Review: That Thing Called Tadhana

Perhaps what sets Tadhana apart from other films about loving and losing, and moving on at that, is that it tries to convey a story in its simplest form - no pretentious plots, no unimaginable twists and turns, no need for overrated dramas.

The film basically asks us where broken hearts really go - Rome, Manila, Baguio, Sagada - and what exactly do it do there? We follow the unexpected crossing of paths between Mace, a woman so smart to be dumb at love, trying to get rid of excess baggage at the airport, and Anthony, a guy so charming and gentleman who helped the former. Mace's luggages perfectly describe how she loves - so full and excess without even thinking of leaving anything behind. She's that give-it-all woman when it comes to love, and everything that is too much is not good.

Anthony plays a huge part in Mace's journey to trying to move on. He was that unknown person who tries to console a woman with a heavy heart, and he was there every step of the way. In the film we try to ask, why choose to be with this woman you actually don't know, who at times makes scandalous acts when you can stay away from her and try to continue with the life's comforts? But maybe because there are some stories that begin with unexpected meetings, followed by a stage where we try to know the person beyond their face values that we stay.

As the film progresses, we see where Mace's emotions are coming from - a breakup with a boyfriend for eight long and wonderful years justifies it all. She tries to tell her story as emotional as possible, and Anthony was there, all ears. Anthony tries to give honest advice to Mace, despite her not really knowing him, hence the line, "Ang sakit mo namang magsalita, close ba tayo?!" There were impulsive trips, and those were the places where we try to forget parts of our lives.

Tadhana is an attempt to make people realize that moving on is a process, and while the duration will always vary on how one clings to every memory, it establishes the idea that it is the product that is more important than the time it was achieved. The film tries to suggest ways to forget - travel, know other people - but really, it is more of trying to make us remember how we became really, really dumb because of love. We laugh at those memories that made us cry before.

We learn how to leave our baggages and try to bring what only matters, in an attempt to make space for breathing and living.

If Tadhana is not a cinema gem, I don't know what is. The film pushes the boundaries of storytelling to its known limits, and while there are plots that promise so many things, there is Tadhana that is so simple and only promises one huge thing: moving forward.

Thank you, Direk Tonet for giving us a film where we can easily put ourselves into. Like Mace, we are you know, tatanga-tanga.

Rating: 5/5