I'm Drunk, I Love You is to be admired for what it says behind its near-romance facade
"Dagitab", Giancarlo Abrahan's Cinemalaya-entry debut film, is essentially about mid-life crisis. On the other hand, "I'm Drunk, I Love You" (2017, Philippines), JP Habac's first full-length feature and co-written by Abrahan, is really about quarter-life crisis. Those of us walking into the theater and expecting to see just another unchallenging utilization of the rom-com genre will find ourselves in for some pleasant surprises. The film's basic premise of falling (sometimes hopelessly) for one's best friend is admittedly one of the tired and weary clichés of the genre. The good thing is that it's merely a facade for something more deep and serious. The result is a work that goes beyond its genre trappings to still be able to come off as fresh and sincere.
The film is about college best buddies Carson (Maja Salvador, fantastic) and Dio (Paolo Avelino, muy simpatico) who, upon the latter's sudden prompting, go on a weekend out-of-town trip (presumably their last together) to attend a music festival in the province of La Union, just a couple of days before their graduation, after seven long years of being neither here nor there. Unknown to Dio, Carson has been secretly carrying a torch for him during all those times (though one still wonders if, with Carson's charming personality, not one guy has ever bothered to court her, unless they're intimidated by Dio;is she a perennial unwelcoming host to possible suitors?;the script doesn't bother with that, which is forgivable). The film does a commendable job of illustrating Carson's doubts, hesitancy and confusion in regards secretly harboring her feelings for her best friend. We somehow feel Carson's pain in having to deal with an unrequited love.
But then, "I'm Drunk, I Love You" is more than such a romantic longing and frustration. In a style that recalls the best works of Eric Rohmer and Richard Linklater, the film is structured as a series of long conversations between or among the characters, mostly while having a bottle of beer or taking a shot of some alcohol (but nope, the film doesn't portray these young people as alcoholics, just to be clear on that). They practically talk about everything that involves matters of the heart and living in the moment, every now and then being punctuated by song numbers that reflect the characters' feelings or state of mind, as if taking a page from a John Carney film or lifting someone out of a Greek chorus. But underlying these conversations is both the uncertainty and promise of the future, about making that crucial decision of leaving behind the carefree attitude and recklessness associated with being young and embracing maturity and responsibility as an adult.
The film acknowledges the relative comfort that these young people get out of their laissez-faire attitude, but then it doesn't set aside the fact that one can't be that way forever, that one must eventually set goals and plans in the long-term and do actions in accordance with them. And when the characters' conversations get to that point, the film acquires a different tone: it becomes reflective, serious and anxious. This sort of "switch in gears" is effective because the director and the screenwriter have a clear vision of the path that they want their film to take. While "Vince & Kath & James" revels in its youthfulness, "I'm Drunk, I Love You" is aware that the days of being young and wild don't last forever. There must necessarily come a point that one has to come of age.
Focus and vision are what sets apart "I'm Drunk, I Love You" from another recent coming-of-age film, "2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten". The latter starts off promisingly, but eventually becomes confused as to what it really aspires to be: a dark, twisted comedy or a budding homosexual romance? The film is actually at its best when it touches upon the "romance" part. Lamentably, it doesn't have the guts to develop that element further, resulting in some half-baked ideas. This isn't to say though that the former is a perfect film. It's to be noticed that its use of songs sometimes appears to be too obvious in expressing the characters' feelings. But such a quibble aside, the film conveys with clarity, conviction and sincerity its themes of responsibility and maturity, without being self-righteous. "I'm Drunk, I Love You" somehow defies the conventions of the genre by having its near-romance plot as a mere jumping-point for some serious stuff about young adulthood. I hate to use the term, but it's not all about the so-called "hugot" feelings. "That Thing Called Tadhana" this isn't.
(Maja Salvador and Paolo Avelino face the uncertainty and promise of the future in JP Habac's "I'm Drunk, I Love You")
The film is about college best buddies Carson (Maja Salvador, fantastic) and Dio (Paolo Avelino, muy simpatico) who, upon the latter's sudden prompting, go on a weekend out-of-town trip (presumably their last together) to attend a music festival in the province of La Union, just a couple of days before their graduation, after seven long years of being neither here nor there. Unknown to Dio, Carson has been secretly carrying a torch for him during all those times (though one still wonders if, with Carson's charming personality, not one guy has ever bothered to court her, unless they're intimidated by Dio;is she a perennial unwelcoming host to possible suitors?;the script doesn't bother with that, which is forgivable). The film does a commendable job of illustrating Carson's doubts, hesitancy and confusion in regards secretly harboring her feelings for her best friend. We somehow feel Carson's pain in having to deal with an unrequited love.
But then, "I'm Drunk, I Love You" is more than such a romantic longing and frustration. In a style that recalls the best works of Eric Rohmer and Richard Linklater, the film is structured as a series of long conversations between or among the characters, mostly while having a bottle of beer or taking a shot of some alcohol (but nope, the film doesn't portray these young people as alcoholics, just to be clear on that). They practically talk about everything that involves matters of the heart and living in the moment, every now and then being punctuated by song numbers that reflect the characters' feelings or state of mind, as if taking a page from a John Carney film or lifting someone out of a Greek chorus. But underlying these conversations is both the uncertainty and promise of the future, about making that crucial decision of leaving behind the carefree attitude and recklessness associated with being young and embracing maturity and responsibility as an adult.
The film acknowledges the relative comfort that these young people get out of their laissez-faire attitude, but then it doesn't set aside the fact that one can't be that way forever, that one must eventually set goals and plans in the long-term and do actions in accordance with them. And when the characters' conversations get to that point, the film acquires a different tone: it becomes reflective, serious and anxious. This sort of "switch in gears" is effective because the director and the screenwriter have a clear vision of the path that they want their film to take. While "Vince & Kath & James" revels in its youthfulness, "I'm Drunk, I Love You" is aware that the days of being young and wild don't last forever. There must necessarily come a point that one has to come of age.
Focus and vision are what sets apart "I'm Drunk, I Love You" from another recent coming-of-age film, "2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten". The latter starts off promisingly, but eventually becomes confused as to what it really aspires to be: a dark, twisted comedy or a budding homosexual romance? The film is actually at its best when it touches upon the "romance" part. Lamentably, it doesn't have the guts to develop that element further, resulting in some half-baked ideas. This isn't to say though that the former is a perfect film. It's to be noticed that its use of songs sometimes appears to be too obvious in expressing the characters' feelings. But such a quibble aside, the film conveys with clarity, conviction and sincerity its themes of responsibility and maturity, without being self-righteous. "I'm Drunk, I Love You" somehow defies the conventions of the genre by having its near-romance plot as a mere jumping-point for some serious stuff about young adulthood. I hate to use the term, but it's not all about the so-called "hugot" feelings. "That Thing Called Tadhana" this isn't.
(Maja Salvador and Paolo Avelino face the uncertainty and promise of the future in JP Habac's "I'm Drunk, I Love You")
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