Tayo sa Huling Buwan ng Taon (Us at the End of the Year): Movie Review

"Tayo sa Huling Buwan ng Taon" ("Us at the End of the Year") features great cinematography, a moving soundtrack, and even good acting performances. The film may lack a dramatic punch but we love how real and up close it gets. But the film suffers with a narrative that is ambiguous, vague and uncertain.

Five years after their break-up, Sam (Nicco Manalo) and Isa (Emmanuelle Vera) have moved on and found their own partners with Anna (Anna Luna) and Frank (Alex Vincent Medina) respectively. The two have yet to speak or meet again but by accident, the two see each other again and are forced to revive their lost kinship. But instead of showing that they have actually moved on, the two discover that this is far from the truth as instead they suffer and relive the same pain and hesitation they felt years ago during their breakup.

The biggest issue we have on "Tayo sa Huling Buwan ng Taon" was its pacing. The first hour was more or less a setup to the current relationships of our characters - showing that they are happy with their current partners. This in our opinion is the film's strongest point. It focused on the mundane and normal events in the lives of our characters that gave it a sense of tangibility and reality. Some people may find it boring but we found it amusing and even relatable. But the mood suddenly shifts without warning and with it their on-screen relationships. In a matter of a week or so, everything just literally blows up. It was hard to fathom and swallow what transpired in the film's latter portion just because it felt that the story unfolded in a way that was out of convenience and completely unnatural - which goes against the overall vibe we got from the film initially. Plus the ending was vague and uncertain so haters of open-ended endings won't like the sudden conclusion at all. Overall, it was just frustrating that the great setup all went to waste with a really rushed last half hour. While the narrative was problematic, the film was an aural and visual wonder. The cinematography was excellent and outstanding even having a surprise one-shot scene that blew us away. The soundtrack likewise was great, giving more emotion to each scene. "Tayo sa Huling Buwan ng Taon" may not have that emotional punchline or overly dramatic scenes that make so many films popular even though they're bad but what it has to offer is a more real and down-to-earth take on drama which we appreciated more even with its disappointing turnout.

Rating: 3 and a half reels






Why you should watch it:
- the cinematography and soundtrack was wonderful

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- pacing issues with its narrative
- open-ended ending might not satisfy those who want a clearer ending