#WalangForever does justice to Pinoy rom-com genre

The Philippine movie industry is filled with romantic comedy films. Just look at the Wikipedia page of Star Cinema and you will see a pattern of at least one romantic comedy every month each year. The reason is a no brainer. We love love stories. Our love-obsessed culture follows every kilig, heartache, and hugot line imaginable.

But everything has its limits and too much sugar is just too sweet. So we look for stuff that refreshes our taste, stuff that is pampatanggal umay. In a genre that is so often abused for the assurance of quick box office returns, pampatanggal umay is something that we sorely need.

The best films about love does not talk about love. It talks about lovers. They are human. They make mistakes and sacrifices. Their yearning for a special someone will lead them to make stupid and impulsive decisions. In other words, they are imperfect.

This is where Dan Villegas’ "#WalangForever," the Best Picture at the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival, comes into play.

The movie follows the love story of Mia (Jennylyn Mercado) and Ethan (Jericho Rosales). Mia is a celebrated writer of rom-coms. Like other writers, she gets her story ideas from her relationship with Ethan.

From the get-go, there is a sense of familiarity with the story being presented. It's interesting to note that Villegas' girlfriend in real life, Antoinette Jadaone, is a writer/director of rom-coms, most known for "That Thing Called Tadhana."

Although the script was penned by Paul Sta. Ana, Jadaone helped in conceptualizing the story for "#WalangForever" and her relationship with filmmaking is discernible in Mia's background as a writer.

Evident too is the love Villegas has for the art form, as shown in the scene where the audience is captivated by the latest rom-com Mia wrote. 

Unlike most love stories, "#WalangForever" starts when the relationship has ended. The film focuses on the former couple’s attempts to move on, with Ethan literally planning to move to Taiwan.

"#WalangForever" does not need bombastic sequences because its heartbeat lies in character development. This makes the film feel down to earth, unassuming, neurotic, and heartfelt. It also makes the film feel somewhat familiar. You may have seen similar themes tackled in "That Thing Called Tadhana" or "One More Chance." The latter film is important, because "#WalangForever" would not exist without it. 

The cast is lovable and charismatic. Special mention goes to Lorna Tolentino and Irma Adlawan for their short, but memorable parts as the mothers of Mia and Ethan.

Mercado and Rosales played their characters so well that it seemed they were already in character even before production started. Though he was reported to be the second choice to play Ethan, Rosales proved natural to the role.

Meanwhile, Mercado’s palpable chemistry with Rosales proved how much of a rom-com chameleon Mercado has become. Other actresses need to be part of a love team to act in love. Mercado can be with anyone and, still, she can sell the product.

"#WalangForever" is not without flaws: It changes its tone halfway through the film and there are some scenes that had to be altered and lines that had to be re-recorded during post-production. It is not a clean film overall. But it never lost its charm even when it tripped. 

Villegas knows the path to take and he carried us through the whole experience without losing sight. And his love for the story showed. Even with all the imperfections and controversy, "#WalangForever" deserved the awards it received mainly due to its attempt to prioritise the story above all else. It could lead to a reawakening of Pinoy romantic films. And that is a good thing. — AT, GMA News

#WalangForever is being shown in cinemas nationwide.