peter07

I saw this film in 2025 after hearing about it online, and it didn't disappoint. I've visited Manila over 50 times and the poverty there is just horrible.

A man moves his family to Metro Manila after his income from working in the rice fields in the provinces keeps falling. Arriving in the metropolitan area is initially exciting but reality hits the family hard, esp. After they find out how they can be easy targets for scams and exploitation. The film features the harsh reality of life in Manila and how one's morals are often tested in the interest of survival.

I waited quite a bit to see this film but am glad I did. I love films like this that explore social issues in the Philippines, which is like my second home.

I watched this on Netflix, and the premise was very interesting. A man leaves the love of his love in Taiwan for the chance of immigrating to America with his boss's daughter, and he decides to seek the love he left behind as an old man as well as get along with his estranged daughter.

Though the narrative was interesting, well, I felt that the film could've done more with the characters, esp. Yuan, who is played by veteran actress Joan Chen. I think she should've had more screen time given her acting prowess, and perhaps this could've been a limited series. Maybe I'm insisting on what the movie should've been instead of accepting what it was, but by the time it ended, I was sorta left hanging.

Still, this type of tale should be told more often. As the parents of Asian immigrants myself, it struck a chord with me.