ART APPRECIATION

Movie Review

Tayo Sa Huling Buwan Ng Taon (Us, At The End Of The Year)

Heart-wrenchingly beautiful, is how I would define this film. It resonated with me on so many
levels. I related to it as someone who once yearned to be an actress and was just fascinated with
films in general, as a college student filled with uncertainty about her dreams and as an aspiring
lover, striving to always do the right thing.
There were many instances in the movie where there wasn’t any line from the actors, or even if
the actors were talking it was not heard. Personally, I interpreted it as time for us to appreciate
the intimate shots, the realistic picture of relationships and the adult life, and the gorgeous
cityscapes that our country has to offer. Another detail I adored was their use of orange or
yellowish tints, almost as if the characters were basking in the sun. Other than the cliché notion
of these colors as joy or positivity due to its brightness, as stated by Davies (2022), orange mixes
feelings connected to the idea of a new day because it is the color of sunrise and sunset, very
appropriate for the story of the film. Lastly for the cinematography, the acting was so lovingly
genuine that until the end I questioned if they were couples as well off screen. It was also
refreshing for it gave me a truthful glimpse of relationships and not the idealistically shallow
facades shown to us by western romantic movies.
Seeing yourself in the characters isn’t always good, for I fear that I’ll make the same mistakes as
them. I worry that I’ll also let go of my dreams for someone or something, only for it to break me
in the end. I’m scared because I know I’d handle it the way they did, by delaying it until I hurt a
lot of people, just because I did not have courage or refused myself closure. Regardless of others,
this is the films lesson for me, to strive to do the right thing, as soon as possible, or at least before
it's too late.

References:

Davies, H. (2022, February 9). What does each color mean in cinema?: Blog. Domestika.
Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www.domestika.org/en/blog/2810-what-does-
each-color-mean-in-cinema

YouTube. (2020). Tayo Sa Huling Buwan Ng Taon (Us, At The End Of The Year). YouTube.
Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUjZPifUNmU.

Mendoza, Ellyza Mae S. BPA PFM 2-1