[PPP 2019] LSS is a bittersweet earworm about our relationship to art

Note: some minor spoilers in this review.

Jade Castro's LSS is touted as a musical, but there's an interesting quirk in the way these songs are sometimes presented. Some of the songs are sung by the characters, sometimes not in tune, their words drifting in and out of stanzas and phrases. They're singing along to themselves, or sharing this moment with others: these are personal moments that go against the grandiose showiness inherent in most musicals. In one particular scene, our protagonists both find themselves reeling from a major setback, music being their only comfort. They find each other in a crowded room, physically drawn together by elements of the frame. They are virtually strangers, but their connection to each through song is almost tangible, even if it is just in this moment.

And that connection of people with art isn't purely through song, either; the film also tries to look at the connections we make through other forms of art. In one scene, Zack (Khalil Ramos) and his mom browse through movies to watch. Zack tries to pick stories of familial reconciliation - a goal he is trying to achieve with his parents. His mom, on the other hand, picks a film that is very close to her personal experience. We relate to songs and movies because they represent something in our own lives - whether they be personal trauma, recollection of pleasant memories or one perfect moment shared with a stranger on a bus.

The film also touches on concepts that Castro has explored before in films like Endo (2007) - the emergence of the contractual worker and the gig economy. Most of the working characters in LSS either flit from one job to another, driven by economic need, or take side jobs to supplement their income. Yet the film does offer hope with its ending, in that in a world where chasing dreams in the face of harsh economic and personal realities is getting increasingly harder, it's far better to get through it with someone who at least understands you. In fact, empathy and connection is given emphasis over love, as most of the conflicts of the movie are resolved through empathy and understanding and not solely through the notion that love conquers all.

LSS is a wonderfully crafted crowdpleaser whose effusive charm will woo even non-fans of Ben&Ben.