his experience, but I feel that there’s a lot of heart into it. It started with a bunch of comparisons from Mia’s romcoms and her real-life experiences with his ex, who she later encountered. I was just laughing at this setup until it hit me when Ethan and his maid had a conversation about romcoms. The movie is more than what I thought it was. The first half acknowledges this genre as a companion, an escape and a reminder of our precious days.
Why do we write? Is it for the money,
for the love of art or to be remembered?
I also believe that the best stories come
from our own experiences and that art immortalizes its creator. Having the
chance to tell a widely-accepted, personal story is perhaps the best thing that
can happen to a writer, and that’s what I think the film is trying to say.
But the movie had a change of heart once
the conflict started. Some might complain its sudden shift of tone, but I had
no problem with it because that’s just how life works. One day, you’re having
the best time of your life. And then all of the sudden, reality screws you up
big time. The last act could’ve used a little more time to breathe and feel the
characters’ pain, but its climax was delivered with unparalleled sincerity from
its excellent actors. I love how it ended by answering its question with a
subtle, moving illustration. Stay for the end credits.
There’s no denying that Jennylyn Mercado
will be a back-to-back MMFF Best Actress awardee. Jericho Rosales will also be a
solid contender for his earnest performance and effective chemistry with his
co-stars, even if the award is solely for John Lloyd Cruz (unless MMFF
completely sabotaged Honor Thy Father). Lorna Tolentino, Jerald Napoles, Kim
Molina and Pepe Herrera provided joy and solemnity in certain moments. It has a lot of twists and cameos
that I will not mention. But there are no small roles, just small actors. I'm curious on how the film will look like if JM de Guzman was not replaced by Echo.
To end this, I have to say that the
biggest reason why I love Dan Villegas’ romantic films is because they value
the man’s point of view, unlike most romcom filmmakers who treat their male
protagonists as perfect, financially-stable, mouth-watering objects of fascination
for hopeless romantics. His men have range, feelings and issues of their own.
They talk to us as much as they do to the opposite sex. Ethan and Mia may look
like a perfect couple, but at least they have problems that they didn’t create
just for the sake of having an emotional conflict near the end. I'm still waiting for a grounded film with normal people dealing with normal problems in the country like traffic, minimum wage, contractual labor and poor work-life balance.
#WalangForever starts as a love letter
to romantic films and ends as a sincere acceptance of reality.
PINAKBET BURGER WITH FEELINGS
★★★★☆
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Thanks for reading and have a merry movie
Christmas!
