‘Unforgettable’ review: Incessantly enchanting

It’s probably too early to tell if Jun Lana’s Unforgettable is indeed unforgettable, but what is for certain is that for the hour and a half it’s on, it enchants incessantly.

Gush of fresh air

Simplicity is a tool the film doesn’t take for granted.

Like Maryo J. delos Reyes’ Magnifico (2003) or Aureaus Solito’s Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2005), its story is pleasantly uncomplicated even if it isn’t totally oblivious of the world’s cynicism.

Socially awkward Jasmine (Sarah Geronimo) lives with her grandmother Olive (Gina Pareno) in Baguio. When Olive is diagnosed with tuberculosis, Jasmine is forced to move in with her two older sisters (Ara Mina and Meg Imperial) in Manila. There, she befriends a stray dog who reminds her of the story her grandmother would always tell her. Convinced that she needs to bring the dog to her grandmother to cure her, she begins a journey from Manila to Baguio, trusting her fate to the kindness of the strangers she’ll meet along the way.

The film has no grand ambition to dissect the intricacies of the human condition. Its blunt endeavor is to depict kindness without ifs or buts. Its pursuit clearly has no room for cynicism. Because of that and despite the feeling that its narrative feels so familiar as if it was a modern retelling of a parable straight from Jesus’ mouth, it is invigorating, almost like a gush of fresh air in a world that is so used to smog and pollution.

Lana complements the candor of the narrative with apt kitsch and color.

The film is unafraid of melodrama. In fact, it embraces stark emotions, juggling plain humor with scenes that unabashedly target the heartstrings. It does not concern itself with restraint and subtlety, knowing fully well that the best way to get its message across is not through needless sophistication but with candidness. What is most surprising is that its carefully constructed guilelessness and seeming naiveté work to make its plea for a kinder world resound.

Dog and pony show

Unforgettable could have easily been a dog and pony show, a film so blatantly commercial and escapist that its good-naturedness becomes suspect.

It is rife with cameos of the biggest stars playing roles that are written precisely to play their strengths or reasons for their popularity. Anne Curtis is a nurse with delusions of having perfect pitch. Dennis Padilla is a cab driver who cries crocodile tears. Kim Molina is a barrio lass with the foulest mouth. Thankfully, the cameos here do not feel like distractions. Instead, they reinforce the film’s bid for permanence, marrying advocacy and pop culture with astounding seamlessness.

Expectedly, Pareno is excellent here. However, it is clear that Unforgettable is Geronimo’s show.

The singer-turned-actress doesn’t waste the opportunity to shine. She portrays Jasmine with all the sensitivities for the condition her character represents but never to the detriment of the character’s capacity to affect. She maximizes her inherent charisma to turn Jasmine into not just a believable immaculate and innocent girl in a society of harsh complications but also a heroine to really root for.

A lovely film

Unforgettable is a lovely film.

It is a much-needed respite in a world that is overrun by news and events that make one give up on the innate goodness of humanity. – Rappler.com

Francis Joseph Cruz litigates for a living and writes about cinema for fun. The first Filipino movie he saw in the theaters was Carlo J. Caparas’ Tirad Pass.

Since then, he’s been on a mission to find better memories with Philippine cinema.