Review: That Thing Called Tadhana (2015) ~ My Feeling Heart

Where do broken hearts go?

This is just one of those never ending questions asked by many. A title to a hit song by Whitney, and a recurring motif to today's story.

Image via When In Manila.

Dubbed as the ultimate hugot film of 2015 after its mass release (the movie was first shown as part of the Cinema One Originals Film Festival, November 2014), That Thing Called Tadhana is one of those very rare gems in the history of Filipino Cinema (or at least as far as romcom is concerned), because in a time where the cute and the cute dominate the big screen (say Diary ng Panget, She's Dating The Gangster) comes Angelica Panganiban in all her chubby-make-up-less glory. Heh.

Oh JM, why so pogiiii?

In the midst of break-up ghosts and all her broken-hearted feels, Mace (Angelica Panganiban) finds herself in an awkward situation when she gets denied at the airport for all the excess baggage she has. Enter Anthony (JM De Guzman), your hot knight-in-shining-armor out of nowhere who offers to carry Mace's extra baggage for her, what we get is a Rome-Manila-Baguio-Sagada and anywhere else journey to self-healing that is sure to capture the hearts of many.

Okay, so let's break it downnnnnn.

❀ RAVES ❀ »•»

1) Simplicity. Writer/Director Antoinette Jadaone did it. Again. English Only, Please's universe had been enthrallingly laid out, and I felt almost the same with Tadhana. It was amazing to note how a simple formula could do wonders for a movie... and do good wonders at that. Tadhana deviated from the norm and all other intricacies pinoy mainstream movies usually have. Straight from the get-go it was pretty evident what the main goal of the movie was (and no, it's not just about romance), and I love how natural and down to earth it has been in its pursuit.

2) The Hugot Feels. Having been in the same distraught state as of late, I, including all those other people who watched the film, sure were able to relate to all the heartbreak this movie had invested so much on (and no, I'm not joking. There'd been so much sobs in the cinema I tell you. So, so much). Suffice it to say that being the quote hoarder that I am, I was able to take note of sooo many amazing quotes to fill my #hugotpamore tagos-sa-puso chest of feels, enough to last for a whole lot of years. Or maybe not.

Images via That Thing Called Tadhana FB Page.

There are all kinds of love in this world, but never the same love twice.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Tiwala lang. Image via That Thing Called Tadhana FB Page.

3) Metaphor. And this, people, is my favorite of them all. Of all aspects I look at in whichever show I watch, how a story associates one thing to another continues to be something that piques my interest, probably because it depicts how clever a writer is to be able to incorporate such comparisons (with matching witty lines) effectively in a show. Tadhana, on its subtle-not-subtle approach of using literal bags and baggage to portray all the weight our characters are carrying from the past and how they moved on from it to the present will always remain a good point for me, re: Jadaone showcasing her wit.

Anthony: "Buong buhay talaga dinala mo? Ma-eexcess ka talaga niyan."

The film ends in a rather surprising note though...

We aren't really granted answers as to whether the pairing we've been rooting for ended up being together, but nonetheless, in my head I know they did. I mean, come on. Do you actually prefer that they didn't?

One thing I'm sure of? I don't!

Tadhana, as I've been saying, is one rare gem in the history of Philippine cinema that's definitely worth your time. But... after all this is said and done, the question still remains: where do broken hearts go? The answer: they go watch That Thing Called Tadhana. As When In Manila puts it, "it's damn therapeutic."