"My Amanda" is not your conventional love story so to come at it as a purely romantic tale between two people will definitely lead to disappointment. But if you're willing to overcome its shortcomings especially in its very leading (or very misleading) first half, then "My Amanda" is going to be a rewarding experience especially those who open up to its unconventionality.
TJ (Piolo Pascual) and Amanda (Alessandra de Rossi) have been best buddies for years. Even though they are very close to each other, the two has never had a romantic relationship with each other. Amanda, engaged, has a very bad fight with her fiance (KC Montero) and as usual, TJ is there to comfort her. As the two go on a roadtrip to unwind from the hustle and bustle of their lives, can the tandem of Fuffy (TJ's pet name) and Fream (Amanda's pet name) finally become a reality?
If you're wondering if Alessandra de Rossi's directorial debut at "My Amanda" would have compromised the film, then you're worries are for naught as we found ourselves quite impressed for her first try. Don't get us wrong, there's nothing note-worthy about the film's direction but there's nothing wrong with it either. In fact, the film's problems were mostly rooted in its writing (also written by Alessandra de Rossi). The biggest frustration for us was the misleading nature of its narrative. It was too heavy-handed for our taste and could easily impact how our characters' chemistry is perceived on-screen by audiences. Speaking of chemistry, the lack of which between Piolo Pascual and Alessandra de Rossi was alarming at first. But given the whole context of the film's story (the love between these two individuals was not really romantic at all but familial in nature), it became understandable and maybe even designed to be just like that. At the end of the day, there was a "light bulb" moment in "My Amanda" that just clicked for us. The narrative wasn't perfect, the performances outstanding but easily misunderstood, but the courage it takes to be way different made the film stand out eventually.
Rating: 3 and a half reels
Why you should watch it:
- shows that love in particular is so complex and can be defined and shown in many ways
- a great directorial debut effort from Alessandra de Rossi
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the first half was kinda rough as the film tries to hide its true intentions
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