Alone/Together

Alone/Together is a 2019 Philippine romantic drama film written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone, and starring Liza Soberano & Enrique Gil. It follows the love story of Christine (Soberano) and Raf (Gil), who cross paths again eight years after they first met during their college years.[2] The film was released by Star Cinema on February 13, 2019.[2][3]

Alone/Together
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAntoinette Jadaone
Produced by
Written byAntoinette Jadaone
Starring
Music byLen Calvo
CinematographyNeil Daza
Edited by
  • Benjamin Tolentino
  • Ilsa Malsi
Production
company
Distributed byABS-CBN Films
Release date
  • February 13, 2019 (2019-02-13)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryPhilippines
Language
  • Filipino
  • English
Box office₱370 million[1]

Plot

The film begins with Christine "Tin" Lazaro (Liza Soberano), a University of the Philippines Art Studies major and a part-time museum guide, touring high school students in The Philippine National Museum. During one of her tours, she meets Rafael "Raf" Toledo (Enrique Gil), a University of Santo Tomas - Biology student, and an avid fan of The Eraserheads. They first find themselves in a little clash debating the comparison of the museum's famous painting, and Raf's favorite song Spoliarium. First at odds, they soon begin dating and eventually entered a romantic relationship. Raf wants to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor while Tin aspires to be a museum director once they graduate from college, she also dreams to visit The MET and other museums in New York. They started a sweet and adorable relationship but they soon find themselves falling apart when Tin graduates from college. At Tin's first job in a non-government organization, she was accused of allowing her boss, Janice to steal their company's funds. However, she was saved by Gregory "Greg" Fausto (Luis Alandy), a coworker who likes her and believes that she is innocent. Owing to the heated and extremely stressful situation she is currently in, she breaks up with Raf much to her chagrin, when she learns that Raf was not able to graduate again on time, and is still stuck at preparatory medicine school. Raf initially proposes to Tin, to avoid losing her, but Tin refuses the proposal and leaves Raf for good.

Five years later, Tin is now in a relationship with Greg. She accompanies her boyfriend at the PICC for an awarding ceremony. There, she also sees Raf who is now a professional doctor, also receiving an award. Raf see Tin from afar and he meets her at the hallway of the complex and invites her to see each other sometime. As the two meet again at the same place where the two started their past relationship, Tin finally tells him that she broke up with him because of her problems at the company she previously worked in. After much realization, Raf receives a call from the hospital, needing his immediate presence to treat patients there. Tin accompanied him and there sees Raf working diligently and passionately at the hospital, taking notice of his personality change and that Raf is currently living his dream of being a doctor. While in there, Raf introduces Tin to Aly (Jasmine Curtis-Smith), a fellow doctor and his current girlfriend.

Tin is currently working for Greg's company and is well loved by her subordinates. She performs her job very diligently, but still does not feel the respect and recognition she believed she deserves. She is shut by Greg, by not trusting her professional decisions and somehow forced to let a client criticize her working habits, despite having acceptable reasons. In one of their projects, Tin was sent to New York to present to a client. Tin pleads to Greg that she stay a bit longer to enjoy the city, Greg initially refuses, but allows her to go later on. Unbeknownst to Tin, Raf purchased a ticket flight to New York to join her. Both of them meet once again in New York to fulfill their dreams to visit The MET and other museums. With so much happiness in spending her days in New York with Raf, Tin also mustered the courage and realized that it may not be too late for her to start a career in the field she wholeheartedly desires, she get copies of application forms as souvenirs and as well as reminder that it may not really be too late for her after all. While fulfilling their dreams to see New York, Raf reveals that he broke up with Aly and wanted to marry Tin, she sadly rejects his engagement, stating that she would hurt Greg and his daughter Aisha (Xia Vigor) if she marries him which leads them to argue and to Raf's rejection. Upon returning to the Philippines, Tin discovers Raf reconnected with Aly and reveals that she was pregnant with Raf's child. Tin tries to move on and engages Greg in an enthusiastic conversation about her journey to the New York Museums, but Greg show little to no interest. She later expressed her thoughts about going back to the field she once worked for. They later clash in an argument when Greg forces her to be practical, and reminds her of her past mistakes she made in her previous job, stating that no one will accept her because of it. Greg further states that she is not working well enough. Greg entertains Tin's desire half-halfheartedly and tried to seek assistance from his connections to have Tin easily land a job in a museum, again not trusting Tin's capabilities as an individual professional. Hurt and now enlightened by the fact that Greg will never trust her life decisions, and that he sees her more as an employee more than his girlfriend, breaks up with him and decides to resign her post at the company. Tin then visits at the hospital to see Raf to apologize but fails to convince him, resulting in her visit with her mother Hilda (Sylvia Sanchez) for comfort after being rejected. After talking and getting advice from her former college professor, Alwyn (Nonie Buencamino), Tin finally left her current industry to start a new life working for the art industry. At first, her past mistakes continued to hinder her applications being accepted, but she eventually found a job when a museum head told her that everyone can learn from their mistakes and change for the better. Tin begins a new job at the museum to chase her dream to become a museum director. She later visits Raf at the hospital and finally apologizes to him for being a coward and selfish while he too also apologizes to her for his rash behavior and being confused. He also reveals that his relationship with Aly did not work out as Tin shows her love to him as Raf happily leaves to get back on duty.

Back at the National Museum, she watches the award ceremony for the Filipino artists. After the awards ceremony, she is visited again by Raf and finally reconciles their relationship. The film ends with Tin and Raf looking at Juan Luna's Spoliarium while he carries his son from Aly during their visit to the National Museum.

Cast

Main cast
Liza Soberano portrays Christine "Tin" M. Lazaro
Enrique Gil portrays Rafael "Raf" F. Toledo
  • Liza Soberano as Christine "Tin" M. Lazaro,[2]
    Graduated magna cum laude from the BA Art Studies Program of UP Diliman, and dreams of becoming a museum director at renowned attractions like "The Met" and "The Louvre".
  • Enrique Gil as Rafael "Raf" F. Toledo,[2]
    a BS Biology student from the University of Santo Tomas whose goal is only to graduate.

Supporting cast

Reception

Box office

Black Sheep announced that Alone/Together raked in a total of P21,672,901.58 on its opening day.[4] The figures increased in more than P123 million in 4 days.[5] The film crossed over the ₱200 million mark in 9 days.[6] The film earned P350 million on its fourth week.[7] As of June 2019, the filmed grossed P370 million worldwide.[8]

Critical reception

Oggs Cruz, writing for Rappler, reviewed the film thus, “Alone/Together” is a film that is clearly within the genre that aspires for escape from the real world. However, it actually treads that real world, looking, with the help of Neil Daza’s precise lensing, more forlorn and palpable than just pretty and glossy. The conspiracy between the mechanics of a romance and palatable realness is strange at first, until it all makes beautiful sense. He praised Soberano as a formidable performer, an actress who can go beyond innate charisma to draw her audience into her character’s plight. In a gesture that is very mature, Gil generously grants Soberano the spotlight, allowing his character to stay as a support.[9]

Je CC from Lion hear tv wrote “Alone/Together’, is liberal; its haunting illustration of a highly vulnerable love affair, tried under the curbs of time and personal differences. There is a consummate lens through which the film’s themes are dissected. The idea of people striving to make their romance work amid their individual pursuit of their respective dreams and wants, is treated with a grounded sensibility that gives Alone/Together, a distinctive character, cognizant of its need to be more than the conventions from its mainstream contemporaries that tend to fully embrace.[10]

Paolo Tariman of The Philippine Star gave the film generally positive reviews and praised Soberano stating “you see a different Liza in the role that she has immersed into with quiet but smoldering result. The eyes speak a lot. This is Liza at her best without turning to the kilig factor as her savior. She invests her role with quiet intensity between love and disgust and personal confusion. This is acting so well-defined and away from the demands of inane love teams.”[11]

Release

The film was released on February 13, 2019.

References
  1. "How Black Sheep is trying to 'disrupt' Philippine cinema". CNN Philippines. Retrieved June 8, 2019. and “Alone/Together” (₱380 million in worldwide gross)
  2. "Liza, Enrique's first 'Alone/Together' teaser goes viral". ABS-CBN Corporation News. January 20, 2019. Event occurs at 03:56 PM. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  3. Ilagan, Elyse (January 21, 2019). "The first trailer of Alone/Together, starring Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil hits too close to home". MEG. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  4. "'Alone/Together' earns over P21 million on first day". ABS-CBN News. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  5. "BLACK SHEEP'S 'ALONE/TOGETHER' RAKES MORE THAN P123 MILLION IN 4 DAYS". LionhearTV. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  6. Anarcon, James (22 February 2019). "LizQuen movie Alone/Together grosses over P200 million, says ABS-CBN subsidiary". PEP. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  7. "LOOK: 'Alone Together' earns P350 million". ABS-CBN News. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  8. Jaucian, Don (4 June 2019). "How Black Sheep is trying to 'disrupt' Philippine cinema". CNN Philippines. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  9. Cruz, Oggs. "Alone/Together' review: Love, art and ambition". Rappler. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  10. CC, JE. "ALONE/TOGETHER' MOVIE REVIEW: BEAUTIFULLY ARTICULATED TALE OF A HOPEFUL ROMANCE". LionHeartv. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  11. Tariman, Paolo. "Quiet but riveting love story". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
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