ELISE (2019) Review
Directed by Joel Ferrer
Honesly, I was not that excited seeing this film when I saw the trailer. I thought it looks plain. But boy, I was so wrong.
How do we remember our first love? Or the first time we felt something special for a person? Does the feeling always come back when we see that particular person?
Elise is a reminder of how we are as a person. How we are as a friend, how we are as a child, how we are as a student, how we are as a lover. You may not fit in all of those but one thing’s for sure, you’ve been one of those in your life.
The film is charming, funny and heartwarming. The treatment feels like those Oscars-nominated biopics: they put details on the characters that will definitely stay in you after watching it. You see, when I saw the movie, it felt exactly the same way I did when I saw Brooklyn (2015). Not that the film has the same story, but the treatment. The intention of the filmmaker on telling its story as authentic as possible. Elise felt like an authentic biopic.
It’s just an honest-to-goodness movie that is both enjoyable but at the same time, the quality of the film isn’t sacrificed for its entertainment. I loved everything about it. Its story and how it wants to make the audience feel telling its story.
It may look plain and simple from the trailer but Elise is straightforward, sincere, moving and beautiful. Enchong Dee and Janine Gutierrez are both great in it that it doesn’t feel like a mainstream Filipino film anymore. Everything in Elise felt like it was made for the awards season. The story, the direction, the production, the performances, even the supporting cast were great.
The film tells the story of a boy who had the chance to be with his first love. All the pain and all the heartwarming experiences included. It doesn’t pretend that it’s telling a big story, it’s just telling a story in the most honest way possible that it touches you, it resulted into something more than just for entertainment – you realized you were part of Bert’s journey, that you have experienced Bert’s journey. And it’s a wonderful experience.
5 OUT OF 5 STARS
‘Elise’ is now showing in cinemas nationwide from Regal Entertainment, Inc. Rated PG by the MTRCB.