Taking a chance at loving yourself
What’s nice about One More Chance is that everybody’s human. In most romantic films, one party is often demonized: the guy/girl cheats, one of them falls out of love, etc. In this film, as Basha’s (Bea Alonzo) new-found friend Mark (Derek Ramsey) says about his own break-up, things aren’t that simple. Everyone’s just trying, doing the best they can at the time, and, knowing fully well that hearts are fragile, bravely taking chances.
When you’re in a romantic rut and December is looking really cold, the last thing you want to do is get yourself into an emotional twist over someone else’s love story.
But Sherwil insisted it was cathartic, and I decided to listen to her because: (a) her heart, had just recently patched itself together almost three years after the break-up; and (b) she’d recently gone on a road trip with the ex, and she was… okay.
For those who haven’t seen One More Chance, Popoy (John Lloyd Cruz) and Basha (Bea Alonzo) break up after five years of being together. Together means: going to the same school (and taking complementary courses), working in the same firm, planning the same career path, and having the same group of friends. Basha initiates the break-up because she wants space to “find herself.” Popoy is crushed. They move on without each other, and the film is about what happens next.
I was tearing up fifteen minutes into the film. But I came forwarned: I had a handkerchief, a wad of McDonald’s napkins, and a shawl.
What’s nice about One More Chance is that everybody’s human. In most romantic films, one party is often demonized: the guy/girl cheats, one of them falls out of love, etc. In this film, as Basha’s new-found friend Mark (Derek Ramsey) says about his own break-up, things aren’t that simple. Everyone’s just trying, doing the best they can at the time, and, knowing fully well that hearts are fragile, bravely taking chances.
Memorable characters abound in this film. There’s Popoy, who bares his pain for everyone to see (John Lloyd Cruz turns in a great performance); there’s Basha, who eventually wears her regret on her sleeve; there’s Mark, who gives us a picture of the peace that comes with certainty; there’s Chino (Janus del Prado), who is the quintessential barkada clown who mocks Popoy’s pain at first, then goes to the extreme end when he feels the same heartbreak himself; and then there’s Trisha (Maja Salvador), Popoy’s new girlfriend, who gracefully comes into the picture and gracefully lets go.
Memorable lines that hit you in the heart abound in this film. Of course, there’s the instant classic exchange: Basya pleads, “Ang totoo, hanggang ngayon umaasa pa rin ako na sabihin mo sa akin na ako pa rin, ako na lang, ako na lang ulit.” Popoy replies, “She loved me at my worst, you had me at my best… and you chose to break my heart.” But there are other lines and situations that resonate in you whatever situation you are going through—not exactly original, but they are lines that you and I have said one time or another in the throes of heartbreak: “Mahal na mahal kita, pero ang sakit sakit na.” “Lord, ayoko na.” Then, there are lines that bear the wisdom of one who’s gone through it and survived, like Mark: “People break up to grow up, because only grown-ups can make relationships work.”
One More Chance is about the maturity you need to be able to love another in a way that is good for yourself and good for them. Mad, passionate, and crazy love is all good, but to have a clear shot at a healthy long-term romance, you need this and something more. You need your own life to be full, so you can have something to give. When you are too close to someone, it’s easy to become myopic about the whole thing. Sometimes, to love better, you need to let go, step back, and take a chance at loving yourself first.
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