The Last Goodbye

I do not usually watch Filipino love stories on Netflix, as many tend to follow similar storylines. However, this movie truly surprised me. It made me laugh, cry, and genuinely feel the love between the characters. What stood out the most was the refreshing choice of leading actor - breaking away from the typical handsome and sexy stereotype often seen in Filipino Films. It's a bold and beautiful step forward more authentic and inclusive storytelling. Well done.

I've seen this movie without any expectation about it and the story of it. But both male and female lead delivered great chemistry on screen. It was really fun and touching movie. Although I have seen this type of story from other movies before, it still has a promising story. Some parts are really cliché and ending is somehow predictable. But still, it was a great movie to watch too.

I went into The Last Goodbye not knowing much about the male lead, Matt Lozano, but instantly drawn in because of Daniela Stranner. I first saw her in Senior High and High Street and ever since, I've always believed she deserves more projects. She has this quiet but strong presence on screen and I was sure she would give her best here and she absolutely did.

The movie is not a true story but is based on the classic radio drama Love Notes with Joe D'Mango. That alone made it nostalgic especially for someone like me who remembers the early 2000s. The film's visual style and storytelling really felt like an old-school Filipino movie which added a layer of familiarity and emotion. It brought me back to so many memories of my own earlier years.

I didn't expect to cry as much as I did but Xavier's story hit me deeply. The scenes of him growing up with an absent father working abroad and most especially the graduation scene where no one came for him, it shattered me. It reminded me of my own experience during my high school graduation when my mom initially said she wouldn't come. Though she did arrive in the end, I had already cried earlier that day. That sense of being alone in such an important moment is something I will never forget and seeing it on screen broke me all over again.

At one point, I thought the story was heading toward an accident as its climax but the ending still caught me off guard. I didn't expect it to be that heartbreaking. It's the kind of ending I personally dislike, losing a loved one but at the same time, it reflects the painful truths of real life. Love doesn't always get the forever we hope for. Sometimes the person is gone but the love and memories linger on. That's the bittersweet reality. True love never dies, it lingers, it lives on. And with love, there will always be pain.

While the story broke me, it also reminded me of the love I might have overlooked in my own life and of the beauty and pain of love. It's rare for a film to touch me this personally and The Last Goodbye did just that.

Cheers to the team behind this film and more projects like this, please.

The main actors are really good. They're good looking too. The story is simple, but you want to see how it ends. I loved the whole cast's acting. It's true to say that love hurts and moves in mysterious ways. It's tear jerking ending. I loved how they love each other. Let's celebrate love and respect! Congrats!