.png)
When we look back at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival, it must certainly be said that the 49th iteration of the annual Filipino movie extravaganza was really better than most. Whereas during previous years discerning audiences everywhere had to contend with cinematic trash starring Vic Sotto or Coco Martin polluting cinemas during Christmastime, this edition of the Film Festival had a lot of competent films catering to different audiences without having to insult their intelligence. Hell, even the weakest of the bunch (Broken Heart's Trip and Kampon) had something profound to say about the world around us and was merely undone by haphazard filming (in the case of BHT), or lack of meatier narrative stakes (Kampon).
As such, almost the entirety of the 2023 MMFF lineup was blessed with a quick upload to streaming giant Netflix. Box-office juggernaut Rewind was the first to get the Netflix nod, getting uploaded on the 25th of March, while Mallari (another blockbuster of the Festival) went live last June 21. It was curious, then, that another crowd-pleaser was not mentioned as being part of the initial batch of uploads to the streamer; that seems to have been rectified now.
On Netflix's New & Hot section, the streamer has announced that When I Met You in Tokyo, the reunion movie of Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon after not having worked together for almost 20 years, is going live on July 29! One of the 49th MMFF's better offerings, When I Met You in Tokyo tells the story of Azon (Santos), an OFW in Japan who has a fateful encounter with Joey (de Leon), a Filipino immigrant who spends the rest of his days as a farmer. They initially bristle at each other's company, but soon grow to fall in love. The film follows the ups and downs of their relationship, and was bestowed many accolades during the Awards Night of the 2023 MMFF including 4th Best Picture and Best Actress (for Santos), among many others.
In our A- review of the film, we mentioned that "it’s a treat to watch him [de Leon] just disarm her [Santos] with his charm, and it’s that aforementioned rapport that has transcended their art over the years that’s simply a joy to watch."
This is an exciting new development for the local film industry, as this just proves that Netflix is absolutely committed to making sure the the best of the best of Filipino film is streaming not just locally, but also worldwide.
Catch When I Met You in Tokyo when it goes live on Netflix on July 29.
Watch the trailer here:
Comentarios