KC, Sam breathe life into flawed but fearless drama

MILBY AND CONCEPCION. Dickensian irony.

Despite its unapologetically elegiac tone, there’s something reassuring and inspiring about Cathy Garcia-Molina’s “Forever and A Day,” starring KC Concepcion and Sam Milby. It encourages viewers to keep fighting for what’s important in their lives—even beyond frustrations, failures or the onus of death.

Molina’s five-hanky weeper begins with a sprightly tone that belies its serious subject matter: Distraught Raffy (Concepcion) meets problematic Eugene (Milby) at a recreational sports facility cum theme park in Bukidnon that offers tourists an opportunity to indulge in extreme sports.

They bicker and flirt as they go from one challenge to another—but, for them, those dangerous activities represent more than just regulated games of chance. The Dickensian irony of their situation isn’t lost on them, especially when they realize that—they really like each other!

Uncompromising

Truth is, the stubbornly uncompromising Eugene and the cowardly Raffy are facing forks in their respective roads: He’s on the verge of losing his job as a shoe designer, and she’s just learned that her lymphoma has already metastasized—and she refuses to continue with the chemotherapy sessions!

It’s the best of times and the worst of times for the couple. As their fondness for each other grows, they glow in the comforting embrace of their love. But, when Eugene loses out on a coveted project and is suddenly confronted with the ugly and debilitating manifestations of Raffy’s illness, reality strikes him hard. Is their love worth keeping? Do miracles still happen?

Molina should be commended for successfully steering her risky drama without acquiescing to the studio’s penchant for crowd-pleasing endings at the expense of believability. She doesn’t really need to, because, except for the turgid confrontations that result in ponderous schmaltz in the film’s third quarter, the movie effectively avoids an overlay of kooky comedy or tear-jerking mush—which is evident in its beautifully conceived first act, which is energized further by the palpable sparks generated by the chemistry of its beautiful lead stars.

Dark theme

Because of its dark theme, the movie naturally yanks at the proverbial heartstrings, but does so in a stirringly muted manner. KC delivers the finest performance of her career to date as she conveys her character’s burdens with quiet grace. Her portrayal is finely nuanced, but doesn’t feel cloying or technically-calibrated. She doesn’t say much when she cries, but her face says it all.

Fresh from his moving turn in EJ Salcedo’s “Third World Happy,” Milby more than holds his own opposite his lovely costar in a role that plays well to his emerging strengths as an actor. Now, if he can only straighten out his Tagalog…