Ulan

The movie was not what I expected it to be. I thought it would be a typical Filipino love story but to my surprise it turned out quite refreshing and entertaining.

It was somewhat disorienting at first for someone who is not a fan of such genre. Throughout the movie I often found myself confused as to the meaning behind the parts of the movie that incorporated fantasy. I was not really sure if the meaning behind those scenes should be taken literally or if one should see it as a kind of symbolism. Or perhaps both.

But that idea of not really being sure as to the meaning of the whole film actually was the refreshing part of the movie. For me, the movie gave the viewers a choice: take it as it is (that is from the view of a child's memories and perspective), or give a deeper meaning to it (that is from the view of an adult's experiences and struggles).

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.

My first reaction after watching Ulan was that it was like the critically-acclaimed movie, Pan's Labyrinth. Both movies show the wedding between fantasy and reality within the gaze of a female character, amidst the backdrop of the prevailing social realities. But Ulan is even closer to the heart because it touches on Philippine realties.

Ulan's narrative intertwines Maya's real situation with the mythical world created by the imagination of the young Maya. It shows the innocence, imagination, and hopefulness of a child and the sadness, horrors, and hopelessness of reality as then realized by the older Maya. While the young Maya can easily solve her dilemmas with a simple work of imagination - just transforming those bullies into eggs - the older Maya has to struggle. She has to deal with small paychecks, a sexist superior, and a disastrous lovelife. The great cinematography and smooth transitions between these two narratives have helped in the realization of this poetic vision of the filmmaker. Even with two different narratives, the film is still so coherent that no scene is wasted apart.

What I really liked about the film is how it tackles Philippine social realities. It shows state neglect. It shows how the effects of natural disasters are aggravated by the lack of preventive actions and mitigating measures by the government . That beyond these concepts of forbidden love and tikbalangs, these current realities our the real hindrances in the fulfilment of our dreams and fantasies - just as how this torrential rain, brought about by anthropogenic climate disturbance as lamented by Ulan, the mythical creature, has shattered Maya's hope for a happy ever after. What I don't like though is that in the end, instead of teaching us the importance of volunteerism and collective pursuits is battling these realities, it has somehow disintegrated into mere self-love - see how Maya just held hands with her younger self in the end.

Overall, Ulan is sui generis, a class on its own. It is beyond a fairytale. It is a poem and a piece of art. It pushes the viewers to look beyond its narrative and ponder on the meaning of every scene. It encourages critical thinking, which mainstream films would normally not do in fear of loss of audience and profits. It shows us that our typical romantic movies can be turned into a piece of art where every detail has its symbol and every scene has its interpretation. Above all, it somehow teaches us that amidst the grimness of our reality, we should not give up especially on our ideals.

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.

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.