Sana Dati.

 "Time as you know, it never finds its way back home."

--Archipelago. MRI. 

Sa malamang maraming naka-relate kay Andrea (Lovi Poe). Kung paanong sa kagustuhan nyang takasan ang nakaraan e isinusugal ang ngayon sa walang kasiguraduhang kinabukasan. Her portrayal was very impressive. Extereme yung datingan e, yung sobra siyang masaya at malungkot. Ang galing!!! Ang past, present at future. Magkaka-buhol, entertwined sa bawat isa.. Sabi nga ni Dennis (Paulo Avelino), "Sumpa natin to e. Time warp."

She is marrying Ronald (TJ Trinidad). A politician who fell in love with her during his campaign. That day was very unusual. Andrea was oblivious & did not show any signs of excitement in becoming a bride. Later on, I have fully found out why. Thanks to Dennis entering the picture. Naungkat ang kahapon effortlessly. Nadala niyang muli si Andrea sa kandungan ng nakaraan. He made her question today by visiting the past. Funny din dito si Paulo Avelino kasi hindi naman sya as in videographer unlike her brother. Hehe. 

Just like anyone else, Andrea has her "exceptional love", Andrew (Benjamin Alves). Their heyday was very ideal. Sabi nga ni Andrea, "Tayo, perfect." But nothing's perfect. Death cheated them and Andrea was left with nothing else but to go on. Pero ang tanong dun, kung nakagalaw ba sya, yung totoong humakbang palayo sa nakaraan. And can I just say, ang charming ni Benjamin Alves dito? I mean it. They look cute together. Hihi.

Walking down Andrea & Andrew's memory lane was very heart breaking. I myself did look back & felt haunted still. At the same time, the aliw factor with their lines were pretty cute, like, "Gusto mong mag make love sa loob?" (pertaining to the newly rented shop of Andrea) or yung, "Kung ganito pala mamatay, edi sige, call ako" (to which Andrew will leave Pangasinan to follow Andrea in Manila)

I am also concluding na fan ni John Cusack si Jerrold Tarog. Mantakin mong, trip niyang ipangalan sa flower shop e, "Say Anything" pati yung soon-to-be-name ng anak ni Andrea for a boy e Cusack. O kitams? Or is it only me thinking about it? Mehehe.

Pero one thing na inabangan ko sa movie & the main reason I was very eager to see it, Indak of Up Dharma Down is the soundtrack. It was very timing sa scene when finally, Andrea did bid farewell to Andrew. Leaving her blue flats before heading back to Manila. Prior to that, kinalungkot ko din yung pagsalubong ni Ronald kay Andrea sabay sabi, "Nagpaalam ka na sakanya?" to which she was clueless on how he knew all about Andrew, from the start.

Dun ako humagulgol e. For real, I felt my heart cracked & uncontrollably, tears started running down my eyes. Feeling ko, sinapian ako ni Andrea, the huge difference though is that I kept the ghost inside of me conquer until this day. 

And when she said "I love you" to Robert for the first time, bitin, nakaka-bigla pero alam mong sincere. Because finally, she felt found again. She managed to face her past, getting all along with present to keep things still for the future.

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Dahil super abang ako sa mga linyahan nila, I needed to have my journal on my lap to not miss any memorable quotes (tyaga kung tyaga):

"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd." --Voltaire

"Mahal mo ba talaga sya?" --Jamie.

"Ang bilis ng mga pangyayari. Nakakahilo ang bilis." --Andrew

Andrea: "Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

Dennis: "Gusto lang kitang makilala"

Andrew: "Kinakabahan ako sayo."

Andrea: "Ako rin"

"I love you. At walang difference kung sabihin ko sayo to ng ganito kaaga." --Andrew

"Maraming hindi sigurado sa araw na to. Sa future naten. Sigurado akong mahal kita. Naiintindihan mo yun?" --Ronald

"Convince me to marry you. I might say yes." --Andrea

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Kudos to the whole cast & team of Sana Dati!!! Trilogy of Director Jerrold Tarog. Kanya pala yung Confessional, na once in a while nata-timingan sa Cinema One. The second part is Mangatyanan na hindi ko pa napapanood. Hehe.

A not so overrated love story. Recommended to be watched for those who are still stranded from their past (just like me). Pero sana, gaya ni Andrea, hindi man tayo maka-ending ng gaya ni Ronald, mahalaga, maka-isang hakbang man lang tayo. Paunti-until ng makaraos sa kahapon sabay sa tugtugang Indak, na sobrang eargasmic ang datingan :)

Film Review: Muli (2010)

Apparently, I have just finished watching Adolfo Alix Jr's "Muli" for the second time on Cinema One. Starring Sid Lucero (Jun) and Cogie Domingo (Errol). Here's the trailer just so you haven't seen it or if you're just interested, though:   

Set in the mountainous Baguio City, its story talks about Jun who is an ex-seminarist/teacher/activist and Errol who's an aspiring lawyer who met each other during the Martial Law era. 

The story amazes me as on how two different people from different fields can still get attached to each other. The silent affair they had with each other; Time and life's challenges have always played its trick on them. 

Over the years, Jun continued to wait in vain until Errol comes back to Baguio, may it be after a year, 2 or 3 years. Yet, Errol got married, became a lawyer and settled down in Manila only to visit Baguio in a very unpredictable timing.  

One cannot simply grasp the content of it due to its sensibility-- Gender issues and politics at the same time. But what you have to understand is the passion they have-- both within their relationship and to the country. 

Nonetheless, I am encouraging you to watch this film for it has its own creativity in discussing such taboo issues. The humor being inserted once in awhile made the movie a little lighter to handle. 

Here are some of the lines I have noted down while watching the movie (I got fond of doing this every now and then):

"Wag kang mai-in love sa isang kasama. Mahirap magsama ang dalawang komunista. Palaging may giyera." --Dina. A frustrated activist when it comes to marriage. Her partner never asked her for marriage. He was more determined with his commitment in the group.

"Di ko kayang di ka makita kahit isang beses sa isang taon." --Jun to Errol

Jun: Bakit ba tayo naghahanap ng kapareha? Dahil ba ayaw natin mag-isa? Para may mag-alaga sa atin?

Errol: Hindi. Naghahanap tayo ng kapareha para mahalin natin. Para di natin maramdaman ang lungkot.

"Parang di tumitigil ang mundo. Ang dami kong naaalala." --Errol.

"Kung tatanggapin mo na lang kung anong duamting, walang mangyayari sa buhay natin." --Air. A student activist who had a May-December love affair with Jun. He later on went astray in the mountains to continue his advocacy. 

Indie films are renowned for its good quality of story. Not too much commercialism makes it more real and appealing. Adding up to its even better flow of story is its list of songs, mainly very old school and heart-felt too. 

Indeed, this film is one of my top favorite Indie films. Try to watch it!