the reasons why this has got to be the best romance movie I have ever watched:reason #: the video-call scenes / long-distance relationship realities I personally liked this very, very much. It adds a nice little touch to the realism, as well as relevancy and relatability, to the movie, especially with the video screen on portrait-mode, their faces so close to the screen in an unflattering straight angle, and the occasional, especially, the occasional twirling around to show the other person the scenery behind them. Why I know that this happens in real life?... Yeah, well my dad, who lives in another country apart from us, does that a lot. (Oh, he'll be glad to hear that last line because he's a self-proclaimed James Reid look-alike.) reason #: character imperfections/ realism Characters aren't always perfect, that's true enough. However, it is often a case in movies that everything just seems to work out great and dandy for the main characters. If this movie would have done that then both Joanne and Gio would've ended up together in a place where they both have successful careers. If this movie would have done that then Joanne would've gotten her dream job at London. If this movie would have done that then Gio would've been fine doing just freelance work and surviving off of his parents' money without a scratch. reason #: pacing of events My mom commented that the events of the movie went quickly as the characters' 3-5 year relationship was jam-packed into 1h40mins. But to be honest, I didn't even realise that the events went quickly until she pointed it out. Positively, however, realising that only made me appreciate the pacing and transitioning of events even more. There were minimal to no filler scenes. Every moment held a contribution to the plot which made the movie gripping and one where you wouldn't want to leave your seat for even just a second. The plot was clean, simple and, elegant yet straight-to-the-point. If there were plot holes (to which I noticed none of), they were too minuscule to notice. reason #: the hidden subtleties of the storyline and character development During the last third of the movie, after Joanne returns to Manila and her career skyrockets towards her goals, we also see her confidence boost exponentially as she starts to gain personal fulfilment again after an unsuccessful stint in London. With this, we also see her lose some of her dependency on Gio, which he later on notes as her 'not being as clingy anymore'. Now, here comes the genius part, and to notice it, you'd have to pay close attention to Nadine's actions, facial, expressions, and mannerisms before and after the club scene when Joanne was celebrating her new job title with her co-workers and she and Gio get into a fight over video call. Got that? Okay, now check this out:
Mama mia! Did you notice that character development? It was brilliant, I tell you. reason #: the ending / career vs. love In the end, Gio returns to the Philippines and leaves behind his blossoming career in London because he chose to be with Joanne. For those who of you who've noticed, this is a rehash of the rising action when Joanne left her work in Manila to be with Gio in London. However, the tone in these two scenes differ greatly. The first scene where Joanne leaves her career in Manila, there was an air of excitement for starting a over and a new life with Gio. But on the second scene, when Gio left his career in London, there was an air of tense uncertainty and regret for starting over coming not from Gio, but mostly from Joanne. Based on the ending scenarios, even if it had not been said verbally, you could tell that Joanne is not happy with Gio's decision to go back to Manila which brings me to this point... . . . Their relationship was doomed if neither one of them agreed to become the underdog and compromise. Love is all about compromise. Period. . . . Think of it like this: Joanne had no career luck in London where Gio's career luck was. If they'd stayed apart and prioritised their careers, they would've eventually stayed apart for good. If they wanted to be together, still, eventually, one has to let go of their current career-- and James did that. And I think that's selflessly beautiful. (P.S. On a realistic note though, since James had worked in London for quite a while and on prolific projects nonetheless, I think he'd have less of a hard time finding another suitable job for himself in Manila. So really, everybody wins, still, and it's a happy ending :P) afterthoughts... Romance dramas were never really my thing. The only way to get me to watch a romance drama movie or show is to drag me and force me to watch it; this was no exception. I don't watch them because a) I've never been in love so I can't relate, b) I can't comprehend and nor am I willing to accept 'love' as the answer to the characters' often stupid and impractical decisions, c) I often feel like the characters are inflating 'the power of love' way too out of proportion, it can't be that powerful, and d) have I mentioned yet that I've never been in love so I can't relate to anything the characters are feeling, at all?
However, I am so glad that I got dragged to the cinema to watch this movie because it was truly wonderful. It was simple and yet it was able to perfectly capture the realistic struggles of career vs love and long-distance relationships that I could somehow relate to because I have noticed it from the people around me. I am at awe.
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Please be aware that the views expressed in these reviews are strictly subjective, and were my honest thoughts about the movie. Therefore, any constructive criticism or nicely-stated debating comments are welcomed but bashing of anyone else's views, whether mine or a fellow commenter will not be tolerated. Archives
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