Carlo Aquino and Barbie Imperial star as Jeff and Lizzy in this romantic movie that is directed by RC Delos Reyes and written by Onay Sales-Camero. The movie has a runtime of 102 minutes and follows would-be priest Jeff as he travels while on his break from his seminary and comes across the outgoing and loving Lizzy. Her personality makes him fall for her, but when the time comes, he must choose between the love of his life and his faith.
There’s something very warm and relatable about this Carlo Aquino movie – you know where the story is going, but you still hope that Jeff and Lizzy find happiness in each other. Their relationship starts off rather pleasantly, and although most of the time I wondered whether Lizzy was an alcoholic, their nighttime meetings were sweet and humorous and made me laugh more than once. There’s also an odd sense of longing in the film, and the relatable characters just add to its likeability.
Although we start the movie off rather light and fun, there comes a turn wherein it becomes rather heavy and emotional that we are never able to come back from. The protagonists’ similar backstories help the storyline to flow well and Carlo Aquino and Barbie Imperial work off each other beautifully. From the first moment they feel like they are best friends who have known each other for a very long time. There’s something very fresh about the story that feels surprisingly close to your heart.
The film gets extremely emotional after a while, but from those heavy emotions, the romance blossoms. It’s this change that makes audiences really root for these two hurting characters. After learning so many things about them, you root for them thoroughly. The film gives the characters these challenges really well so that you are invested in their story – on one hand, you know they are good for each other, but on the other, Jeff is supposed to be a priest, so that’s a problem.
And just when you think that things will be okay, the film delivers a very weird twist and goes down a depressing rabbit hole. The ending makes sense considering the storyline thus far, but my only gripe is that it goes a bit too fast towards the end. The little nugget that God apparently went after Lizzy to test Jeff’s fate feels very weird, although a discussion can be had that there is love of different kinds in this world, which is something the movie brings forth well – no one kind of love is greater than another.
In the end, the bittersweet ending, although not something audiences will root for, makes sense and isn’t outlandish. One can hate Jeff for doing what he did, but even with those feelings, you can find some understanding. Carlo Aquino and Barbie Imperial share incredible chemistry and are really good together. They sell their individual traumas and different feelings, and there isn’t a moment wherein you’d think of them to be anyone other than these two lonely people who just want to be loved.
I Love Lizzy Review: Final Thoughts
In spite of a bittersweet ending, this film is extremely watchable and very relatable. There aren’t many romantic movies which, in spite of not giving the protagonists a happy ending, feel like a war won, but this one is a surprising exception. Get ready for your heart to shatter, though.
The movie is streaming on Netflix.
Also Read: Third World Romance Review: Sweet Tale of Simple Love Amidst the Daily Struggles of Life
quite a very good movie. highly recommended
It really melted my heart. The artists played the characters so well. Congatulations!!!
Its a nice movie to watch . Its melting heart great movie
movie was hilarious for how bad and inconsistent it was, it made no sense. would recommend if you want to have a good laugh.