A misplaced detachment

Though it wasn't explicitly stated in the film, "Unfriend", directed by Joselito Altarejos and written by Zigcarlo Dulay, appears to have been inspired from a disturbing news many months back about a teenage boy who, unable to cope with a failed relationship, shot his teenage lover (a boy) inside a shopping mall and then afterwards shot himself. In the film, a 15-yr-old boy (portrayed by Sandino Martin), having been left by his 17-yr-old boyfriend (portrayed by Angelo Ilagan) for another guy, becomes depressed, unstable and eventually, suicidal. The film essentially chronicles the last day - or hours - in the life of this ill-fated boy, all happening on Christmas day.

While the subject matter (or the news material on which the film was based) is arguably sensational, the director's treatment of the matter is far from it. Eschewing the potentially lurid and tabloid-like aspects of the material, the director opts for a deliberate and moody piece that puts emphasis on the psyche of a jilted adolescent. While not entirely subtle (there are symbolisms and red herrings that shout out), the film at times nearly approximates the level of a stream-of-consciousness narrative, with almost everything that takes place seems to be in accordance with David's point-of-view. Even then, the film does manage to raise a number of disturbing questions - in regards the psycho-emotional fragility of teeners experiencing the first joys and pains of love, the easy accessibility of certain weapons of destruction, the absence and cluelessness of parents and elders, and the reach and impact of social media (which the film utilizes to some extent). At some point, I start to feel the film to be a curious hybrid of Joao Pedro Rodriguez' "O Fantasma", Gus Van Sant's "Elephant" and Wong Kar-Wai's "Happy Together"!

But despite such commendable attributes, "Unfriend", alas, has a major setback which greatly diminishes its total impact - the screenplay. Zig Dulay's script fails to mine deeply into the psychology of what could've been a truly unsettling character. The result is that we have a major character who is not entirely engaging and sympathetic, with his predicament coming off as lamentably pat. And when his self-destructive act is finally consummated, the reaction from the viewers becomes more of a smug than of a shock. Too bad because Sandino has enough charm onscreen, it's just that the script didn't provide enough depth in his character for him to explore. It can be sensed that the newcomer was willing to transcend the limitations of his character, but it appears that the script was holding him back to become fully compelling. The clinical approach towards the tragic young man was, to my mind, rather miscalculated.

Most of the time, we see David in seemingly "quiet" contemplation over his heartbreak and loneliness, with IPad and Facebook becoming his virtual companions. There's nothing wrong with that. It's only that with a potentially strong material, a little "aggressiveness" won't really hurt. The same thing goes for the other party in the failed relationship, Jonathan. With very little screentime provided, viewers are left wondering as to what really "motivated" him to dump David, regardless of the fact that there was another party involved. Was it a shortcoming on David's part or was Jonathan a plain jerk? Whether intentional or not, I think it was a major flaw for the screenwriter to relegate the latter to mere "secondary" character. A little more fleshing out of the person who broke our protagonist's heart could've made a big difference as well to the film's total outcome.

Altarejos already made a strong impression with "Ang Lihim ni Antonio", a homosexual incest drama that is affecting, disturbing, cohesive and sensual, and also features a central teenage character. Sadly, "Unfriend", while observant and moody just like the former, leaves much to be desired in regards those aforementioned qualities to make it a truly provocative piece about innocence lost.

The young lovers who break apart in ''Unfriend''