I've been seeing posts about this movie in my social media feeds but never really entertained it. Then one day, I got myself into an elevator with two young officemates talking about the movie. Then a gay officemate told me sadly, "
Sad ako ngayon, sold out na tickets nung Tadhana movie dito" (our office building is beside a mall with a cinema). So it really made me curious that I had to research what's the fuss all about.
The movie made its debut in the Cinema One Originals Film Festival last year with mostly sold-out screenings. It even won a Palanca award even before it was filmed. It's that good I guess. And with the catchy title and relatable
hugot lines, no wonder it has left such impact on its audience. At the get go, you’ll think that this is your typical rom-com plot --- a heart-broken girl meets a boy, her knight in shining armor (or in this case, a knight with an extra luggage space). The scenes are not cinematically ground-breaking but instead mirror the normal life situation, combined with very honest dialogue lines and lots of swearings (when you’re in grief you swear, okay?).
I’m sure by now you already know about the
hugot lines from the movie. I won’t be surprised if you even memorized them and posted them in your different social media accounts. Heck, I won’t be even surprised if I hear “Where do broken hearts go?” as the cellphone ringtone of every affected individual. So let’s say I’m giving yourself a break from reading more of those
hugot lines and instead tackle other areas in the movie which caught my attention.
The dialogues. And I'm not just talking about the famous
hugot lines. Hearing the two main characters talk just like ordinary people makes it so real and somehow you feel that you are part of the conversation. "
Tange, di pa start!", "
Bakit pa kasi ako nabuhay", "
Ahh burgis...", "
Pakita mo abs mo", are just few of them which stuck to me. I remember how my friends and I would talk or bash each other.
Videoke is the answer. You're happy? Let's sing and celebrate. You're sad? Let's sing and cry. We're Filipinos, we're born to sing. Misery loves company. Why is it that when we're sad, we tend to watch more sad movies? And speaking of broken-hearted, who could forget Popoy and Basha and their epic love story in the epic movie Once More Chance? Not to mention that it stars the dashing John Lloyd Cruz, who is the real-life boyfriend of Angelica Panganiban.
Speaking of Angelica, this character is so her! I think she made some of the lines herself (the "
Tange" part was an adlib as the camera was still rolling even after the scene). She deserved the Best Actress award. JM De Guzman was also good in this movie. So subtle, so cool.
I could talk and talk here more about what I think about the movie, but I'd rather leave it at this. Sure, this movie is a refreshing take on what seemed like a typical plot. It has no pretensions, no promises. And I guess, aside from the catchy dialogues, this is what made it tick.
Happiness count: ♥♥♥♥
