My Letters to Happy

note: spoilers are present for My Letters to Happy.

"Pare-pareho lang ang mga storya," says Abet (TJ Trinidad). He's talking about a client's proposal, but when you watch the first part of Pertee Briñas' My Letters to Happy, it looks like he's talking about the film he's in as well, as it seems to follow a standard romantic comedy storyline.

That illusion disappears as the film changes tone in its second half. The titular Happy (Glaiza de Castro) isn't your stock quirky, reckless, effusive, happy go lucky dream girl, these are manifestations of her condition. Happy has Bipolar I, and she experiences episodes of mania (which explains her behavior) and depression. She also suffers from anxiety attacks that can be triggered by stressful events.

The film then becomes a chronicle, an honest examination of how a couple deals with mental illness. It addresses the various ways treatment can be given: through talk therapy, medication, and even institutionalization in cases where the person becomes a danger to him or herself. It shows the stigma mentally ill people face, despite the fact that even though with proper treatment they can be perfectly functioning members of society. 

However, the film has its share of technical problems that impact the overall storytelling. The editing feels stilted, with cuts sometimes feeling abrupt, starting only to end less than thirty seconds later. The editing also drags down the soundtrack, music starting and stopping awkwardly. The camerawork also detracts largely from the presentation. Perhaps it was made to reflect the characters' stresses and emotional states, but it is mostly distracting - viewers sensitive to such camerawork are going to have a difficult time even looking at the screen during very important moments.

And by the ending, the movie wears its romantic film disguise once more, doubling back on the tone it set during its substantial second half. If the movie's intent was to show how a couple could stay together despite these odds, then why give an ending like this? The way things unfolded make it look like Happy existed to make Abet a better person, even though the film establishes that she's more than that. Nevertheless, the film is hopeful - perhaps not for a reunion, but for the idea that in time, everyone will be okay, and I can get behind that.