This review contains minor spoilers
“You wouldn’t like me in the Philippines,” fashion designer Justine (Julia Montes) told medical student Lance (Alden Richards) in front of the picturesque Singapore at night. They were sobering up after drinking in a nearby bar, talking about Einstein’s quantum entanglement and living in another country. Their love story starts in the urban country, known for being the economic pillar and inspiration for third-world countries like the Philippines. Some, Julia noted, shames Singapore for seemingly having no soul or culture. But Julia argues: Have you looked at the architecture of Marina Bay Sands and other infrastructure in this city? These are designed by people, driven by their souls to improve their life.
In Irene Villamor’s Five Breakups and a Romance, the locations influence the five chapters of Justine and Lance’s on-and-off romance and individual clamors that spanned eight years. In Singapore, Justine and Lance roam around, passionately kiss, have mind-blowing sex, and talk about everything under the sun like in the Before trilogy. But unlike Jesse who missed out on his flight to stay with Celine in her apartment in Paris, Lance rescheduled his flight to stay with Justine and explore more tourist spots in Singapore. He’s still going home while Justine gets to stay in the country. Are we seeing a good short-lived romance or are they going to make it work for the next years like Jesse and Celine?
In the following chapters, we get to see Lance and Justine’s romance get plagued by their individual endeavors and mishaps. The tension and affection were further increased by the empty backyard of a modern house in an Alabang subdivision, the provincial and traditional atmosphere of Batangas, the cold and isolating halls of a hospital during the height of COVID-19 pandemic, and the open yet congested urban jungle of BGC.
Montes and Richards, in their comeback films after years of being absent on the big screen, tease us of their individual talent we have missed for years. The two are phenomenally nuanced with their emotions, especially during the tough times between their characters. Richards, particularly, was heartbreaking when Lance was calling Justine after his shift at the dimly lit, depressing hospital hallway, and admitting to his wrongdoings. The talent of the actors marries Villamor’s vision of utilizing spaces to drive the emotions of these characters.
Meanwhile, their newly-discovered on-screen chemistry is unique at best. It can be argued their chemistry is apt for the film, as their characters are walking red flags for one another; Justine and Lance are not meant to last. But then I remember Richards and Kathryn Bernardo in the 2019 film Hello, Love, Goodbye. Richards and Bernardo’s characters in the smash hit romance film made me hopeful the two will compromise to make their relationship work. In Five Breakups, however, Richards and Montes’ chemistry is only perfect for a one-night stand in the city (as shown in the film). My instincts can already tell me the two are not good in the long run.
Other Filipino romance films highlight the location as part of the characters’ career or personal motivations. Some, arguably, seem to be flexing their production budget, bragging about how they can fly their stars to first-world European countries even though their stories would also be the same if it’s set in the Philippines. Villamor, however, is a meticulous director when it comes to the mise-en-scene of her films, including Five Breakups. She shows how our views on relationships are not just formed with individual contemplation but how the space can influence and dictate our next decisions. Justine and Lance’s emotions, struggles, and resolutions were products of their walks, stares, scream fest, and vows in front of an awkwardly quiet household, the deafening silence of the city during lockdowns, the crashing waves in a shore, and the bustling noise of a city.
