Ulan

Ulan is a story of love, but it is not simply about romance. Though it injects elements of magic realism, it faithfully mirrors the realities of life - and one such reality is that things do not always go the way we want them to. Maya deals with unpredictability by weaving her own stories and finding solace in the superstitions imparted to her by her grandmother. But as the film unfolds, so does her growth. She learns acceptance - of what she cannot change, of her true strength, of the extent of love that she is capable of giving to others and reserving for herself. So yes, Ulan is a story of love - but more than just romantic love, it highlights the power of self-love.

Ulan offers something fresh and original to the local industry. Weaving elements of magic realism, environmental consciousness, and the quest for a "perfect" love, Ulan brings to the table a beautifully-told spectacle that defies genres and challenges the viewers preconceptions on how stories should be told.

From a very young age, Lustre's character Maya has been exposed to and fascinated about idealized love - that love of her long-gone parents, her superstitious grandmother, the tikbalangs, of a childhood crush. As she grows older and meets (and re-meets) potential romantic partners, she grows weary and cynical about her chances of finding this love she once believed is meant for her. And therein lies the issue - growing up in a household and in a country where love is probably the central narrative, is there really any way real life can measure up to the stories that have captured our collective consciousness?

The film subverts the tropes common in the romance genre, and in doing so leads us to a conclusion that the choice to love and to find love can never be the happy endings in fairy tales and the gimmicky resolutions in rom-coms. Instead, helped by the lens of magic realism and the philosophy of a perpetually melancholic woman, we find that we are simply products of the values and stories that we grow up with; to truly love is to surrender to the forces we cannot control and to create meaning with those that we can.

Love, then, is coming to terms with the fact that disaster can strike anytime; it is also the steps we make to become resilient and reduce the risks associated with acts of nature, as bluntly pointed out by the anthropomorphic typhoon in the film. It is also the choice to not take what we have for granted; accepting the offer to finally eat some thrice-heated adobo with family. It may also be the acceptance and self-love that is often neglected, and forgiving your younger self for creating standards that are impossible to surpass. All this happens in the background of rain - drizzling, pouring, thrashing, sometimes soothing - that creates an atmosphere of familiarity and contentment.

Ulan is one film that should not be missed - it is a story that pushes the boundaries of romance, coming-of-age, and self-love, in a package that showcases the strength of current cinema and providing hope for a future generation that pays close attention to the stories they give importance to.

Ulan is a welcome treat to Filipino audiences who are looking for a new flavor on their usual local flicks as it mixes magic realism with romance. It is really beguiling. Backed-up by an extraordinary story and great screenplay, driven by solid direction and storytelling by Irene Villamor, amazing performance by Nadine Lustre and mesmerizing visuals by Neil Daza, the result is a peculiar yet hauntingly beautiful, and a fullfilling movie experience like no other. Poetic cinema at it's finest.

Ulan is not a romance movie. It is about love but it is against love. It is anti-romance. But it is romantic. It was grounded in truth and yet steeped in the supernatural that wound itself so intricately with the reality of the story. The film benefits from such a rich appreciation of magical realism which gave meaning to what otherwise would be a disorienting narrative flow. Magic and folklore are embedded in Maya's childhood, which I think speaks of a need to reconcile what is seemingly a conflicting reality with the stories we are told, and which to us, speaks just as much truth as anything science could explain.

Nadine has come out as a really strong actress this year capable of turning a character into someone you'd be drawn into. She has this strong yet subtle way of making the audience believe her without her having to over-act her message. It was my first time to see Carlo Aquino act and wow he was so memorable! That scene of Nadine and Carlo in that magical forest from Maya's childhood was so entrancing that you'd actually start feeling your own heartbeat. It was so magical and heart-breaking that it makes you feel alive. I actually watched the film twice because it was really a beautiful masterpiece having an original concept and impressive casting.