Saving Sally vs. Vince & Kath & James
*I’m comparing these two because they’re the only love stories of MMFF. Slight spoilers ahead.
Saving Sally: Typical love story presented innovatively (a.k.a. Scott Pilgrim-style). Key scenes (i.e. Sally finding out about Marty’s true feelings, or the escape from abusive parents) were told so well because of the animations. You can really see how hard they worked at creating this film given the limited resources.
That being said, I’m honestly struggling to love it because though the animations were astounding and fantastic, the story and characters were just flat. It left me wanting so much more from the film ‘cause I couldn’t accept that it was just so predictable. Take away the animations and you have flat tropes: the socially awkward nerd, perpetually torpe kid; #complicated manic pixie dream girl; and the hot douchebag. You can say though that the nerd hero was unique given that we don’t encounter that level of #Realness in awkward nerds in mainstream Filipino films. I was hoping for a vague or sad ending, so that I could at least say that the movie was talking about how if we wait for too long without saying how we really feel, the moment will just pass us by, and when you’ve gotten over someone, things will never be the same. Instead, the narrative stuck to a message on how love conquers all.
The aesthetic was undoubtedly authentic and world-class, but if they pushed for more depth in the characters, this movie could have been as relatable and unforgettably #hugot as 500 Days of Summer or Ang Nawawala. Then again, maybe at the end of the day, every story can be reduced to archetypes, but a refreshing execution can spell the difference.
Vince & Kath & James: Tbh, the Star Cinema cheese got me cringing but I could just really be cold-hearted. I get why so many people are talking about how it got them kilig because it triggered cutesy teen love memories. Like Saving Sally, the story was #typical and #predictable but what I did like was how dynamic the characters were compared to SS. All three actually matured and evolved throughout the film. SS played it safe with the story-telling, but these three tried to go beyond their archetypes. I loved the hero primarily because he was #SoReal - not too nerdy but still not the coolest guy in school, playfully annoying but also endearingly sensitive.
Two key messages: 1. Genuine chemistry and similarity trumps initial physical attraction. 2. Anonymity or pretending to be someone you’re not can give you the courage to go after someone you like, but love stems from authentic connections and being yourself. Still generic messages but at least they came across clearly and left the audience feeling satisfied at the end.
If you were to watch only one of these two, I’d say go for Saving Sally because Star Cinema will definitely come up with another cheesy teen romcom that can give the same kilig, but Saving Sally showcases world-class art.
