Hello, Love, Goodbye (2019)

It can be hard to find Joy in an unfair world but Joy is indeed here...

This was... Surprisingly good, though it got off to a slow start once it got going it had a pretty good mix of playboy falls in love and life is not easy... giving us a window in to the daily lives of immigrants/ foreign workers... work permits can be tricky. though the movie has a whole lot of lovely cliches it feels a bit refreshing to have two poor leads instead of the usual rich/poor I also adore. Bundled together with some more issues here and there such as domestic violence and I am sure something more... But I seem to have forgotten...

The male lead has a whole bunch of red flags, he even wears a red shirt to warn us. As he pretty much both stalks her and tries to guilt her in ot stuff at times... But the chemistry between the two leads is phenomenal, and he does experience some type of development. But as usual fun to watch, but in real life this can be pretty tricky.

I think i may have gotten a crush on the female lead, I am not going to say she is a very good actress overall but there is something about her that has me hooked. The more I see her the more I want to see of her. And honestly her character here is one of her best ones. She is both smart, human and kind but without coming off as pathetic.

But what I love most is the cringey lines meet good lines ...

”Choice is only for the rich”

The words "I love you" said over and over again in the most peculiar way...

“ I have no plans of being your future but I can be your now”
Oh come on... m... right... we all know how that is going to end...

The friendships here are pretty good too. So are the views... Hoodies and Umbrellas are also used pretty decently.

Definitely one of the better Pinoy Rom Cos I have seen, you just get passet those first moments av meeh...

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Love Is Letting Go...Not About Sacrifice

I've seen a few of Kathryn Bernardo's films, and I believe she turned in the performance of her life. She stepped away from the typical romantic-comedies (many of which are actually quite good), and challenged herself to take on the role of a much deeper and much more complex character in Joy.

I have always marveled--and not in a good way--of how people tend to use others; even people they love; even members of their own families. Of course, children are usually guilted into it. In short, it's a parent's way of saying, "I suffered, and so now you must suffer too. Why? Because it's how families work."

As stated in other reviews, I am an ESL teacher. I've lived and worked in South Korea, China, and Taiwan. I know quite a bit about how Asian parents tend to treat their kids. Of course, it's not all bad. You'll scarcely find parents who are more dedicated to teaching their children about discipline and hard-work. The large contrast between them and western parents, is that western parents tend to allow their kids to do whatever they want. They're spoiled beyond belief. What is needed is a balance.

As the eldest daughter, Joy is in Hong Kong working several jobs in order to keep herself alive as well as sending money back home to her family in the Phillippines. She has a nursing degree. Her dream is to go to Canada to pursue what she loves. Of course, she meets and falls in love with Ethan, a young man who is also from the Phillippines, who is trying to support his family as well, after a disastrous relationship that nearly cost him everything.

Ethan, of course, is hoping that Joy will decide to stay in Hong Kong, and not go to Canada. This is when the film really grabs the viewer to see what Joy will decide to do.

Love is not about sacrifice for someone else. Sacrifice is about losing something, and love is never about loss. It's always about who you are. In all her wisdom, Joy has to explain this to Ethan as well as outlining the consequences of not pursuing her dream. Fortunately, Ethan finally gets it and is able to do what only love can do: let go. As soon as you try to hold onto it, love ceases to be love.

Filmed in Hong Kong, we're giving a stark and not-so-pleasing depiction of life for many immigrants struggling to survive. Some can do it. Some can't. In the end, you can only truly look after yourself and not lose sight of your own dreams. Of course, the world, and even your own family will throw every reason at you to NOT pursue your dreams. If you give in, you have no one to blame but yourself. If you forge ahead, then you have gained more profound wisdom about life than what most people can only dream about.

My only complaint of the film was that the chemistry between Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards was not what it should have been. And because of this, the film loses a bit of its heart and depth. I'd say it was pretty obvious that Kathryn Bernardo did not want to do any kissing scenes with Alden due to her love and respect for her boyfriend, Daniel Padilla. The only kiss we see is one on her forehead in the dark. Can you imagine the lack of depth in a film like Titanic if Jack and Rose only held hands and never shared a kiss? I couldn't help but wonder how much more powerful the film would have been if another actress had performed in the role, or if Padilla himself hadn't turned the role down (which I read that he had).

Still, this is a memorable film that challenges everyone to go after their dreams and let nothing and no one stand in your way.

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