Strong acting lifts ‘Until She Remembers’ above weak plot

CEBU, Philippines — Brillante Mendoza is known for his gritty, realistic storytelling, so it may come as a surprise to many that his three most recent films have shifted toward more family-driven narratives. While two of these still carry darker overtones — with “Mindanao” (2019) set against the backdrop of a war in Maguindanao, and “Apag” (2023) culminating in a grim ending — “Until She Remembers” is perhaps the filmmaker’s most wholesome entry in his filmography yet.

Many of his earlier films, such as “Ma Rosa” and “Serbis,” have been criticized as poverty porn, making this tonal shift a welcome change for the controversial, Cannes-recognized filmmaker. But his latest film has faults, and it is largely the acting prowess of Barbie Forteza, Charo Santos-Concio and Boots Anson-Roa that serves as its saving grace.

Forteza plays Angel, a struggling teenager who is flunking in school and has failed to develop closeness with her constantly bickering parents (Angel Aquino and Albert Martinez). She is also stuck in a one-sided relationship with her emotionally unavailable boyfriend, Roger (Vince Rillon), who never returns her calls.

Finding solace in her grandmother Concha (Santos-Concio), Angel decides to skip summer classes so she can stay at her house and take care of her. After discovering old photos and letters addressed to a certain Catherine (Anson Roa), she attempts to reunite the two women.

While the marketing of “Until She Remembers” does not directly promote it as such, it does not take a genius to realize that the film is a Girls’ Love (GL) story based on its trailer. The elderly characters — along with Angel — take turns reciting the poem “Tonight, I Can Write the Saddest Lines” by Pablo Neruda. As the female pronouns were left unchanged, the romantic subtext was unmistakable.

Mendoza notably did not provide a full script for his actors to memorize, instead giving them only scene outlines and encouraging them to improvise their dialogue — a practice Santos-Concio is familiar with from her work in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.”

This approach yields mixed results. Some of the best films are often remembered for the strength of their screenplays, and while the improvised dialogue showcases the leads’ impeccable acting abilities and instincts, it also exposes the limitations of a “no script” method.

Nuanced characterization seems to be sacrificed in favor of sweet, sentimental dialogue. This is particularly frustrating in the case of Angel, whose role seems confined to accepting her grandmother’s sexuality without deeper personal reflection.

There are several missed opportunities with her character. A revelation about her grandmother could have prompted her to explore her own sexuality, or at least reexamine her one-sided relationship with Roger. Forteza delivers with the limited material she is given, though one cannot help but wonder how much more she could have done with a proper script that fully fleshes out her character.

The film’s strongest moments are the scenes between Concha and Catherine as they reminisce about their youth and the time when they fell in love, back when same-sex relationships were taboo.

What undercuts this, however, is a troubling detail about the origins of their relationship. Without revealing too much, Catherine’s occupation suggests a noticeable age gap between the lovers — a detail that may leave some viewers uncomfortable for the remainder of the film. It is frustrating that this problematic element is never meaningfully addressed, seemingly sacrificed for the pleasure of watching the two veteran actors share tender moments onscreen.

The film might have been better received had it avoided this detail, which derails much of the goodwill it attempts to build. Beyond that point, the primary justification for sitting through the remaining scenes is the rare opportunity to see these actresses step outside their comfort zones.

By the film’s end, a few repetitive sequences drag its sentimental tone into something closer to a chore to finish. Here, the weaknesses of the “no script” approach become most evident, as the film struggles to arrive at a clear and satisfying conclusion. Themes about the meaning of true love have been explored countless times before, and whatever message the film aims to leave with its audience does not feel particularly groundbreaking or profound.

“Until She Remembers” will likely be defined by the performances of Forteza, Santos-Concio and Anson Roa, who make the film tolerable within its 90-minute runtime. While it is refreshing to see Mendoza tackle a lighter, more emotionally tender story, the film ultimately squanders what could have been an important contribution to LGBTQIA+ representation in Philippine cinema. Three stars out of five.