Love, life and death in this universe and beyond
Film review: Northern Lights: Journey To Love
A boy in search of his father and looking for the soul of his favorite pet dog in the constellation.
A daughter looking for her long-lost mother and later learning about the uncomfortable truth.
An ailing mother courageously living out her last days.
A single father who has no idea of fatherhood.
Four characters in search of themselves after surviving the past make up the interesting protagonists of Northern Lights: A Journey of Love directed by Dondon Santos.
In the beginning, it is just the story of son and his father and as the story unfolds, you see another hapless character in search of her loved one.
How they meet and how their respective lives merge and coalesce give the viewers another dramatic insight into the lonely lives of overseas Filipinos with competent acting by Jerald Napoles, Glydel Mercado and K Brosas, among others.
But the poignant link that weaves the story together is the relationship between father and son beautifully portrayed by Piolo Pascual and Raikko Mateo.
Their excellent acting rapport calls to mind Dustin Hoffman portraying Ted Kramer and his son Billy Kramer played by Justin Henry in the award-winning film, Kramer Vs. Kramer.
But as poor son adjusts to his father he sees for the first time, a new relationship beckons between Yen Santos (as Angel) and Piolo (as Charlie Sr.).
Both have emotional baggage to cope with and indeed
her coming into their lives was another good stroke of destiny.
Indeed, there is a lot to rejoice in the film Northern
Lights: Journey To Love foremost of which is the beautiful backdrop of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), which some characters believe was where the good souls of their kins go. It is an affirmation of a film lover’s observation that goes: “When I look at the northern lights... I see our ancestors dancing around a sacred fire, lighting the way for us when it’s time for us to cross over from this physical world and join them.”
The story and screenplay were able to wield a solid film stunning in its simplicity but with a lot of soul in it.
In many parts, the film has a lot of heart, a lot of tenderness and a lot of re-awakening between father and son (Piolo and Raikko), between mother and daughter (Glydel and Yen) and between son (Raikko) and mother (Maricar Reyes).
Giving equal competent support are Joel Torre as the father of Yen and Tirso Cruz III and Sandy Andolong as the doting grandparents.
The musical scoring by Francis Concio captures for the most part the sensitive nuances of the story.
With the famous constellation lighting up the skies as the natural backdrop, the film connects in many levels, especially the aspect of mankind’s relationship with the universe.
On the whole, it is a remarkably acted film and sensitively directed as well. The film tugs at your heart from beginning to end.
No doubt about it, it is a quiet but beautiful film!
A most unforgettable scene was father and son looking at the Northern Lights of Alaska. In that moment, the film wields its own inner magic reminiscent of a passage from Victor Hugo’s Les Miserablés, thus: “He was there alone with himself, collected, tranquil, adoring, comparing the serenity of his heart with the serenity of the skies, moved in the darkness by the visible splendors of the constellations, and the invisible splendor of God, opening his soul to the thoughts which fall from the Unknown. In such moments, offering up his heart at the hour when the flowers of night inhale their perfume, lighted like a lamp in the center of the starry night, expanding his soul in ecstasy in the midst of the universal radiance of creation, he could not himself perhaps have told what was passing in his own mind; he felt something depart from him, and something descend upon him, mysterious interchanges of the depths of the soul with the depths of the universe.” Released by Star Cinema, Northern Lights: Journey To Love is now showing in cinemas.