Sakaling Hindi Makakarating (2016)

As per usual, I found myself going to the cinema without an idea what the movie I was about to watch was all about. This time, I was with Ate Mary, Pogs, Dennis, and Gids at the Robinsons Galleria to see a movie called Sakaling Hindi Makarating, directed by Ice Idanan and top-billed by Alessandra de Rossi (who's about the only actor in the movie I've seen before). This movie was picked by my movie-watching friends, as I understand it, because interest has been brewing about it after it had won awards at the Cine Filipino Film Festival this year.

Okay, so the story is about a woman who was trying to pick up the pieces of her life after her relationship with her fiance broke down. Apparently, Cielo, the protagonist, belongs to the same group of women who try to find what they're looking for in their travels... sounds familiar right? As I was watching the film, I couldn't help but think that this is yet another retelling of "Eat, Pray, Love" and "That Thing Called Tadhana". But instead of going north and staying up in the clouds covering Mount Kiltepan, Cielo went south and explored the colourful landscapes of Zamboanga, Siquijor, and Marinduque, before going to the furthest she could to the north: Batanes. She immersed herself in the culture of each place she visited, making friends along the way.

While she kept on meeting new people, the one person who cared for her (aside from her mother) was put on the sidelines. He's a literature teacher whose students were tackling Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. It's interesting, actually, because Cielo's journey roughly followed the structure of the story: Cielo got hurt, had great expectations for the end of her journey, and disillusionment when found herself at the end. The guy, Paul, who corresponded with her via snail mail and whose feelings were unrequited, wisely opted to continue living his life: he didn't wait until she found herself. He moved on. To me, he seemed to have a bright future ahead, despite it being a mystery. It was refreshing to see someone move on instead of pine for someone who didn't seem interested in settling... because she was on the rebound from a long-term relationship. Paul did say, after all, "Walang masama kung iisipin mo rin ang sarili mo..."

It's now up to Cielo to follow him, if she chose to. 

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