The new Vivamax feature suffers from the leads’ lack of natural chemistry and solid direction.
VIVA FILMS
Actors: Barbie Imperial, Diego Loyzaga, Mickey Ferriols, Patrick Sugui, Andrea Barbiera, Jean Kiley Manguera, Meg Imperial, Jojo Abellana
Genre: Drama, Romance
Premise: A young couple on the verge of separation takes a road trip to patch things up. Will this journey save their relationship or will it make them realize that it’s the end for them (Vivamax)
Running Time: 104 minutes
Director: Fifth Solomon
Watch it on: Vivamax, web.vivamax.net
Why You Should See It:
The new Vivamax feature suffers from the leads’ lack of natural chemistry and solid direction.
Blogger and photographer Dex (Diego Loyzaga) is on the hunt for certainty, someone he claims will never leave him. He finds it in freelance architect, Bianca (Barbie Imperial) who fell for him head over heels right from their very first meeting. Their relationship takes off in a whirlwind, and they immediately find themselves living together under the same roof.
Dulo tries to offer a look at the modern-day relationship through its stages, but it feels as if it gets to the messy part too quickly before audiences can find something to root for in our pair. Barely a year of being together, there are already screaming signs that this relationship is doomed, and the two characters look more burdened by it than they should. Their financial woes are getting out-of-hand and jealousy from both parties is posing big threats.
Both Dex and Bianca respond to their crisis problematically, and they make rash decisions that only amplify the ache they get from this developing tragedy. In their bid to salvage whatever is left in their relationship, they decide to embark on a road trip. But is it really what they need to patch things up?
Imperial and Loyzaga are a real-life couple, but for some reason, they are unable to make a spark out of Bianca and Dex. There are moments in the film when you wish you can root for them being together, but it is just hard.
Loyzaga seems too committed to pulling off the wide emotional range of his character, but his tendency to hit the extremes makes Dex inappreciable.
Making his second full-length film directorial stint, Fifth Solomon has some odd choices for this film. Stories like Dex and Bianca’s are a bit common in Filipino melodramatic romances, and how the actors take on their roles are reminiscent of their predecessors, too. That makes the film a bit of a detour from recent progressive big-screen romances that offered the more vivid and realistic perspective of modern relationships.
Dulo feels as if it’s paying homage to the sad mellow dramas of the ‘80s and the ‘90s. That could have worked in a different era and a more solid direction that Dulo hasn’t.
5 – Excellent
4 – Very Good
3 – Good
2 – Tolerable
1 – Terrible
Stream Dulo now on the Vivamax app or via web.vivamax.net. Watch the official trailer below:
