Insightful love

Film Review: Love You To The Stars and Back

MANILA, Philippines — The world is too much for Micah (Julia Barretto) when she meets Caloy (Joshua Garcia) who is optimism personified.

She is finding her way out of her own alienation and she finds solace in the thought that perhaps honest-to-goodness aliens will find her and take her to another world. It is a millennial’s idea of farewell to all worldly concerns.

Thus, she leaves her abode, writes a short letter to her dad (Ariel Rivera) not to worry and off she goes to the road untrodden, so to speak.

But while she is eaten by too much pessimism about her existence, she meets a boy who looks and sounds like the little prince, full of cheer and wisdom. But behind that façade is a threatened existence. But he is not about to give up. He measures up as the jolly good fellow until reality sets in.

For a while, Micah enjoys his company and she falls in love. When she finds out about his mortal status, she comes to grips with herself and with her family.

The story of Love You To The Stars and Back is simple but the writer-director Antoinette Jadaone invested her latest project with insights that make it truly edifying.

Indeed, she shows us another level of incisive writing and sharp directing that makes the viewers pause and reflect on their own existence.

To be sure, the film has thrilling moments (“kilig” to you millennials) and breathless romantic entanglements.

But the characters look real and not just contrived. Their helplessness invites real pathos. And they act very well, too. Every line delivered is deeply felt and every emotion well-nuanced but not bordering on the lachrymose.

As it is, Jadaone succeeds in giving us a biting, if, poignant look into the world of millennials — how they deal with various levels of love and how casually they cope with private sorrows.

Like it or not, this film is the best yet of Garcia and Barretto. They lived and breathed their characters and managed to get their share of audience involvement without a struggle.

After viewing the film, you will have a better appreciation for the angst millennials go through.

Meanwhile, the good screenplay of the film is an introduction to the jargon of millennials.

In the ears of this sexagenarian, they sound fragmented and so detached to the old-world charm you are accustomed to.

The supporting cast — notably Rivera, Cherry Pie Picache, Edgar Allan Guzman and Maricar Reyes — have their own outstanding moments which provided good generational contrast.

For some reason, one finds this film one of the best of Jadaone. Young as she is, her own brand of sensibility manages to find its way in her prodigious output.

The result is a better appreciation for the young generation.

It is also a good insight into how she relates with the outside world and the issues artists must contend with.

Some word of wisdom from her:

“Artists can only do so much. As film director, I only strive to do something that will be meaningful to my audience. Of course, we are all tied to different causes. There are problems we should address in this country and there are problems where we look so helpless. When I do a good film and my audiences connect to it in one way or the other, that is all I can contribute as filmmaker. The work of an artist doesn’t have instant impact. When audiences are moved, they think about your film and use it to chart another course in their lives.

“That is why I am happy for direk Sigrid Andrea Bernardo. We all came from the same school and we circulate with the same circle of film and theater lovers. Look what Kita Kita proved. When they like your film, they do the promotion themselves. When they like your work, they own it. I am happy that direk Sigrid didn’t compromise her craft just to look attractive at the box-office. She stuck to her idea of filmmaking and won her audience. That is what I strive to do. I inject my own sensibility in all projects I do — indie or mainstream. We live day to day tied to our craft and striving to be better. That is basically how I function as an artist.”

I Love You To The Stars and Back is still showing in cinemas.