Will You Be My Ex?’: A missed opportunity for Julia-Diego starrer

Can exes really get back together or is there a reason they are exes in the first place? That’s the premise of Viva Films’ latest theatrical offering “Will You Be My Ex?” starring Julia Barretto and Diego Loyzaga as they play former sweethearts trying to make sparks between them fly again three years since they broke up.

Setting up a “will-they-won’t they?” concept with a break-up aspect has the potential to be interesting. The leads play characters who are toxic with each other when they are together, especially in their lowest moments. Toxic couples are realistically suffocating to go through but they make for some good entertainment and it can perhaps invoke interesting dialogue that lets us dig deeper into the dynamics of such a pair.

Unfortunately, this film lacked some complex characterization that they end up being two-dimensional and shallow. Who are these people outside of their relationship? The biggest answer is that Barretto’s role is an aspiring actress and Loyzaga’s is an engineer. We could have scenes where they talk about their careers and experiences. But most of their conversations with friends and colleagues are always about their toxic relationship with each other. We never get to know who they are outside of their relationship dynamic. It gets frustrating as a viewer when a solution to their problems is obvious, which makes them not likeable and hard to relate to.

The bad characterization impacts the performances of Barretto and Loyzaga as their acting just feels so-so. They have done better in previous projects which is why it’s disappointing that their chemistry feels like a mismatch when a better script could elevate them as an on-screen couple.

Divine Aucina is worth praising as the comedic relief. She is the voice of reason on behalf of the audience. Her chaotic suggestions could have made the movie more entertaining if the leads actually go through with her recommendations. There are times when the comedienne outshine the marquee stars.

What dampened the film further was its inconsistent tone. It doesn’t know if it wants to be a romantic indie drama with lots of monologues or a paint-by-the-numbers Pinoy rom-com. Mixing both tones could have worked if the script had a better way of balancing the two.

There is so much potential in this flick that it just feels like there are so many missed opportunities to make it more entertaining and compelling. Two stars out of five.