Alone/Together (2019)

I sooo love the story, bravely tackles relevant issues today... I love how the actors portray their characters...

I watched the movie 4 times already, each with a different set of people and one alone, and every time I watch it, I discover different Easter eggs in it. Just gets better and better as you absorb its essence more. Hoping to watch it one last time again.

“I loved that everything was so...real. I think audiences have gotten so used to seeing glamorized versions of characters in movies that when we get to watch something like Alone/Together, where Liza has unkempt hair and Enrique has pimples *gasps*, it's so refreshing and adorable! I loved—and hated—that the film made me reevaluate my life. It's only been a couple of years since I graduated, but I can't help wondering if the "me" from college would be proud of where I am right now. There's always this fear of letting that person down, of being a "failure" in your own eyes, and it's honestly scary.

In the film, both Liza and Enrique displayed the kind of maturity that they previously weren't able to express in their rom-com films. More than just a dramatic love story, Alone/Together reminds us of our youth, of the dreams we had in college, of the people we met and lost along the way.”

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Those who gave the movie 1-star are clearly blind followers of other loveteams, and could not appreciate art films. If you would watch the film closely and with an open mind and heart, it's story is deeply-rooted and well-thought-of and unlike the usual formula films of big ticket film companies. But again, you'd have to know art and appreciate art to know that. And if you did not see that, something is wrong.

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The good: Pursue your dreams, dont give up on something that you work hard for, acting

The bad: Cliche, story as a whole, has a good start but you will run in circles as the story goes by. In the end, same old same old

Alone Together (2019) - more like, sociopath-daddy issues together

Alone Together is a celebration of traits that breaks up future marriages and fucks up one's family life. If your goal in life is to be a single mother, or a deadbeat father, then you will love the characters played by Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano.

To give you better context, it is time for spoilers, and I will walk you through why both characters are messed up (and should refrain from raising children), and why their lives are the way it is.

AGAIN, SPOILERS AHEAD!

Once upon a time, there were 2 college lovers. Gil is a struggling med student, and Liza is a Magna cum Laude art student.

At that age, Gil, has 2 goals in life:

1. Make Liza proud of him.
2. Marry Liza.

Number 1: When your self-esteem is based on the approval of another person, you are going to be f**ked. People are messed up. People are unpredictable. People change. And most of all, you cannot control people. The only thing you can control in this world is you.

If you want a stable self-esteem. It must be based on how you see yourself.

Number 2. Marriage. You do not make "marrying your college girlfriend" your goal because life is bigger than shacking up with your girlfriend. The world is big. Possibilities are endless. And, you are young. Marriage requires a very deep understanding of the world and especially yourself. That is not possible in your 20's, even if you think you are more mature than others out there.

Here's a reality check: you are not mature. You are not a special snowflake. Everyone your age falls into the same thinking pattern you do.

Anyway in this movie, Gil ended up a crying mess when Liza broke up with him (for no clear reason), and he doomed himself into a purgatory of some sort.

Purgatory. It’s that stage in your life where you refuse to grow and stay exactly the same person you are, making the same mistakes and believing in the same dumb-assed shit that got you there in the first place.

Now, on Liza's end. She has already graduated Magna Cum Laude in Fine Arts and she is involved in a workplace controversy where her boss misappropriated 1 million pesos out of the company. She is an accessory to the crime, since she stupidly allowed everything to happen in front of her without telling anyone. She got involved in a law suit, and her career working in the economically viable world of Fine Arts is now ruined.

This brought about great depression in her, that she broke up with Gil.

Gil, being the sociopath, he is, has zero empathy, and thought Liza broke up with him because he sucks at med school and he is taking a long while to graduate.

Fast forward 5 years later.

Liza is now in a relationship with a very industrious man, who is also going through an annulment. This man is her boss and is probably a CEO of the company she works for. This guy is rich as f**k. And you know, in Pinoy movies, the rich f**ker is always an asshole.

But I digress. I like the rich fucker, and I’ll expound on it later.

Liza has a close relationship with Rich Guy's daughter, and she spends more time with her than the guy does. Why?

The rich guy is busy running an architecture company, who even has clients based in New York ... plus the movie wants to frame: rich people = no time for family = a**hole.

Liza complains that Rich Guy confuses her because even though he was the one who saved her career, helped her in the lawsuit, she is confused that Rich Guy treats her like an employee, while occasionally treating her like a girlfriend.

To this I say: of course, Liza! He is CEO of a big company that he probably started. Do you know how hard it is to start a company? Do you know how hard he worked to build a company that big and that successful? He did that by putting the right people in the right corporate positions. And he did that to you because he thought you have talent for whatever job it is you are doing. You have a job and financial security because of him, and now you are complaining that he treats you like an employee, while just 3 minutes ago, you were picked up in a chauffeured car that you took to meet up with your f**king ex-boyfriend?!

I am getting ahead of myself. Let us go back to the story.

So, Liza and Rich Guy goes to this awards event where Rich Guy is getting an outstanding person award. Lo and behold, another person was also getting a doctor of the year award (for helping poor people, of course, you have to always help poor people in Pinoy movies, because that is the only way you'll be a hero in the story), that person is, Gil.

Now, if i see any of my ex's, I would smile and wave at them and go my merry way like every sane ex would. But Liza and Gil? HELL NO.

Not only did they meet each other's significant other, they also managed to exchange numbers, while making plans to meet up later.

Upon meeting, Gil the sociopath mind-f**ked Liza about their 5 year old past. He is now a great doctor - that for some reason, only has scenes in the ER, helping POOR people for free. And he even brings Liza to his workplace, mind—f**king her again into seeing how much he helps POOR people.

Now, this Pinoy schtick annoys me so much because poor people are ALWAYS nice, polite, thankful, humble, appreciative.

Well guess what? I have a clinic with my wife, and do you know who always gives me a headache?
People with no fucking money. Poor people.

I am sorry. If you own a business, sold guitars, worked the cashier in a hospital, worked as a waiter, most of your problems and pains will be from poor people or poor people pretending to be rich.

People with money, pay you, smile and go about their merry way.

Poor people? F**k. They would always have a version of buyer's remorse, or they would go out of their way to get you in trouble so they can have their version of a discount.

So yes. Stop framing poor people as saints and rich people as devils. Both exist regardless of financial status. And you will not be smiling and handsome as Gil if your job is serving people who cannot pay medical bills.

All this mind-f**king ultimately convinced Liza to represent Rich Guy's corporation in New York.

At this point, Liza is already a cheating bitch in denial. She is meeting Gil regularly. They even go on dates where they pretend to be BF-GF again. I mean, I could respect Liza if she was just a horny b**ch, but she is so deep in denial of her cheating, that horny b**ch or cheating b**ch, i have lost respect for her character. She is the girl I will tell my son to never take seriously. Have fun with her, hang out with her, but under no circumstance should he be serious with a cheating horny b**ch. You do not want to be involved with a woman who is so lost and damaged, she has zero clue what she wants in this life.

That is a big clue in whether a woman is worth marrying. She should know who she is and what she is capable of. Anyone who is in denial or ignorant about their flaws is a bigger headache than people who cannot pay their medical bills.

Anyway, Liza goes to New York. She extends her stay so she can go see some museums. And guess who is there?

The sociopath Gil of course.

Without any permission, Gil, the angel doctor who helps poor people, leaves the hospital and his girlfriend on a whim, to see his ex in New York.

At this point, I was really pissed off because the movie is now celebrating these 2-cheating son of a b**ches.

They go on dates, they kissed. And Gil told Liza he broke up with his GF, so they can be together again.

Now you understand why I call Gil a sociopath.

Gil is completely devoid of empathy. Here are the signs:

1. He has no boundaries. When Liza broke up with him, he stalked her house for weeks. Any psychologically healthy male knows that no means no.

2. He has a girlfriend, yet he texted and asked to meet Liza.

3. Upon meeting Liza, he had no guilt flirting with her, holding her hand, and within 10 seconds, introduced her to his current girlfriend. Any normal male would show guilt at this point.

4. He leaves his job like it was nothing.

5. He broke up with his current gf as if it were nothing.

6. He is hot and cold with Liza. Hot, when Liza wants to stop their affair. Cold, when Liza suddenly wants to see him.

You know what’s the saddest part?

I have met and dated girls who wanted those things in a man!


1. They want the guy to fight for their love and not give up. Who does that? A sociopath!

2. Will never get over them even after years of not meeting. Errr, obsessed sociopath?

3. Would drop everything for them. Errr, impulsive sociopath?

4. Will choose them even when they have a gf. Cheating, horny sociopath?

5. Challenging, unpredictable and full of surprises. Oh, I know people like that! They are sociopaths!

Movies like this celebrate sociopaths, just because they have a job that helps the poor.

Now, after the New York momol, Liza decides not to see Gil.

Liza is such a f**ked-up character. She is cheating, yet she does not want to do it, yet, she misses it and wants to do it again.

Gil shows his sociopath rage and tells Liza that she only stuck with the guy for 5 years because she has nowhere to go. He claims that she is only guilty and is only repaying Rich Guy by being his girlfriend.

To this I think its presumptuous of Gil.

Rich Guy made her human again - saved her from a law suit, gave her a real career. how can she not fall in love with a guy like that? But since Liza is a girl with daddy issues, has zero clue what traits to look for a guy, if he is handsome and helps the poor like Gil, she believes him.

Liza and Rich Guy had dinner to which Liza kept yapping about her museum trip, while Rich Guy was totally not interested and kept asking her questions about the client meetings.

You know, Rich Guy did send her to New York to represent their company. And just allowed her to stay for 3 more days of sightseeing. He spent company money, 100k or so for a back and forth trip to Philippines and New York. So it is normal that he cares about the business meetings more than the boring art stuff Liza is yapping out. Rich Guy did not become rich because his interest in life was appreciating art. His interest is in business, so you really cannot fault him for wanting to ask about the meetings before anything else.

Liza, apparently, does not give a shit about finances, despite being stuck in a million-peso law suit and unemployment, because she does not like Rich Guys concerns at all. So, she proposes that she’s not happy with her corporate job and is interested in taking low paying, entry level museum jobs.

Again, Pinoy movies really hammer it down that finances are nothing and our passion and family is what matters. It is not surprising why most Filipinos are in terrible financial situations ... for some reason, its media celebrates not giving a shit about money, even though it is the problem staring us straight in the face all the time.

Rich Guy was pissed but calmed down and told her that if she wants to mess around and have fun with her art shit, he knows some people and he can get her jobs on the spot with his connections.

Apparently, Liza does not like this. She broke up with Rich Guy then and there.

So, I don’t get it.

Rich Guy allowed her to quit her corporate job, even got her a job for the art stuff she wanted to do, and she gets mad.

Do you know what kind of a girl would punish a man for taking care of her, while rewarding another man who mindfucks her? A girl who is going to be a single mother.

I know this is probably going to be very offensive, because there are single mothers in here. But to this, I’m going to ask: Have you ever dreamed of being a single mother?

The answer is NO. Along with that NO, is probably an admission of the mistake in being involved with a man you should have never been involved with. I am sorry if you are a single mother. It is not the best status to be in, but if you truly learned from your experience, you will agree with what I say: You had no clue what traits to look for in a man.

Liza is an example of someone who has no idea in what traits to look for in a man, and this movie teaches the wrong mindset, especially when looking for someone to have children with. Liza let go a man who could have secured her future, and she chose a f**king sociopath over him.

Now, after the break up, Liza rushed to the hospital to tell Gil that she is now free and single! At this point, Liza is also now a sociopath. A girl with daddy issues craves for approval of a male she idolizes, she ends up taking on their traits.

Gil was stone cold upon seeing her. Normally, he would be happy cause now they can be together, right? Wrong! Gil does not want Liza anymore because his ex, the one he left for Liza, is pregnant.

Yes, ironic as it is, Liza did not become a single mom, but the other girl who got involved with Gil became a single mom. You may hate what I say, but even the goddamned movie confirmed my predictions.

Now, Liza is officially alone and she’s having a hard time looking for a job. She’s back to being poor, and nobody would hire her cause of her lawsuit past. But since this is a movie, Liza still gets to wear expensive clothes and makeup while struggling to find work until, one art museum took her in, and she became very successful.

She claims in the epilogue she doesn't get to meet Gil again, but as soon as she said that, Gil showed up in her museum, telling her that he broke up with his pregnant girlfriend, but they promised to be good parents to their kid.

The last scene shows us Gil and Liza looking at a painting of Spolarium, while Gil carries and introduces his son to Liza. I mean, that is an awesome way to market a broken family. Make it look normal and problem free where daddy has a new girlfriend, totally ignoring the dynamics of original mommy in the equation.

Can you imagine how that set up is going to mess up a child?

I have a mom. I have a dad who lives in a different house. I do not see dad much. Dad has a girl who is nice to me but is not my mommy. Dad kisses that girl, but never kisses mommy. Meanwhile, there’s another man in mommy's house who kisses mommy but is not my daddy.

I am sorry if you are in that situation. I do not mean to offend, but you do not want your children to be in that situation. Do not be offended just because i wrote about your mistake and the consequences you are living with now.

3/10…or rather 0/5

There’s a reason why Philippine cinema is dying, and that is because it promotes values that is detrimental to our progress as mature beings.

It is funny that watching a movie and reading a comic book about an intergalactic threat like Thanos, teaches us more values about friendship, heroism and sacrifice, than a relationship movie that completely ignores the consequences of stupid decisions, while making cartoonish stereotypes of people in specific financial situations.

*NOTE: This is an edited version to remove some of the expletives expressed. For the entire review, please see the page from Reuel Tan.
*NOTE2: The user shares the same sentiments as with the original reviewer. Copyright under Fair Use is applied.

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