I'm Drunk I Love You review

It is very rare for movies to tackle romance in a gritty, real way. Most of the times, romantic films focus on how good it is to feel in love. Most films we see today uses romance as an escape to reality. But then, there are those films who would rather hit us with the painful truth about love than portray it as a colorful adventure. And I have never seen a movie to ever do that as hard as JP Habac's I'm Drunk I Love You.

Maja Salavador and Paulo Avelino plays Caridad Sonia “Carson” Herrera and Dionysus “Dio” Brillo respectively. They're best friends who are finally about to graduate from college after their long overdue stay in UP for three years. They've know each other for seven years, and they've gone through a lot of stuff already that they're practically closer than BFFs. Days before their graduation, Dio invites Carson to go on one last road trip to La Union for a music festival. Carson agrees, and she is joined by her ever supportive gay bestfriend Jason Ty (played by indie favorite Dominic Roco). Little did Dio know is that Carson has been harboring feelings for him for the past seven years. Problem arises when Dio's ex-grilfriend Pathy (Jasmin Curtis Smith) shows up in the picture to reconnect with him. Will Carson finally get the courage (with the help of a bottle of beer) to tell Dio her true feelings for her before it's too late?

Maja Salvador plays her character Carson with so much commitment that she actually feels like the real thing. She doesn't look like she's just playing a role. It's as if she itself was Carson plucked out of the real world. Her funny quips and natural acting brings her character to life. She doesn't feel nor look like a caricature of past female romcom leads we have seen before. It was actually weird because it feels like I'm just watching a friend of mine, someone that I know, in the big screen. Paulo Avelino's Dio, who mostly glides through the emo/ mysterious type of guy, actually feels more authentic than most male characters we see on romcoms these days. Remember Enrique Gil's character Gio in the first few minutes of the other recently released My Ex And Whys? Though both Dio and Gio shares that moody and mystic attitude of their character, Paulo Avelino's Dio stands out between the two because his portrayal of the role is more raw and natural. Gio is on the verge of becoming this pop fiction character while Dio is bordered in reality. I don't wanna compare the two but it's just the truth. Dominic Roco and Jasmin Curtis Smith deserve some praise for their portrayal of the classic gay best friend and the ex-girlfriend, respectively. Dominic Roco plays his character, Jason Ty, with gusto, though seeing him do those girly moves with his body kinda feels a bit awkward. Jasmin Curtis plays the role of Dio's ex-grilfriend, Pathy with honesty. I don't know why but I can't feel any hate towards her character with the way she portrays the role. She's supposed to be the kontrabida in the love story of Carson and Dio but Jasmin gives her character some empathy, that she's just a normal person like one of us, hoping to be back with someone she loved before. Instead, my hatred was actually all pointed towards Dio. I don't know why I loathed him so much after the film. Maybe I met one like him in my life before and seeing what Dio have done to Carson made me feel all the pain all over again.

Another thing that I really loved about this film is the awesome soundtrack. Taking cues from films like the 2007 Irish film Once and the 2013 American film Begin Again, JP Habac infuses some great OPM songs into the story. But don't think of it as just another musical film because it isn't. The injection of songs into the scenes doesn't change the whole movie's reality based tone and atmosphere. It actually adds more punch into the pain that the audience will feel while watching the scenes. From Juan Miguel Severo, Kai Honasan, The Out of Body Special, Ang Bandang Shirley, Cynthia Alexander, Parokya ni Edgar, as well as Ebe Dancel, Johnoy Danao, Bullet Dumas and many more, what else can you ask for, right?

I'm Drunk I Love You presents itself as a romantic comedy/ music film. But if you've actually watched the film already, you'll know that this is by no means the romance film you were expecting to see. Yes, it does feature a character who is in love with another character which I guess is a requirement for it to pass as a romance movie. Yet I've read in Wikipedia that one dictionary defined it as "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily". Well, this movie is not that. It's actually more of a coming-of-age story. A wake-up call. A self-help manual. A reminder. And slap in the face. A harsh slap to make you realize that hey, it's time to grow up and move on. 

The so-called friendzone is a great basket of tearjerk stories that will definitely bring out all the hugot and feels in each one of us. We love stories about friends falling for their BFFs, and ending up together. Therefore, we live these stories and follow these character's decisions. These days, a lot of people, particularly those in the teenage years up to young adult stages are very fond of the idea of hiding their feelings for a person. We entertain this poetic idea of a love, and are contented of just being the best friend. We end up being martyrs because of our own doing. We are hoping that we are somehow gonna end up like those fairytale stories of BFFs ending up together in the end. We end up hoping, and hoping. But this film wants us to wake up from this dreamy depiction of love and asks us to get real. The movie wants us to be honest to our emotions and to ourselves. It wants us to take the chance, to risk and make that decision. Because if we won't take that one, bold move now, what else is there for us but to be stuck in an endless cycle of heartbreaks. Just like Carson who already maxed out on the MRR (Maximum Residency Rule) of UP, we too have reached our quota in our own lives. Guys, it's time to grow up and move on.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ out of 5

I'm Drunk I Love You (2017)

Starring Maja Salvador, Paulo Avelino, Dominic Roco, Jasmin Curtis-Smith
Directed by JP Habac

My Ex And Whys review

Romantic films have been a staple in Philippine cinemas for years. Maybe us Filipinos just like movies about love. We can't deny it. All of us is one big hopeless romantic. We crave good movies about love. Unfortunately, these past couple of years, our cinemas have been flooded with romance films that are almost the same with the previous one that came before. Movie companies have been accustomed to following the tried and tested formulas when it comes to romcoms that the movies they are releasing every other month are almost the same.

I really don't have anything to do with big house companies like Star Cinema. I'm a big fan of their films, from indie turned mainstream romcoms like Relax, It's Just Pag-ibig (2014), That Thing Called Tadhana (2014) and their own slew of blockbusters and masterpieces like Crazy, Beautiful You (2015), Everyday, I Love You (2015), All You Need Is Pag-ibig, How To Be Yours and Vince, Kath & James (2016). Plus, who can forget the classics likeSana Maulit Muli (1995), Got 2 Believe (2002) and One More Chance (2007)? These are just some of my favorites from the long list of films that they've been producing for the past years. But then, it's not all the time that big house movie companies produce really good films like these. This year, their very first romantic comedy offering (which I have been waiting for) turns out to be tad disappointing, despite a very fun performance from it's lead.

To start with, this film stars two of the most bankable actors in this generation, Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil. Popularly known to the masses as LizQuen, an amalgam of their names, they have been featured in at least three movies before this film. The first one was She's The One (2013) which they starred alongside Bea Alonzo and Dingdong Dantes. The next one was Just The Way You Are (2015), which was immediately followed the same year by Everyday, I Love you where they starred alongside Gerald Anderson. Ever since their first television series together, Forevermore (2015), I've been a very big fan of their loveteam. And their last film together, Everyday, I Love You (2015) remains to be my most favorite LizQuen film to date. They've been focused in their last television series last year so they were a bit quiet in the movie scene (although Enrique Gil starred in an indie thriller drama last year). So when My Ex And Whys, a romantic comedy under the helm of director Cathy Garcia Molina, was announced, I couldn't be more excited. I mean, this is the first time they are doing a movie with her and I'm a big fan of Cathy Garcia too. From films like One More Chance, A Very Special Love, She's Dating The Gangster and A Second Chance, her profile have filled with box-office hits and Pinoy romcom classics. But unfortunately, this film didn't really meet the expectations I was hoping for a LizQuen film.

The film opens with a flashback to when Cali (Liza Soberano) and Gio (Enrique Gil) first met during their college days. They became sweethearts for years until one night when Gio ends up sleeping with another girl (who actually planned it) while he was drunk. Fast-forward to the present time, Cali is now a young-adult working as a call center agent/ blogger who owns a blog-on-the-rise, The Bakit List (The Why List). Cali dreams of becoming a social media influencer and when an exchange with a user, @DahilListBoy (translated: BecauseListBoy) who turns out to be her ex-boyfriend, Gio (who wants to get her back) goes viral, it she gets the opportunity of a lifetime. Problem is she have to work with him to get this offer so she decides to meet him. Cali is determined not to fall for him again, but soon as Gio starts answering all her whys, Cali’s walls break and she starts asking her most important why: Why can you still love someone who hurt you? 

The film's story is not actually unique as we have seen multiple films tackling themes about broken-hearted people finding forgiveness and love. We have the ultimate hugot film from Antoinette Jadaone, That Thing Called Tadhana (2014) which playfully tackles the themes without being too melodramatic. There's also Dan Villegas' Always Be My Maybe (2016). I can name a lot of movie titles recycling the same theme over and over again. Yet what made these other films memorable is that they did not follow the stereotypical formula of romcoms set before. Instead, they tried to be different and ending up becoming better than the rest. Unfortunately, My Ex and Whys is not that type of film. It's contented in running along the typical Star Cinema Romance Formula, not even attempting to stray away from it's designated lane of cliches. The film actually shows a bit of promise during it's first half. The build-up of the two characters, Cali and Gio, were actually really good. I can relate a bit to Cali's character because I am working as a call center agent myself, and I am also a blogger. Actually, the best thing about this movie that I can compliment of is it's two lead characters. I think director Cathy Garcia Molina is really good at creating characters that people can relate to and sympathize with. Liza Soberano gives her all in this role, proving her great acting skills that she has honed for the past years. Liza is such a delight to watch as she bitch around Gio after what happened between the two of them. It's like watching Sarah Geronimo turn the tables against John Lloyd Cruz in It Takes A Man and a Woman. Watching Cali and Gio together on screen (and online as they have their own version of Twitter war) was really fun and cute. Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil really have great chemistry together and compensates for it's cliched storyline.

But again, it's not enough that the film has some really great characters for the whole movie to work. Unfortunately, after it's first act, the film becomes too focused on creating a conflict which eventually strays away from it's original premise that the first act has set up. Then, as the film continues, the film tries so hard so go back on track, ending up following the inevitable formula of Pinoy romcoms. Direk Cathy attempts to put some kilig worthy scenes along the way, such as the scene in the first act when they were locked inside a cabinet to play 7 Minutes in Heaven. But they were not enough to sustain the kilig all throughout the movie. The director also amps up the comedy in the film. Sadly, the ending itself doesn't even give justice to the good characters that the film has introduced to us during the first act. It's finale is so eerily similar to the endings of Direk Cathy's movies like the John Lloyd Cruz-Jennilyn Mercado starrer Just The 3 Of Us. The only difference is that instead of paper planes, hearts and like icons are seen flying around the two characters as they have their forced happy ending. Ultimately, the film turned out as another Cathy Garcia Molina flick. But to it's credit, the film is one glossy romcom compared to the previous flicks released by Star Cinema before. It uses split screens to show the reactions of both characters at the same time, allowing for a more immersive experience which was new to me. The film also utilizes social media to push forward the story, making it feel so updated and relatable to this generation, similar to what Vince, Kath & James did last year. The film has some really awesome soundtracks that adds more atmosphere to the scenes. It also boasts some some shots of South Korea during it's second act which makes it a delight to watch. Imagine Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil against a backdrop of yellow ginko trees? Perfect fan service which I really appreciate.

My Ex And Whys turns out to be a good comedy but disappointing as a romance. But then, despite it's stereotypical story, one can't still deny the fact that it is such a pleasure to watch Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil on screen. Their kilig moments may not be enough to sustain the romance in the film, but for a fan like me, I'd give that a star for their effort.

Rating: ✰✰✰ out of 5

My Ex And Whys (2017)

Starring Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil, directed by Cathy Garcia Molina

2 COOL 2 BE 4GOTTEN Hits Theaters This 2017

"You will never forget your first..."

2016 is probably one of the most unforgettable years in Philippine Cinema as there have been a resurgence of Filipino films of great content and quality within this year. We received great pride and recognition from films like Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left) winning the highly coveted Golden Lion award at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival and  Jaclyn Jose winning the award for Best Actress award from the 2016 Cannes Film Festival for the film Ma 'Rosa. The 42nd Metro Manila Film Festival also made headlines as it choose to screen films with quality content than box-office appeals, unlike the previous years.

This year, one of the most-critically acclaimed films of 2016 will finally hit theaters nationwide. Star Cinema has officially announced that last year's Cinema One Originals Best Picture 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten will be released in cinemas nationwide this March 15, 2017. The coming-of-age dark comedy film written by Jason Paul Laxamana (Magkakabaung, Babagwa, Mercury is Mine) and directed by Petersen Vargas in his full length feature debut follows Felix (Khalil Ramos), a friendless, eccentric high school topnotcher who's life turns upside down after he meets the new transferees to their school, the mysterious Film-Am Snyder Brothers. As he becomes increasingly closer to the elder Snyder, Magnus (Ethan Salvador), he is also pushed into darker territory by the younger brother, Maxim (Jameson Blake) entangling him in his dark ambitions. Aside from grabbing the Best Picture award of the 2016 Cinema One Originals, the film also won Best Cinematography for Carlos Mauricio and Best Supporting Actor for Jameson Blake.

The film set in Pampanga sometime in the late 1990's, bravely tackles themes about growing-up, friendship, love, homosexuality, sexual awakening and teenage angst mixed with social satire. Francis Joseph Cruz of Rappler describes it as "intelligent as it is emotionally potent" while PEP.ph calls it a "roller coaster of emotions". So make sure that you don't miss one of 2016's best films that's definitely "not to be missed... an experience that's too cool to be forgotten". 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten hits theaters nationwide this March 15, 2017.

For updates, check out the film's official Facebook page here.

Freedom Film Festival Returns This 2017

Freedom Film Festival is an annual film festival spearheaded by Team Communication of the De La Salle University. It's started on September 25, 2014 and showcases iconic works of acclaimed Filipino filmmakers. This 2017, the Freedom Film Festival returns with a bigger and bolder line-up of films to satisfy your film cravings. From last year's Cinema One Original's Best Picture 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten to 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival's critically acclaimed entries like Seklusyon and Vince, Kath & James, this year's line-up will delight every cinephile in the Metro.

Check out below the official line-up of the February Series of The Fifth Freedom Film Festival: Resurgent Philippine Cinema!

Ticket Prices:
150 - TeamComm Member
180 - Non-TeamComm Member
200 - Door Charge
Venue: Natividad Fajardo Auditorium, 18th flr. Bro. Andrew Gonzales Hall, De La Salle University - Manila
FFFV is open to outsiders.

You can reserve your tickets already!

For DLSU Students:

Visit our booth on these dates!February 13 - 17 -> SJ Walk Bench 7February 20 - 24 -> SJ LobbyFebruary 27 - March 2 -> Henry Sy Grounds (facing the North Gate)March 3 - 4 -> Andrew Lobby
Not from DLSU?
For OUTSIDERS/NON-DLSU students:1. Tickets can already be reserved here →http://TinyURL.com/FFFVReservationOutsiders2. You can get your reserved tickets on the screening day of the selected films.3. Online reservations for OUTSIDERS is until the LAST DAY OF SCREENING at 11:59AM.

*Online ticket reservations are only for Outsiders/Non-DLSU students



For more FFF updates, visit our social media accounts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DLSUFreedomFilmFestival
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/fff_dlsu

Sakaling Hindi Makarating review

Love is one of the main recipes of every Filipino film. It's present in almost every single film released locally. It's like a film is not complete without it. And most of the time, the film presents love as something that is to be shared with someone else. A partner. A lover. But here's one movie which portrays love in a new light. Sakaling Hindi Makarating.

It's a romance movie, but not exactly. Well, it does have a bit of romance injected in the story, but it doesn't really focus the whole movie on that aspect alone. Usually, romance movies portray people finding love and happiness in another person. There's like three other local movie releases this month that does exactly that. But Sakaling hindi Makarating stands out among these film not because it deals with a poetic love story that is bound to be tested by destiny and time. Instead, it's focus on showing us that one can also find love and happiness without the need of another person in your life. It's a romance story that will inspire you to love yourself.

Let me just clarify something before we proceed. This is not the first time I have watched this film. This movie is actually one of the entries in last year's CineFilipino film festival. It is also one of the festival favorites, as it won 7 awards during the festival including 2nd Best Picture and Best Director. I first watched this film when it had a rerun in UP CineAdarna last April 2016. The director, Ice Idanan, some of the crew and cast members were even present for a Q&A after the screening. I even got to ask them a question which made the whole (packed) theater laughed: "Para po makatulog ako ngayong gabi, can you tell me kung sino po talaga ang nakatuluyan ni Cielo?" Then, I was able to watch it the second time last December 2016 during the Inquirer Indie Bravo Festival at Cinema '76 Film Society, a micro theater in Mandaluyong City. There, I met the movie's producer, Melai Entuna who shared some trivias and fun facts about the film. And finally, after a long wait, the film had it's national theatrical release last February 1, almost a year after it's original showing.

Sakaling Hindi Makarating is the first independent Filipino film that I watched and enjoyed inside a theater. It is also the first film that made me fall in love with indie films. I don't know what happened to it but it put a spell on me after, that I craved for more indie films as the months passed. Then, a friend of mine,  Jonell Estillore, a movie blogger and founder of Cinema Bravo, brought me to Cinema '76 which was a haven for indie film lovers. And since then, I started watching more and more indie films that I could watch, from Nestor Abrogena's Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa to Marie Jamora's Ang Nawawala. And even though Petersen Vargas' 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten already holds the title as my most favorite film of all time, Sakaling Hindi Makarating will always have a special place here in my heart as the first indie film I've fallen in love with.

Sakaling hindi Makarating (In Case They Don't Arrive) is about a heartbroken woman named Cielo (played by Alessandra De Rossi). She and her finacee have just broke up after that latter decided that his life is in the States and wanted the two of them to live there permanently. Cielo does not approve this as her life is here in the Philippines, causing their break-up. She ended up staying in the apartment that they shared, crying herself to sleep every night (with some alcohol on the side). There, she met her neighbor, Paul (Pepe Herera) who handed her some postcards that were dropped in their mailbox. The mysterious postcards depicted different provinces in the country, but she doesn't know where and whom it came from. The only thing she knows about the sender is that he hides in a pseudonym, M. So she embarks on a journey, travelling to each of the provinces depicted in the postcards, in hopes of finding the real identity of the anonymous sender, M.

Just like what I've said earlier, this film is a romance film, but not quite. It shows romance in a different point of view. The movie is like a discovery of one's self. Of finding a new meaning for love. Ice Idanan wanted us to see love in a different angle. She wanted to show to us that you don't need someone else, a man or a woman, to complete yourself. To make you feel full in your life. She wanted to show to us that we can be happy and feel loved even if we are single or alone. She wanted to focus on showing us how to love ourselves. If you search for the word romance /rōˈmans,ˈrōˌmans/ in Google, one of the definitions you will get is that it's the feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love. It's doesn't necessarily mean that you need someone to have romance in your life. The fact that you love yourself is already enough. But I guess we all miss that point at this era where romance is all about love teams, blockbuster hits and Wattpad chicklits.

One thing that really made this film so memorable too was the performance of the actors. Alessandra De Rossi is definitely one of the most underrated actresses in the country. I mean, she should be given more and more projects where she can utilize that talent. She was so amazing in her portrayal of Cielo. She was able to make us believe in her character. I remember watching her in another indie film before, Antoinette Jadaone 's Relax, It's Just Pag-ibig (2014). And she was so amazing there despite her short appearance. She totally stole the show. And seeing her again in Sakaling Hindi Makarating, I must say that she did it again. Pepe Hererra was also great in his role as Paul. He adds a little bit of humor in this film, and somehow makes us want to have a friend like him who would always be my our sides whatever happens. JC Santos in his pre-Till I Met You days was also great. He looks dashing in that long hairdo and also shares a great chemistry with Alessandra De Rossi. The rest of the cast, from Teri Malvar and Hiraya Plata, were also outstanding in their roles.

Aside from the great cast, one will never forget the film for it's gorgeous cinematography. The film, which was shot in five of the most beautiful provinces in the Philippines, uses these picturesque locations not only as backdrops but tools to move the story forward. As Cielo travels from one location to another, she discovers something new to her life. She slowly grows up into a more matured person. Ice Idanan's cinematography itself will definitely bring out the wanderlust in you. I recall smiling and just staring blankly at the screen, wishing I was inside the movie as it jumps from one gorgeous location to another. Every scene is carefully framed and orchestrated to highlight these locations, from the sweeping aerial shots of the colorful vinta regattas in Zamboanga to the breathtaking cliffs of Batanes, this whole film will impress you. This, mixed with a beautiful soundtrack, is just too irresistible. 

With it's simple yet heartfelt story, outstanding cast, and astounding visuals featuring the beauty of our very own country, is sure to bring delight and uplift one's spirit after watching it. This film will bring you hope that you can find happiness in this world even though you don't have a plus one to celebrate Valentines Day every year. It's a stirring and touching journey in finding one's self, and a realization in life that happiness, in indeed, in each one of us.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰ out of 5

Sakaling Hindi Makarating (2016)

Starring Alessandra De Rossi, Pepe Hererra, JC Santos

Written by Ice Idanan & Petersen Vargas, directed by Ice Idanan

Best Director-Ice Idanan; Best Actor-Pepe Herrera; Best Cinematography; Best Musical Score; Best Sound; Best Editing; Best Picture (2nd Place)