THAT THING CALLED

TADHANA: FILM REVIEW

 THAT THING CALLED TADHANA: FILM REVIEW

With all the problems that you have, it is best to say it to someone who does not judge
you and you will be able to let your heart speak it all. The movie “That Thing Called Tadhana”
shows that one really needs someone to hear our problems that we have. The director of the
movie is Antoinette Jadaone and the main characters are Angelica Panganiban (Mace) and JM de
Guzman (Anthony), who met at the airport at Rome and brought up something that healed both
of their broken hearts.

It is not only time that heals a broken heart, the people surrounding you is also a factor
that can help you move on from the situation you are still entangle. I have read many break-up
stories; from Facebook, Twitter, Wattpad, and many other social media sites. I can say that it is
not new if I can hear that another couple just broke-up. With that, usually, girls are more
expressive and they show their sadness. They cry, and isolate themselves from the people
thinking that it is the best solution to heal their broken heart. But there is this someone that will
be there to be one’s handkerchief for all the tears that comes out from one’s eyes.

The movie started when Mace was about to board to Philippines but she cannot get through
because her luggage were too heavy. For her to be accommodated for the flight, she tried to
unload some of her excess luggage, and Anthony came who willingly offered to shoulder some
of Mace’s excess luggage and they were able to get the flight back to the Philippines from Rome.
They went together and looked for a place to eat. When the night came, Mace already shared her
problem, her heartache, with her tears flowing like a falls. Her ex-fiancée broke-up with her after
two years of fooling herself and staying in Rome just to be with her jerk ex-fiancée. She cursed a
lot, who would not when your long time partner suddenly ended your relationship with only
seven words. What Anthony did was just sit down and listened to the cries and words of Mace
because he knew that it would lessen the heaviness in her heart. He knew that Mace needed
someone to be with and that is why he granted Mace’s wish to go to Baguio and forget about
everything about her ex-fiancée. Anthony did his best to help Mace and hoped that Mace would
also help herself. They did many things in Baguio; went to a massage, relaxed in a coffee shop,
enjoyed in an art gallery, and then went to Sagada. Anthony showed Mace a breathtaking view
that made Mace realize that there are still good things that is happening to her life despite of the
problem that she was facing. That was the point when she finally let her heart out and was ready
to start a new chapter in her life; moving on and mending her heart, but she hoped that Anthony
will still be with her. When they went back, they saw Mace’s ex-fiancée and Anthony left and
respected the two to have a time to clear them from the unfinished business. Few years later,
Anthony was riding a car with a book entitled “The Arrow with a Heart Pierced through Him”
placed on the passenger’s seat. This was the story that Mace made. The arrow represented
Anthony and the heart represented Mace.
 The way the movie started was funny although it was not that believable because from
my point of view, Anthony was too kind in helping Mace, well I don’t think there are people as
kind as Anthony. However, what was even funny was that Mace was not shy with her words and
showing her thongs that she bought for her ex-fiancée when she first came to Rome. She spoke
to Anthony as if she did not just met Anthony, maybe because she was so broken that time. She
felt as if she was the saddest woman at that time. The beginning was so strong that it was the
foundation of how the story will progress because the broken Mace aided by the kind Anthony.
She spoke every word with a meaning that she was too bold of her words and did not care
anymore of what Anthony would say afterwards. It was very effective because I felt it; I mean I
tried to put myself in that situation and I realized that I might do what she did, I might say what
she said, and I might feel what she felt. You would also pity her with the words that she let out
and the way she spoke it. The curses also helped on the emotions of the character. Then they
went to places that diverted Mace’s attention and helped her slowly move on and heal. What I
think about this is that it was a bit fast that Mace trusted Anthony right away and they went to
Baguio. It is unbelievable that you go to a place with someone you just knew. The events were
just too fast also, in my opinion. However, knowing that Mace was so broken, she did not mind it
as long as she can escape her problem. The Nevertheless, the idea of bringing Mace to a place
where she can escape and forget was the best part because Anthony was there for her while she
was still finding herself and slowly recovering. The way they talked about Mace’s problem was
straight to the point that made it easy to understand and easy to watch.

The protagonists of the movie did great with their acting. They might not have the same
feels unlike other love team; they were good and effective in their own. From the start, Mace was
almost “crazy”. She spoke as if she is not a woman; she was too frank. With the way she spoke,
she was not the typical woman act like Maria Clara; I mean she was just being who she was. She
cursed a lot, but it was fun hearing them when she was annoyed. She was just expressive of her
thoughts and she would really stress them out. She was also fragile and was “unlucky” with love.
She definitely had a hard time enduring two years in Rome blindly seeing her ex-fiancée with
another woman. I have read many stories with a protagonist the same as Mace, who gave
everything to their partner and ended up empty because they left nothing for themselves. Girls
easily believe with the flowery words of men and forget what men did to them. In the end, she
cried and felt very empty because her ex-partner became her life and now the he was gone, she
could hardly stand on her own. However, as the story progresses, she was able to make baby
steps in gaining herself back. Anthony was there to help her, but if she will not help herself, it
would be useless. She became stronger after realizing that she should love herself more than she
loved anybody else. She learned that she should always give herself a respect with everything
that she does. Although she is not“unlucky” because Anthony came.

Anthony was so charming. He is a girl’s dream guy. He was the typical, gentle man, and
kind person. But what was special with him was his fruitful words of wisdom to Mace. He was
philosophic from the first time they met with Mace until the story ended. It was so attractive; and
helpful for Mace. Anthony’s words of wisdom calmed Mace downed from her cries. Anthony
was also a good listener. He gave his judgment after hearing all what Mace said. He seemed
okay, but he was also broken. He did not know what to prioritize, career or personal life. His
fiancé found another man and he was tied with his work. But he was unhappy. It seemed that
Mace became his escape; a beautiful escape. Throughout the movie, he was the same philosophic
Anthony who helped Mace forget her problems.

The message was not just spoon-fed; there were metaphors and symbolisms that added
excitement to the story. The biggest metaphor in the movie is “The Arrow with a Heart Pierced
through Him”. I think that the luggage the heart was carrying was her sad luggage from her
heartbreak. Then Anthony came who willingly shared some of that luggage in Rome. She was
still carrying them when she arrived in the Philippines, but she said that even how heavy they
were, she would still move forward, even it takes long as long as she made a way. Symbolisms
were there. When they lost their bags in Sagada, I think it symbolizes that Mace had enough
suffering carrying the heavy load of feelings that she decided to let them go. Another symbolism
is the excess luggage she had in Rome, that no matter how hard you try to get those broken
pieces back, you need to let go of some so that you can move on for yourself, and ride the
airplane. These are the examples of the metaphor and symbolism in the movie that was very
effective in catching the attention of the viewers because it was just a simple thing, a simple
concept but the emotions were overflowing. The best part of this movie is the conservations the
made people realize things that they should do or they should have done.

The screenplay of the movie won 3 rd place in the 2014 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial
Awards for Literature and Gawad Urian Awards for Best Screenplay. Focusing on the script, it
deserves the award that it got. It is not like other movies that the conservations are formal; the
words are hard to understand. In this movie, the words are easy to understand but how the
scriptwriter structures the sequence and the arrangement of the words that made the simple
words deep in meaning. There are curses in the script yet it won the awards. It is a matter of how
you properly use them to add spice to the conversation and to the feelings. I can say that the
scriptwriter might had some experience about heart breaks because every word was too sharp
that anyone will get wounded. This is the only movie that I can say every minute matters because
what the characters say means a lot. Especially the seven words that ended the relationship of
Mace and her partner is just so pinpoint that I was left astonished of how the scriptwriter was
able to think of those simple words but if you combine them, it meant a lot. This is a big
contribution to the 21st century Philippine literature because this proves that a work does not
need to be following the traditional way of writing for recognition in prestigious awards. It is the
message that matters in every work made.
 The best part of the movie for me is when Mace carried her luggage up and downstairs
and said “Mabigat. Pero mabagal. Pero kaya.”. I knew there that she was ready to forget the
mistakes she have done and start a new Mace who will be stronger and wiser. In addition, the
best line in the movie is that when Anthony said to Mace, “Bakit, kapag sinabi ba niya kung
bakit may magbabago? Ang bottomline, hindi ka niya mahal.” Moreover, I felt he was too frank
but I think it helped Mace realize. Although it would have been better if he explained, not just
giving those seven years that ended their 8-year relationship.

Words can be as painful as the knife; but it can also be as relieving as the wind. Say it
before everything is too late. You will not notice that you keep on swallowing your words, you’ll
ended crazy.

“There are all kinds of love in this world, but never the same love twice.” – F.
Scott Fitzgerald