Elise: Movie Review

In a genre that's almost synonymous to modern local cinema, it's refreshing to see that there's some brave enough to shake the mold. "Elise" is one of those films. It's unconventional in every sense of the word but in a very awesome way. It got us with it's bold creativity, narrative, and character-driven hook.

Bert (Enchong Dee) has come back to his hometown of San Miguel to deliver a music box but first he stops by to meet his old grade school teacher. Leaving his school, the teacher tasks him to bring one of her pupils home. Along the way, Bert tells the nine year old kid about his first love Elise (Janine Gutierrez) and why he has come back.

We didn't expect anything out of "Elise" and we still came out of the experience blown away. The film in itself had every aspect covered. The acting was good enough but the on-screen chemistry was slightly lacking. The story itself was interesting but had some head-scratching moments. The comedic aspect and script was a breath of fresh air but it wasn't our cup of tea at times. But what really struck a chord was its narrative style. The movie is a story told through Bert's eyes - from his life as a kid, through high school, through college, work and until present. How he has struggled, grown, loved, and developed as a person against all odds. While the film May be titled "Elise", it's all about Bert really. It's a love story but not really and that's why we loved it so much.

Rating: 4 reels





Why you should watch it:
- it's a different kind of romantic narrative

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the story, acting, comedy was just okay