Star-crossed friends
My Amanda is a slow-paced Filipino movie that’s elevated by the chemistry between its two lead actors. Without that, the rest of this screenplay fails to ignite any sort of excitement. That’s a problem too, because this film features a pretty subjective ending and not a lot of substance outside our main protagonists. At the center of this movie sit two best friends, TJ and Amanda. From the opening scene it’s immediately clear these two have chemistry. They flirt, joke around and even have pet names for one another. In fact, their bond is so strong that they oftentimes joke about being in a relationship. But are they just hiding their true feelings? Well, My Amanda explores that idea while teasing a possible romance, honing in on the theme of star-crossed friends while introducing disposable supporting characters across the 90 minute run-time. However, these are simply props to keep the plot ticking over. The crux of the drama here comes from Amanda. She’s still hung up over her ex Kelvin and isn’t sure whether she wants to get back together or not. Meanwhile, TJ finds himself in and out of unfulfilling flings – the latest coming midway through the movie in the form of a girl called Joana. As we reach the climax of the movie, it brings with it a pretty subjective ending that’s very much in love/hate territory. Outside of TJ and Amanda though, the film struggles to actually add any depth to its supporting characters. While that may be part of the artistic vision, Joana gets around a handful of lines while Kelvin’s brief cameo receives less than a line of dialogue. One of the stronger parts of this movie though from its aesthetic. There are a number of gorgeously shot fade edits in here and some really dreamy establishing shots too. The backdrop of the Philippines really helps show off the beauty of this country, while the realistic banter and dialogue for our best friends keeps things in tight focus throughout. The trouble is, My Amanda lacks a compelling plot and plays out as a slow-paced slice of life drama. Like true to life relationships, sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t. My Amanda isn’t shy about portraying that but it rushes through its important plot points late on, having squandered most of its run-time with star gazing and boozing. If you can go in with an open mind and not expect a conventional ending you should find enough to like here. The chemistry between TJ and Amanda is absolutely electric and every scene they share together you can feel the sexual tension building. It’s just a pity that everything else around that fails to spark. Read More: My Amanda Ending Explained
