AISHITE IMASU MOVIE REVIEW AND SUMMARY

Aishite Imasu (Mahal Kita) is a film directed and written by Joel Lamangan which stars Judy Ann Santos (Inya), Raymart Santiago (Edilberto), Jay Manalo (Ichiru) and Dennis Trillo (Ignacio / Inya). It is a period movie happened

during the Philippine resistance against the Japanese during World War II. Its December 1941, and the simple folk of the quiet town of San Nicolas, somewhere in the Tagalog province, are unaware that war is nearly upon them. The basic plot of this movie is about how Filipinos lives become trapped because of war and how people are compelled to choose between the country you serve and the person you love.

Inya and Ignacio are childhood friends living in an urban town, San Nicolas. Ignacio is a gay and have a good knack in singing. Ignacio harbors a love for Edilberto, another childhood friend. Inya and Ignacio both love Edilberto. Eventually, Inya and Edilberto meet again and become lovers while Ignacio comforts himself to supporting his best friend.

Then the Japanese invade the Philippines. Captain Ichiru and his people of the Imperial Japanese Army secure the whole town of San Nicolas. . The arrival of the Japanese throws the town in chaos. When they arrived, Ichiru

saw Ignacio singing and dressed in womens clothes, mistaking him as a woman, becomes love-struck with him.

The guerilla fighters saw this as a chance to fight the Japanese. Edilberto persuades Ignacio to go with Ichiru and be a spy for the guerillas. Ignacio slowly falls in love with Ichiru and feels that he is being disloyal to his country and his love. This is what brought about the one hardship to another of Inya and Ignacios lives. They were all caught in the winds of war, and find themselves doing things they never thought they would do all for the hope of living and dying another day.

I really thought that this is going to be another Filipino drama movie. I was wrong. Aishite Imasu is really a great movie. The cast did a great job and these gems in the Filipino cinema are a rare to find. The viewing experience is very memorable. The special effects are somewhat behind and mediocre but the costumes and the language used (pure Tagalog ) was immaculate and spotless. The message the movie wants to convey whether to a simple magtataho or educated viewers is appreciated and understood. Despite the disparity of elements, the truth is every individual has the freedom to choose and at the same time can love his country, his family, and even his career all at the same time, with different levels of affection.

As Andrew Paredes of Manila Standard says, Aishite Imasu is a film of many miracles. Why? A miracle means wonder. It is something that creates a state of awe and wonder in an individual. Every frame is infused with the filmmakers love for the project. From the writers, director and the cast they all did a very good job. The movie has visual and acting accuracy. It is a movie worth watching.