It can be hard to find Joy in an unfair world but Joy is indeed here...
This was... Surprisingly good, though it got off to a slow start once it got going it had a pretty good mix of playboy falls in love and life is not easy... giving us a window in to the daily lives of immigrants/ foreign workers... work permits can be tricky. though the movie has a whole lot of lovely cliches it feels a bit refreshing to have two poor leads instead of the usual rich/poor I also adore. Bundled together with some more issues here and there such as domestic violence and I am sure something more... But I seem to have forgotten...The male lead has a whole bunch of red flags, he even wears a red shirt to warn us. As he pretty much both stalks her and tries to guilt her in ot stuff at times... But the chemistry between the two leads is phenomenal, and he does experience some type of development. But as usual fun to watch, but in real life this can be pretty tricky.
I think i may have gotten a crush on the female lead, I am not going to say she is a very good actress overall but there is something about her that has me hooked. The more I see her the more I want to see of her. And honestly her character here is one of her best ones. She is both smart, human and kind but without coming off as pathetic.
But what I love most is the cringey lines meet good lines ...
”Choice is only for the rich”
The words "I love you" said over and over again in the most peculiar way...
“ I have no plans of being your future but I can be your now”
Oh come on... m... right... we all know how that is going to end...
The friendships here are pretty good too. So are the views... Hoodies and Umbrellas are also used pretty decently.
Definitely one of the better Pinoy Rom Cos I have seen, you just get passet those first moments av meeh...
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A heartfelt journey of love, acceptance and farewell
Hello, Love, Goodbye" is a poignant and emotionally charged, cinematic masterpiece that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster through the complexities of love, dreams, and life's difficult choices. The story revolves around two Filipinos working in Hong Kong, capturing the struggles of overseas workers while highlighting their dreams and aspirations.The chemistry between the lead characters is palpable, making their journey relatable and heartfelt. Our charismatic leads, who portray their characters with such authenticity and depth that I felt I was right there beside them, experiencing their joys and heartbreaks. Unexpected situations got them closer to part again. They made me question, "if putting myself first called selfish then compromising myself for someone else's wish, wouldn't it be selfish too?" There's a scene where one of the main characters makes a difficult choice, and I felt a lump in my throat.
The cinematography is stunning, showcasing both the vibrant city and the intimate moments shared. In the heart of Hong Kong, where steel towers rise like grave markers, a haunting emptiness lurks beneath vibrant lights. The pulse of the city thrums with ambition, yet whispers of loneliness echo in crowded streets. Each step feels heavy, as dreams collide with concrete walls—an ironic testament to a city that never sleeps, yet seldom feels alive. Viewers appreciate the film's balance of romance and realism, leaving them with a sense of hope and reflection.
Again, I'm in awe of Kathryn Bernardo's acting. Her intricate expressions and realistic portrayal of a struggling domestic worker working in a cold heartless city like Hong Kong, touched my heart. I laughed & cried with her, for a moment I forgot I was watching a movie not a documentary.
Overall, it's a touching narrative that resonates deeply with audiences. It's refreshing, relatable, and beautifully crafted. If you're in the mood for a heartfelt movie night, grab some tissues and prepare for a memorable story that celebrates love and the reality of goodbyes. Highly recommended!
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This review may contain spoilers
Love Is Letting Go...Not About Sacrifice
I've seen a few of Kathryn Bernardo's films, and I believe she turned in the performance of her life. She stepped away from the typical romantic-comedies (many of which are actually quite good), and challenged herself to take on the role of a much deeper and much more complex character in Joy.I have always marveled--and not in a good way--of how people tend to use others; even people they love; even members of their own families. Of course, children are usually guilted into it. In short, it's a parent's way of saying, "I suffered, and so now you must suffer too. Why? Because it's how families work."
As stated in other reviews, I am an ESL teacher. I've lived and worked in South Korea, China, and Taiwan. I know quite a bit about how Asian parents tend to treat their kids. Of course, it's not all bad. You'll scarcely find parents who are more dedicated to teaching their children about discipline and hard-work. The large contrast between them and western parents, is that western parents tend to allow their kids to do whatever they want. They're spoiled beyond belief. What is needed is a balance.
As the eldest daughter, Joy is in Hong Kong working several jobs in order to keep herself alive as well as sending money back home to her family in the Phillippines. She has a nursing degree. Her dream is to go to Canada to pursue what she loves. Of course, she meets and falls in love with Ethan, a young man who is also from the Phillippines, who is trying to support his family as well, after a disastrous relationship that nearly cost him everything.
Ethan, of course, is hoping that Joy will decide to stay in Hong Kong, and not go to Canada. This is when the film really grabs the viewer to see what Joy will decide to do.
Love is not about sacrifice for someone else. Sacrifice is about losing something, and love is never about loss. It's always about who you are. In all her wisdom, Joy has to explain this to Ethan as well as outlining the consequences of not pursuing her dream. Fortunately, Ethan finally gets it and is able to do what only love can do: let go. As soon as you try to hold onto it, love ceases to be love.
Filmed in Hong Kong, we're giving a stark and not-so-pleasing depiction of life for many immigrants struggling to survive. Some can do it. Some can't. In the end, you can only truly look after yourself and not lose sight of your own dreams. Of course, the world, and even your own family will throw every reason at you to NOT pursue your dreams. If you give in, you have no one to blame but yourself. If you forge ahead, then you have gained more profound wisdom about life than what most people can only dream about.
My only complaint of the film was that the chemistry between Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards was not what it should have been. And because of this, the film loses a bit of its heart and depth. I'd say it was pretty obvious that Kathryn Bernardo did not want to do any kissing scenes with Alden due to her love and respect for her boyfriend, Daniel Padilla. The only kiss we see is one on her forehead in the dark. Can you imagine the lack of depth in a film like Titanic if Jack and Rose only held hands and never shared a kiss? I couldn't help but wonder how much more powerful the film would have been if another actress had performed in the role, or if Padilla himself hadn't turned the role down (which I read that he had).
Still, this is a memorable film that challenges everyone to go after their dreams and let nothing and no one stand in your way.
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it's actually good
it's a very young adult coming-of-age story. we have these two young people trying to make lives for themselves overseas. they each have their own unlucky pasts with love and family issues. Joy, who doesn't want to waste time with love again, ends up falling for Ethan. i think this movie is pretty good, not boring at all. and i cried at the end. the tough choices and deciding to wait for each other got to me. really looking forward to "Hello, Love Again" this year. see ya my Kath and AldenWas this review helpful to you?
✒ Time Must Start Again ⏰ °7.7° °VG °
🕰Timing in life is everything; so the adage goes. In Hong Kong, time is G💰LD. As long as you move you'll live. Once you stop you'll starve. Over 200,000 Filipinos work in Hong Kong. It's most common to have a 2-yr domestic helper contract as Filipinos are not allowed to do anything else - unless they manage to become a citizen. Therefore, when Joy loses her job because her employers can no longer pay her, she takes an illegal waitressing job. The cops, inevitably, will come by to check IDs. When Joy sees them, she busts a move and runs. She ends up running right into the handsome bartender and 😙busts another move. She uses him as camouflage to hide from the po-po. Cops rarely bother a couple snogging in the alleyway, afterall. It's done so often in movies you might think that they would start checking, even if a duo is rounding first and headed for second, but it always seems to work.The Filipino community in Hong Kong is small. Everyone is within 1° of separation, but it's large enough to support a Filipino radio station. (They have a nifty microeconomic system in place as well.) Joy thinks she got away scott-free only to wake up the next morning to a radio announcement about her! Ethan, the bartender, is looking for Joy so that she can return the kiss that she stole from him! Joy's friends go insane.
HLG is about what decent, but poor, people must do to survive: It is all about hard choices. It is also about the nature of love. Joy & Ethan. Ethan + Joy. She resists him, but she can't for long. The problem is that she's leaving. She's definitely leaving. She has a nursing degree that she can't use in Hong Kong. She's going to be a nurse in Canada. That's her dream, and n🅾thing's going to change her mind. N🅾t a thing/budkis/pist🅾🅾za/larkaflark/nuffink/jack squat/NATTY. Joy is no wimp. She has a will of iron. She warns Ethan to not get attached. Yet they allow themselves to fall in love. Every day they push the knife in a little deeper.
Their story is sweet and these protags are likable. He says he can handle it and he won't get in her way, but as that 🕰 approaches the pressure ratchets up. Because, ‘when you love, it's all or nothing. If you hold back, then why love it all?’ Ethan has a point. ‘There are questions inside of me that only I can answer,’ Joy insists. Joy has goals, a mission, and an ironclad agenda. She will not be swayed. Not now.
L💘VE. What does it look like? To Ethan it's: “If you loved me enough you would stay.” ♻ To Joy it's: “If you loved me enough you would want me to go.” Later, Joy asks the universe: “When a woman gives too much of herself, she's stupid, but when she prioritizes herself, she's bad. Where do we need to place ourselves? Is love only expressed through sacrifice?” Why so often, indeed, does every option, for women especially, seem irreconcilable? Love can teeter from selfish to selfless. Perhaps love always starts down in the selfish zone, but the more we sincerely love someone, the more selfless we should become. Leaving the shallow end and diving down deeper should elevate our love higher. If not, we must question how much in 💓 we are or how selfish we actually are. A young person should never be expected to throw away h/h future for a relationship, particularly a relatively new one. Talk about creating a debt for regret - No sane person would endorse that. Joy agonizes over this unexpected timeout from the race she's been running. Either option is valid. Her choice is hers alone. HLG tells young girls that their personal development and future is every bit as important as love.
Befitting a modest budget, most of the filming is on the street or in contained spaces. There's a couple of wow shots. They take a day off to go up into the mountains. On a cliff looking down on the city, the buildings are uniformly white. While they look like bad dental work there's also an ethereal beauty to the vista. The effect is otherworldly.
HLG is a 118 minute, 2019 release that is rated 8.2 on MDL. Overall, this is a well put together production. The writing, directing and acting all blend to make a great product with few flaws. This is a 🇵🇭Filipino production and I am looking forward to seeing more of their works. I've seen 2 🇭🇰Hong Kong productions, The Defected-8.2 and Hong Kong West Side Stories(7.5). Both of them are good but also dark, edgy, sad, and a display of the worst elements of humanity. The group that is the most downtrodden in Hong Kong seems to have a brighter outlook. Between the 3 productions, one wouldn't think it's the same place. HLG is well worth the time to get a peek at life in Hong Kong from the view of the hard working, overlooked Filipino community. We🇺🇲 have alot to be thankful for.
QUOTE📢
Choice is only for the rich.
〰🖍 IMHO
📣78 📝72 🎭79 💓70 🦋67 🌞71 🎨70 ⚡30 🎵/🔊78 😅23 😭47 😱30 😯49 😖20 🤔45 💤0 🔚70
Age 12+ Adult situations kissing - mild. Rated PG: Parental Guidance Suggested
Re-📺? Not opposed
In order of ~lite & trite~ to ~heavy & serious~ you may also like:
Historical/Period:
Overlord 8.4,
The Sleepless Princess 9.1 (there's a minor fantasy element),
The Romance of Tiger and Rose 9.8,
Under the Power 8.6,
The Rebel Princess 9.1,
The Sword and the Brocade 8.6 (in the style of ancient Chinese opera),
Ruyi's Royal love in the palace (episodes 1 - 49 are a 9.3. While looking up it's historical accuracy, I learned how heartbreaking the rest of the show is. It's over 80 episodes, so that's a hella-lotta hurt. I am not up for it now, so I stopped at episode 49, which is a perfect ending. I cannot recommend episodes 1 - 49 enough. It's near perfect).
K:
My Only Love Song 8.7 excellent comedy;
Mr. Queen 8.5;
My Sassy Girl / Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo 8.5;
The Kings's Affection 8.3;
Mr. Sunshine 9
Fantasy - Heavenly realm:
Love Between Fairy & Devil 8.9;
Once upon a time in Linglian Mountain 7.5;
Douluo Continent 9.4;
Handsome siblings 8.7;
Heavenly Sword 9 (Kung-fu!);
Ancient Love Poetry 8.6;
Eternal love 8.3 + its sequel Eternal Love Of dream/Three Lives, Three Worlds, 10 Miles Of Peach Blossoms 7.7 (I watched these in the wrong order, which was a shame. EL is not without flaws, the FL being the biggest issue, but overall it's outstanding. The sequel was not originally planned. EL actually tells the same story as ELOD as a secondary romance, and the show was so popular that they did the sequel and changed quite a bit).
Love and Redemption 10
China excels at period and fantasy pieces. There's no Action or Modern Day Chinese features for me to recommend. There are a few that I've enjoyed, but they pale when compared to Korean shows, some of which are listed here.
K Modern Day romance:
A Witch's Love 7.8;
love To Hate You 8.9;
Touch your heart 8.2;
Crash Landing On You 9.1;
Oh My Ghost 10;
It's okay not to be okay 9;
Hospital Playlist 9;
My Mister 9.5;
K Action:
K2 8;
Private Lives 8.1;
Sisyphus 8;
Tunnel 8.1;
Signal 8.6;
Black 9;
Squid Game 8.4;
Kingdom 8.3;
Sweet Home 8.4
Originally 〰️🖊 May 2024
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