Watching ten years of a relationship collapse and rebuild in under two hours is a lot to take in.
But Irene Villamor makes it feel effortless.
The Loved One is easily the director’s most imaginative project yet.
It’s an emotional look at a messy decade-long romance told through a completely experimental lens.
The movie doesn't just tell a story. Instead, it forces the audience to piece together a life.
Villamor carefully crafts a painful narrative from jumbled scenes that feel like post-breakup memories.
These recollections are from Eric and Ellie.
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The Loved One: Main Characters
Eric, a no-nonsense software developer from a humble family, falls in love with Ellie after seeing her in a bar.
But Ellie is a tornado. Her opulent background gives her a carefree attitude, and it makes her be more concerned about the world than herself.
At the start, they’re a perfect match.
Eric brings a sense of stability that Ellie clearly needs, and Ellie inspires Eric to dream bigger and be more ambitious than he ever thought he could be.
But as the story moves forward, their different upbringings and values eventually clash.
They start to argue about politics, money, and what they actually want out of life.
They struggle with the idea of contributing to society versus just looking out for themselves.
Villamor handles these heavy conflicts with a steady hand.
Her choice to present the scenes out of order makes the story more engaging.
It lets the audience piece together how certain moments relate to the bigger picture.
It’s also genuinely surprising when an old scene is revisited under a new perspective, giving the whole interaction a completely different light.
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The Loved One: CINEMATOGRAPHY
The movie is also just beautiful to look at.
Pao Orendain’s cinematography is crisp and feels very intentional.
A pattern emerges: whenever the relationship is on the rocks, one person goes out of focus while they share the screen.
Color symbolism also plays a pivotal role in the visual storytelling. One striking balcony scene frames the couple against a harsh, uncaring cityscape, where Ellie is bathed in blue light and Eric is illuminated in orange.
Eric, seeking redemption for his past transgressions, momentarily reaches into Ellie’s blue hue before retreating back into the orange.
This fleeting movement serves as a subtle omen of a fractured relationship that may be beyond repair.
The Loved One: ACTING
Of course, the movie won’t soar without the brilliant performances from its leads.
Jericho Rosales, as Eric, proves again why he’s one of the best actors of his generation.
After his acclaimed role in Quezon, he delivers another nuanced performance here.
Anne Curtis, as Ellie, is also as incredible.
She brings depth to a character that could have easily felt like a rich-girl cliché, making Ellie’s growth feel truly earned.
Both of them handle the passage of time so well, starting off flippant and careless and slowly becoming more grounded as they age.
If there’s one drawback, it’s that the ending feels a bit abrupt.
The open-ended conclusion is not as satisfying, and will make you pine for more.
THE VERDICT
All in all, The Loved One is a sophisticated look at a decade-long relationship.
It’s romantic, hurtful, introspective and will make you want to take a stab at love despite its pitfalls.
Just the perfect Valentine’s Day movie for the romantic, or even for the jaded.
The Loved One is now showing in cinemas nationwide.