Como Nos Filmes (2020)

Coming out vs Pulling back in

Subjective Gut Rating - 8.25

As I start to watch this drama, I was wondering why the high praises? How come all the reviews are rated 9s and 10s? Isn't this just a simple drama about cohabitation and falling in love?

The first 6 episodes are cute. It has my favorite tropes of cohabitation due to individual circumstances., bickering couple learning to live together harmoniously, getting to know each other and falling in love. We've seen this plot many, many times in both BL and non-BL dramas. The songs are great, the actors are cute, and we have a couple fun supporting actresses in the sister and the neighbor. It's all good but nothing we have not seen before.

Then episode 7 happened and now I realize why this drama is so highly rated. Coming to terms with your feelings for someone and realizing that one is gay, are already two huge milestones. But coming out to your family and to the world?. That's a whole different story. It's important that one is given the time and the choice to do so at their own pace without being forced.

But what if you are already out of the closet (and it's not easy to do) and now you fall for someone who's not quite ready? Is it fair that you get pulled back into the closet? Is it fair to not be able to love the way you want to? What if you want to show the world and the person you love how much you care for them?

It's rare to see a drama explores this dynamic. And I am glad to discover "Love in the Movies" which takes the time to show us a different side of a gay romance that's not being talked about enough.

I'll end this review with the quote from the drama during the ending credits:

"The real fight is on the outside. We will welcome you when you are ready."


Completed: 3/24/2023

Leia Mais

Cute but Sad

It was cute but at the same time I found it a bit sad.

I understand Karl while I also don’t understand him.

Let me explain, I’ve been raised in a family where being gay is not an issue at all, as long as you’re happy, they couldn’t care less. So I can’t really relate to his struggle of telling the world how he feel. However, I know the world is not all rosy and while I can’t relate, I can understand and see his struggling.

Realising you are gay and coming out in front of everyone is definitely not an easy thing to do. Especially when the world is full of persons who won’t and don’t want to understand you.

But at the same time, I totally get how Vlad must feel. How he is ready to offer the world to the person he loves and that person just want to keep him hidden in the closet. I would be heartbroken by that too.

In fact, I get both of their feelings. They are both valid and that’s what is making it sad.

However, despite that, I think it’s a very nice series. No lies, no superfluous elements, no unnecessary drama. Just two guys who fell in love with each other while not being ready for it.

Leia Mais

Great to Watch -- and Then Watch Again

I hesitate to call this a BL drama, because it is head-and-shoulders above the rest of the genre. Plot, production values, actors and soundtrack are all top-notch. There are no tropes, and no easy solutions for Karl, the guy who is soooo scared of his own gayness. But it has a clear message of humanity and the universality of love and longing to belong -- all packaged in a drama that starts out as a rom-com but ends up being much, much more. It is well worth watching (and then watching again, to catch the details of the characters' evolution in their relationship to each other -- and to themselves.)

The production values are very high and the OST superbly suited to the ambience that the director sought to create.

There are a couple of long reviews in this thread that talk about why the messaging is so important, and I won't repeat them. But the reviewers are so right......we have all known somebody -- or been that somebody -- who is shown in this film. And the message that gay people are ordinary lovers and brothers/sisters and sons/daughters who want the same things that everyone else wants (love and home and acceptance and an end to fear) comes through very powerfully. Kudos to Globe Studios for "coming out" on the messaging. Kudos to JMS for knowing what needs to be said, and saying it so powerfully. And Kudos to Ian and Paolo for bringing to life all the contradictions of being human.

Leia Mais

Even better the second time around

Some good soul decided to sprinkle some fairy dust on this production. Coming as it did in the dark days of lockdowns and vaccinations, this was not just fresh air, but was scented with jasmine or lavender or whatever. The fragrance lingered for a while till the time I decided to revisit it. What did I then discover?

What is a fairly ordinary story set mostly in a single apartment (and its common areas) is somehow transformed into joyous, frothy love story. But in its wake, there are meaningful insights into coming out, gay identity, broken families, job-hunting, making that first step into the big bad(?) world of commercial media. The back stories are sometimes painful , but they make for the right balance between the lightness of the romance and wanting to make a broader statement about the Filipino economy and society today.
paint.
I think there are only 6 characters in this series. Remarkable is that each of them has something to add to this broad canvas that GSP is trying to . Full credit to all the actors for telling us heir stories - laughter suddenly turning to grey unresolved sadness. As for Ian and Paolo,t his could not have worked without you two. Alternating between laughter, anger, silliness, and seriousness, you built your roles around your mutual affection; it was never that far away. And we, the audience could see the affection and we decided to come along for the ride.
Dare I mention the music. Not since "Lovesick" and Hormones" has there been a soundtrack that is tuneful, original and so in sync with the story.
Thank you JP Habac and Juan Miguel Severo - for completing and releasing the series during the pandemic, but also for your vision of what this show should be. As I said, I am writing this after my second viewing. I had a smile on my face right through.
There's a a song (revealing my age) by Frank Sinatra which goes "Love is lovelier ... the second time around.."

Leia Mais

One of the best series i have ever watched!

I really enjoyed watching like in the movies because it wasn't like in a lot of bl's so happy-clappy everyone is going to accept that I'm gay and no one cares. Everyone in the lgbt community will be able to relate to the struggles and dysphoria Karl was going through. I was so amazed by this series, it was so much b better than I ever imagined. To my friends who are new to watching Bl, this is probably one of the first ones I will recommend them to watch. It even is a great family movie. The two characters had so much chemistry, they were made for each other. It was funny but also had some deep and beautiful moments. What kinda spoiled it for me was that they didn't end up together, but that's just my opinion :) Overall I can really recommend watching it, I'm sure you'll love it!

Leia Mais

One of the best bls

I don't usually write reviews but for a show this amazing I really have no choice other than to do it. This show is amazing from top to bottom I love the acting, directing, script, delivery, editing and filming. The music hits so well and is accompanied by these beautiful and amazing shots. I love Karl and Vlad, I think that they are great characters the way the fall in love to the conflict is expressed in an amazing way and done so right. Also I have to mention something that took me by surprise and that was the humor. There was no funny background soundtrack that they usually play, no awkward moments to make me cringe and feel second handed embarrassment. The humor is so funny and casual. They way jokes are delivered are so natural and its so entertaining seeing characters interacting with each other. Most of all there are no fan service moments. Their love feels so real and genuine it is insane. But the main part of what captured this show is the dialogue, every single line has so much weight laced on to it. There are so many beautiful quotes you can pick from this show and understand their meaning so easily. I'm sorry if my review is a bit all over the place, I just want to put across the fact that this show is an absolute gem and deserves all the love and attention it receives.

Leia Mais

Must watch series!!!

Ok so to start off this review I wanted to say I don’t EVER write reviews but this was so good you don’t understand. Usually don’t enjoy shows that have a slow burn like this one but this is so worth watching! I have the attention span of a 4 year old and watched this all in one go lol.

To start off let me say the acting was AMAZING!! I really loved the chemistry there two actors had it left you on your toes the whole time! They really seem to have a close connection even off screen so that’s something amazing.

The storyline really was amazing, the way they didn’t write this as a normal “BL” series was amazing it was just a love story between two men who have struggles in this society because of who they are. I love series like this I definitely recommend it to people of the lgbt community and allies!

The music was AHHH! I have never seen a drama with such a good sound track! All the songs went with the emotions of what the character/characters on screen were going through.

I don’t know if they will have a season two because of the sexual assault problem that happened but whatever happens i’m happy this series was a thing.

Leia Mais

A Remarkable take on a BL Series

When I watched the trailer I knew that I would be having high expectations for this series and come the first episode I was not disappointed. I really like the aesthetics and the production set as well, which actually has a deeper meaning if we were to really incorporate the series. I actually enjoyed re-watching episode after episode because it wasn't tiresome or anything but because it feels like whenever I re-watched it, it just gets better and better as I do noticed new details in each episode.

For the most part, I realized that every episode or every scene was important for the development of the story. And that you really need to pay attention to what you are watching in order to really understand the story since there will be revelations in the future episodes. And when I mean pay attention, I mean it in the most profound way possible that every detail even the acting was important. I especially liked how subtle they were in dealing with the micro-aggressions most of the LGBTQ+ Community faces that didn't seemed forceful as other series would.

After watching these series it really struck an impression on me to the point that I didn't bother re-watching the last two episodes for almost a month, not because it wasn't what I wanted but because I felt the need to really reflect on those two last episode that really speaks out what we need to take in consideration.

To be honest I wouldn't really want to categorize this as "just a BL Series" since it deals a lot more on the important drama and matters our society faces nowadays.

Leia Mais

questa serie filippina non è un semplice drama bl, ma una serie lgbtq+ che affronta in maniera realistica tematiche della comunità, a volte forse in maniera un po' troppo didascalica.

Ci sono alcune cose molto belle e ben fatte, come ad esempio il ballo liberatorio di Karl nell'episodio 6, e l'intera serie dà l'idea di essere confezionata con cura e attenzione ai dettagli.

Tuttavia ci sono 2 cose che mi hanno davvero infastidito:

1.) il personaggio della sorella di Vlad: perchè Vlad le permette di gestire la sua vita? perchè l'invadenza spropositata della sorella viene mostrata come se fosse qualcosa di giusto e accettabile?

2.) la pressione che viene messa a Karl per fargli fare coming out. Il coming out è un'esperienza personale e fondamentale per ogni persona lgbtq+, e nessuno dovrebbe essere forzato a farlo quando non si sente ancora pronto.

Karl nella serie ha praticamente appena scoperto di essere gay, da pochi giorni o al massimo da qualche settimana, e non riesce ancora neanche a pronunciare la parola "gay". E' chiaro che una rivelazione di questo tipo è sconvolgente e necessita di un tempo di elaborazione e metabolizzazione. La reazione di Vlad alle paure di Karl è eccessiva e a dire la verità incomprensibile. Vlad reagisce come se Karl lo avesse tradito e in lacrime va ad abbracciare la sorella dicendole che lei aveva sempre avuto ragione!

Cioè: Karl ha appena scoperto di essere gay, è comprensibilmente terrorizzato dal coming out, perchè non ha ancora metabolizzato la cosa, e Vlad anzichè tranquilizzarlo e dargli sostegno lo molla e va a piangere dalla inquietante sorella impicciona?!

In una relazione gay il coming out di entrambi è il giusto presupposto di una relazione sana, e quindi sono d'accordo nel ritenere che il non voler fare coming out da parte di uno dei due è un buon motivo per troncare. Il problema della serie è che ci mostra che Karl ha appena scoperto di essere gay, e questo cambia tutto, perchè Karl si trova in una fase in cui parlare di coming out è del tutto prematuro. Vlad avrebbe dovuto semplicemente tranquillizzare Karl e dargli un po' di tempo, senza rompere la relazione, e standogli vicino lo avrebbe sostenuto per affrontare con i tempi giusti questo importante passo. Il messaggio della serie, che vorrebbe essere positivo, rivolto a tutte le persone lgbtq+ che hanno fatto o non hanno ancora fatto coming out, invece è del tutto negativo, perchè fa vedere come giusto e accettabile un Vlad egoisticamente incapace di dare un po' di tempo a Karl.

La scena finale è volutamente poco chiara (sono ancora in una relazione oppure no?) perchè era prevista una seconda stagione che poi non è stata realizzata.

Leia Mais

I'm not really a an of our own country BL Series, but this one exceed my expectation

I ate my own words saying that I will never watch a pinoy bl, I just hate how some actors deliver their lines poorly (Im reffering to a common shows/series I've watch) so I already put in my mind that don't expect too much in pinoy bl. It's 2022 so I convinced my self to try, atleast. I manage my expectation and I started browing series in Netflix. I saw this familliar title "Gaya sa Pelikula" so I watch the trailer, and I can say that theyir acting convinced me to watch it, I started watching right after my online class and I finished watching it in the afternoon. I dont know how to tell it in other words but yeah, It exceed my expectations, I was like, WOW! The script is well constructed, it's not cringey to watch. The actors are so good!! they deliver each line very well and their acting is really good!!! all the things that I hate in a series are not present in this series, I admit that some scene are kinda awkward to watch but it helps you to get attach on what you are watching. Im so speechless after watching it. I cant even leave my sit while watching HAHAHAH

I love how the series focused on their story and didn't care about the sexual things (I hope you know what I mean). Overall, this series is so worth it to watch, will probably rewatch it again and Im really hoping for a S2! A must watch series, ngl. So proud o this series, they raised the standard for a Pinoy BL Series.

Leia Mais

Top TIER BL

One of the best series I have ever seen... this is right up there among my fave Phillipine's BLs like Gameboys and Hello Stranger.. what I love about Phillipines BL's more than Thai ones is that we actually get storylines and the stories feel real... sometimes in the Thai ones the university storyline becomes so repetitive and redundant but this show felt so real and authentic and the chemistry between the leads are stellar.. I love the girl who portrayed the sister.. her acting was also very spot on. I would recommend this show to all fans of BL's.. its really a top tier one.

Leia Mais

I've been blessed.

For a long time now, I have avoided watching series from my very own country. They were all dragged out or cut down depending on their popularity with same old plotlines and recurring themes.

This is my first Filipino BL series and I can say I've been blessed.

The series is short but well paced. It wasn't dragged out with unnecessary stuff nor was it rushed out to fit everything in but the heart and meat of the story was well conveyed. I also welcome the change of having just one couple to focus on (since Thai BLs have at least 3 couples in a series). The quotes at the end of each episode is a nice touch too. Oh and the sponsor thing is almost nonexsistent (it's a little weird and yet pleasing).

As for the story itself, it was very relatable and in touch with reality. It didn't stop at the male realizing he liked another male and everything went fluffy from there on. It delved further to the very things that a person from the lgbtq+ would take into consideration before being in a relationship, even before coming out.

The actors did well in their character portrayal. The chemistry between the pair is there and they were believable. Song choices are on point, very well chosen.

The only thing I could ask for is a season two --- their journey in life, this time, outside.

This series offered more than the regular BL series you could find. The rating for this isn't just for show at all. I highly recommend!

Leia Mais