‘Love You Long Time Review: A Timebending Romance That Takes A Daring Risk
This is a spoiler free review.
In the field of Filipino cinema, Baguio has long been an icon of romance. Love You Long Time directed by JP Habak ( I'm Drunk I Love You ) takes us on another journey to this magical city, the natural setting for iconic Filipino love stories like Kung Mangarak Kat Magicing. , our labs...ok how long? , and this thing is called Tadhana . While the film doesn't deviate from the pitfalls of well-known tropes, Love You Long Time excels at embracing the charm of Baguio and placing conventional love stories in the context of experiences that revolve around time.
Borrowing South Korean films such as Il Mare (2000), The Lake House (2006), and Kimi No Na Wa (2016), hosted by Makoto Shinkai, in this context is romanticism. A touch of mysticism and a touch of science fiction. It's great to have a refreshing break between realism and a moment of fictional destiny to our main character's advantage (or disadvantage). This approach also makes viewers comfortable with uncertainty, suggesting that they cannot fully predict the events of the film's final minutes. And so the scenario speculates and wonders what path Filipinos usually take to finish the story. The result is an unexpected portrait of how art emerges as an important vehicle for reinterpreting the past and has the potential to become a cathartic effort to overcome the weight of grief.
Starring Carlo Aquino as Uly and Eisel Serrano as Ikay , Love You Long Time weaves a complex web of interactions between two characters in different timelines, connected only by a mysterious radio power. Eke was a struggling screenwriter who, despite countless drafts and revisions, failed to fit the bricks of personal storytelling into his screenplays. Uli, on the other hand, has a carefree attitude and works as a mechanic while living in a remote and ancient mountain home. Her persistence leads to an affair with Ike, who goes to see Baguio to get rid of his writer's block.
Aquino played his part as if he were a radio DJ, flirting with the invisible audience and making awkward facial expressions. Serrano remains stoic and joins Aquino in the hilarious banter, though his character doesn't engage in actual physical interactions as part of the story.
One thing that's interesting to note about the show is whether they were intentionally directed a certain way given the script's climactic opening. At times there is an awkwardness and inconsistency that feels less than usual. Even the interactions between Serrano, his aunt played by Ana Abad Santos, and Min Espinosa's comedic backup role at times seem like improvised attempts at more natural dialogue that contrasts sharply with other scenes.
There's also a moment between Serrano and Abad Santos, the idea of rewriting the past is undoubtedly moving when viewed in isolation, but only makes sense once you get used to the final revelation rather than the immediate context of the scene. . . If you think about it, this error seems to have occurred because the script not only moved with the times, but also with the way the staff entered the fiction. I don't want to say too much, but these things can add to the confusion viewers feel towards the end. For a film that asks audiences to lift their disbelief, such a narrative becomes a comfort zone for many, making any hesitant leaps of faith dangerous.
However, I appreciate any risky undertaking at this point as I think this has become the bare minimum of a mainstream offering right now. To be honest, I got tired of the first 30 minutes of the film, which is what sets this typical Baguio romance apart from other Baguio romances of the past. I thought I'd wait to check out all the appearances on my Filipino romance movie shopping list until I realized the film had gone one of those lines. Much of my appreciation for this film comes from its possible opening after its true identity is revealed. In fact, it's as if the film toyed with various alternative endings and ultimately settled on one that was filled with ambiguity, perhaps because neither ending was entirely satisfying.
I wish the film had played with the technical aspects more than the usual reverse shots that occur in real time to really take advantage of the form. As Uli and Ike remain physically separate throughout most of the film, there is a clear line that separates their two worlds. While I loved that detail, it would have been very satisfying to see more differences, perhaps adding some saturation or even a subtle variation in the production design that could effectively convey the different moods of each timeline character.
Love You Long Time may not be entirely original or the pinnacle of Filipino romance, but it has a vision and a strong storyline with resonant character arcs. As the credits roll and the continued excitement of Ben & Ben's music fills theaters, each character learns something new and at certain points in the film it's unknown if they will actually get together. Watched or not, movies end at a romantic climax, usually in a slow-motion moment at or near the climax, the final trick to playing with time. -Rappler.com
Love You Long Time is now showing in theaters nationwide at the Summer Metro Manila Film Festival April 8-18.
