An Honest Review Of 'Alone/Together'
The Long Plot, Sans Spoilers
"Traydor ang mga alaala." Raf (Enrique Gil) and Tin (Liza Soberano) were once happy college lovers who called each other "mahal." They reunite eight years after they first met, and they're now completely different people. Tin is no longer the idealistic magna cum laude UP student that she once was and Raf is no longer a biology student from UST who used to fail exams and cut classes. However, one thing hasn't changed: They still have feelings for each other. Now in relationships with different people, Raf and Tin must figure out what they really want, not just romantically but also when it comes to their respective careers and dreams.
The Short, Honest Plot
Your great love might not always be the "right" love, but you can still do something about it!
The Main Actors And Where You Last Saw Them
Liza Soberano as Tin
Liza played the role of Ganda in the 2018 fantasy teleserye Bagani. Her previous movies with Enrique include My Ex And Whys (2017), Just The Way You Are (2015), and Everyday I Love You (2015). Her most recent teleserye with Enrique, Make It With You, was unfortunately canceled in June 2020.
Enrique Gil as Raf
His latest film role was Dexter Bonifacio in Seven Sundays, a family drama from 2017. In 2018, he also starred opposite Liza as Lakas in Bagani.
Did You Know?
- The film's soundtrack includes songs from JM De Guzman ("214"), Armi Millare ("Kapit"), and the Eraserheads ("Spoliarium")!
- According to students from UP Diliman, a lot of breakups have happened at that particular bench where Liza and Enrique's characters sit eating isaw in Alone/Together!
- Both Liza and Enrique went on intense immersions to prep for their roles: Liza interviewed students in UP and attended classes, while Enrique visited hospitals and talked to doctors in the barrios.
- The film was initially rumored to be called Spoliarium, after the iconic Juan Luna painting.
- Right before their film hit cinemas, Liza and Enrique finally confirmed that they've been in a relationship since 2014!
What I Think:
The UP scenes alone got me feeling ~things~: Tin and Raf at the Lantern Parade, the pair at the Sunken Garden eating isaw, people running up the stairs of Palma Hall (also known as AS steps), Tin's hopeful idealism and her plans to change the world! They were all part of my college years, too, and seeing all of that on the big screen sent waves of nostalgia crashing over me!
Like Liza said during their interview with Cosmopolitan, her character Tin is an overthinker and she tends to overanalyze things. I feel like most of us can relate to that! Who hasn't stressed over a tiny little problem, gotten anxious over the future, and wanted to find security and a safe space? Like Tin, we've also experienced dark times when we felt like there was nobody who could help us. Meanwhile, Enrique as Raf was the adorable lovestruck boy with the charming smile who would do absolutely anything for the girl he loved. The kind of guy that, if he existed in real life, would be impossible not to fall for!
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.
What My Friend Thinks:
"Alone/Together was a more personal experience for me than I ever thought it would be. Like Liza's character Tin, I graduated college in 2012, and back then I was thrown into the 'real world' and faced with many career lows. Tin reminded me of myself—lost, insecure, and totally dependent on my partner. The film was like seeing snippets of my own life on the big screen. And when she finally, finally became her own person in the end, it was like seeing a reflection of who I am now: a young woman in her late 20s who still continues to dream." —Jacinda Lopez
I Would Recommend It To:
- Those who want to have a good, long cry.
- Those who had big hopes and dreams that ~didn't~ come true.
- Those who want to see Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil in their most emotional roles yet.
Alone/Together is currently streaming on Netflix.
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