In Sarah Geronimo’s 16 years in showbiz, the Pop Star Princess has been partnered with numerous leading men. But with Unforgettable, it’s her first time to be teamed up with an adorable pup.
From the innovation of Viva Films and The IdeaFirst Company, under the direction of Jun Lana (Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes, The Panti Sisters) and Perci Intalan, comes the first-ever Filipino dog-adventure film, Unforgettable, that centers its plot on love, loss, and family.
Geronimo portrays the role of Jasmine, a young woman living with autism who later on faces the sad realities of life on a rollercoaster journey with her doggy-partner-in-crime Happy, who was played by celebrity dog, Milo.
Notably, Geronimo also received praise from the Autism Society Philippines in her portrayal, saying “[it] is a positive portrayal of a person on the spectrum — without the tired exaggerations and stereotypes. It portrayed the condition in the context of Filipino family life; and gave the character dignity and enviable fortitude.”
The concept of giving
The movie starts off strong as it shows the personality of Geronimo’s character. Jasmine is brutally honest, can be emotionally unstable at times and has little to no filter when it comes to making conversation with other people, though to some it may seem that she’s rude and unpleasant to be around, it is untrue because she shows great compassion towards people living in unfortunate situations and loves helping and serving others because that is what her lovely grandmother, portrayed by Ms. Gina Pareño, keeps on reminding her to do; giving and helping others as much as you can.
Showing off the movie’s great pool of actors, what really caught the audience’s eyes are the cute on-screen moments with Happy and some of the heaviest and heart-wrenching scenes with Ms. Gina Pareño, showcasing the veteran actress’ timeless talent that highlighted the importance of family and companionship during difficult times.
The movie also showed an underlying issue within the autistic community and had given them a platform to clearly show the stereotypes and struggles these individuals have lived through. Hence, they become stronger as a community when they are given a chance to educate and shed positivity within the matter.
In addition, multiple celebrity cameos came into play with Anne Curtis as the tone-deaf nurse, Regine Velasquez as carinderia owner, and Kim Molina as loud-mouthed probinsyana whose character, later on, befriends Jasmine, and more ABS-CBN artists.
New perspective
The film didn’t hold back with its rawness, honesty, and realism towards its characters and audience. The characters showed complexity and flaws within decisions and actions especially in scenes showing Jasmine’s way of coping with her emotions through screaming and tantrums when faced with tragedy and the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Its cinematography also helped in setting the mood and showed parallelism to its character’s evolution; as it features great sceneries of Baguio’s landscape and bodies of water that contained important scenes, there was also a metaphor seen that depicts Jasmine’s growth into becoming a more independent and stronger adult ready to face life’s challenges as the film progressed.
Overall, Unforgettable shows heart and grit towards rounded storytelling through its life-changing character developments. This movie sheds light on relevant and integral issues in our society; through featuring a sensitive matter to understand the struggles of people living with autism on a daily basis just by being themselves.
Premiered last October 23, Unforgettable continues to spread light and love in selected cinemas nationwide.
