Sid and Aya: Not a Love Story: Movie Review

Photos Courtesy of Viva Films
"Sid and Aya: Not a Love Story" is a well-balanced romance drama with great chemistry from its leads, great visuals and soundtrack. While the film is a good experience, the limiting story and script holds back the movie from going beyond good.
Photos Courtesy of Viva Films
Sid (Dingdong Dantes) is a successful and rich stock broker but suffers from heavy bouts of insomnia fatefully meets Aya (Anne Curtis), one of the staff at the coffee shop he regularly visits. Sid and Aya decides to strike an unconventional deal: Sid pays Aya per hour on those sleepless and restless nights while Aya keeps him company. But when the two start to fall in love, what started out as a business only relationship, might be the drastic change that Sid has been looking for in his life.


Photos Courtesy of Viva Films
Don't believe the title. "Sid and Aya" is a love story through and through. It's driving narrative is an unconventional one but at its core, it's the same formula most of Filipino films are spun with. The film's strongest characteristic are the performances from its lead actors. Dingdong Dantes is the perfect fit physically and talent wise as the insomniac and highly-successful stockbroker who has plenty of money but no one significant to spend it on. But the biggest revelation was Anne Curtis. Her performance as the quirky Aya was well-rounded and natural and went beyond what we expected from her if we're being honest. Another win for the film was its cinematography. In particular capturing the beauty and craziness of the urban jungle lifestyle. The weakest link for the film was its narrative. The story was interesting but the various side plots felt incomplete and sometimes unnecessary. The ending could have been unconventional but they couldn't stop themselves from having that typical good or hopeful ending Filipino films are known for. Overall, there's a lot to like about "Sid and Aya". It's a stylistic and fresh romance drama film mired by forcing itself to conform to conventions.
Photos Courtesy of Viva Films
Rating: 4 reels




Why you should watch it:
- great chemistry and performances from Dingdong Dantes and Anne Curtis

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the narrative and script was the film's weakest links

You can catch "Sid and Aya: Not a Love Story" on Netflix right now.

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