Review: Write About Love

"Write About Love" has a firm understanding of how writing works, even more, the collaborative process that comes along. It is a film that is expected for someone who came a long way crafting films behind the camera. A love letter on how scenes are ideated, regardless if it makes the most sense or the lack thereof.

A newbie writer (Miles Ocampo) is teamed up with a more experienced writer (Rocco Nacino) to help her finish the revisions of her screenplay. Throughout the film, we see how the two writers visualize their script from start to finish.

It's fascinating how the two gel together quickly. Save for a few scenes, the film made it clear that it wants to present a more sanitized display of writing. I wish they disagree more or even go to a certain level of madness given the nature of the story they seek to ideate: a couple separated out of personal ambitions. 

Thankfully, the film works with the charm of its cast. Ocampo and Nacino are great. The film hints at a potential romance for their characters, which was thankfully dissolved because the film abruptly wanted a different kind of love to be at play.

"Write About Love" exhibits the kind of love that is selfless. While the screenplay in-focus did not affect the arc of the central writers in the film's narrative, it is aware that writing becomes a powerful thing to make their personal realizations more transformative. It's a sweet way to close the gap for a story that always goes back to Ricke Lee's writing principles his book "Trip to Quiapo," in which he argued that the most ideal writer would go to the unconventional, experimental albeit long route to tell his/ her story.

"Write About Love" is now showing in Philippine cinemas as part of the Metro Manila Film Festival 2019.

Photo credits: TBA Studios