Movie No. 143. Cinemalaya 2013: SANA DATI

Sana Dati (2013)
Director: Jerrold Tarog
Cast: Lovi Poe, Paulo Avelino, TJ Trinidad, Benjamin Alves

Synopsis: The film is a love story about a woman whose wedding is thrown into disarray when a mysterious man arrives and reminds her of the man she really loves.

Read again the synopsis. The way it's written can suggest that the movie is just one of those romance movies that are force-fed to the hopeless romantic movie fans by local major productions. But this movie is far from being "one of those." 

Sana Dati is almost perfect as a movie. The flawed characters that populate the screen doing their flawed routines are effectively acted by the actors, particularly Lovi Poe's disappearing in the brokenness of her character. Paulo Avelino shows his range as an actor. TJ Trinidad is superb; I could feel his character. And these were all captured in near-perfect photography. The editing of the non-linear narrative is something to note. 

Rating: 4.0/4.0

Date seen: July 30, 2013