Ways of the Sea

The acting in this film was genuine. I'm always amazed at how our indie films have no-name actors that can perform really well, while mainstream (Filipino) movies don't.

The visuals were also rich with emotions. It managed to give us an accurate sense of what life in those villages was like. The wise selection of background sounds also helped make some scenes more engaging.

At the beginning of this movie, I was expecting to see the part where they reach Sabah and be shown the entire story of how their lives (or that particular chapter of their lives) pan out. However, the entire movie was focused on the journey and the personal traits of each character. It made us sympathize and actually hope that they find what they were looking for in the foreign land. When the film ended the way it did, I was stunned yet thoroughly impressed. I don't think the film can be made any greater if it had ended differently.