D Watched Under Parallel Skies

Under Parallel Skies, the first film produced by 28 Squared Studios and directed by Sigrid Bernardo (“Kita Kita,” “Untrue”), is currently playing in theaters across the country. It stars Metawin Opas-Iamkajorn and Janella Salvador and the movie was entirely filmed in Hong Kong. Win portrays Parin, a bratty, wealthy guy, which made apparent from his first scene, while Janella plays Iris, a cheerful, hardworking hotel concierge. Parin traveled to Hong Kong from Thailand in search of his mother. They met when a drunken Parin stayed at the hotel where Iris works. Iris had to be practically Parin’s personal butler because his wealthy father had called the hotel and given instructions to look after his son while he was there.

I’m sure I’m just nitpicking here, but it bothered me when Iris failed to say Parin’s complete first name correctly. As someone who works in the hospitality industry, it is critical that you address the person you are speaking with by his or her proper name. A mistake made once or twice is tolerable, but repeated errors can be frustrating, so Parin made the adjustment for her. However, Iris deserves a raise because she went to great lengths to serve Parin’s drunk ass and irritating remarks. Not once she got provoked to talk back, instead, she even helped him find his mom, which they did in a short period of time.

At this point, I became somewhat confused about the movie’s main focus. Parin and Iris’ connection was becoming increasingly comfortable, to the point where he went out of his way to find out where she lived. Barging in to her tiny living quarters to ask her to accompany him to where his mom resides. Parin’s attempt to persuade his mother to return to Thailand reached a dead-end, abruptly concluding THAT part of the story. Naturally, I was not expecting Parin returning to Thailand, as that would have concluded the movie, right? However, I was not anticipating the brevity of the situation between him and his mother, as well as his complete acceptance of her new life and new romantic partner, wherein finding his mother and convincing her to go back to Thailand was the main goal of him being there to begin with. But I could have been mistaken; he could have been there to discover himself as well. Got it. Ok. To avoid revealing too many plot details, let’s just say that something occurred that, as a Filipino film and television watcher, you would anticipate the subsequent events. The following scenes exhibited a certain degree of predictability. A boy and girl develop a close relationship and fall in love, and yet life happened. The movie did what it set out to do by building a romantic tension, having memorable dialogue, and making people feel strong emotions.

Janella’s performance was commendable. I first saw her as Valentina on Darna the Series, and she really stole the show. Janella was ideal for the role, and during the movie, I never once considered who could have portrayed Iris more effectively, since she executed the character brilliantly. Being a fan of the series that brought Win widespread recognition, I made a deliberate effort to concentrate on his acting abilities when paired with a different co-star. Naturally, he displayed charm and exerted genuine effort to establish a connection with Janella. And surprisingly, if there were scenes that had the potential to evoking tears in me, it would undoubtedly be his. I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Hong Kong, and regrettably, I was rather disheartened by the fact that this movie did not inspire me to do so. Upon discovering that the film was shot in Hong Kong, I had anticipated glimpses of this country, but unfortunately, the focus of the shots was primarily on the actors, preventing me from seeing much of the surroundings.

So, should you go out to see it at a theater? Sure, if you have the time and money. However, if you are not in a hurry and have other things to do, relax and just wait for it on your favorite streaming platform. Either way it will be fine.