Naman Shrestha
With Emmanuel Quindo Palo at the helm, ‘What If’ is a Filipino romantic drama movie that follows two popular musicians deeply in love with each other who get married and look forward to spending their entire lives together. The newlywed couple decides to travel to an island resort for their honeymoon but little did they know that a storm would leave them trapped on the island for a prolonged period of time. Instead of making their bond stronger, their time together forces them to face some difficult truths about one another that could taint their new marriage forever.
In a poetic way, the storm raging outside works as a metaphor for the troubles of their marriage that emerge right after the calm and celebrations of their wedding nuptials. Featuring heartfelt performances by Alessandra de Rossi, JM de Guzman, Chard Ocampo, Ana Abad Santos, and Nicole Omillo, the Netflix production is based on the theme of a loving relationship turning sour, which is not something unheard of in real life.
What If is Fictional Yet Authentic
The emotional and dramatic storyline of the Filipino movie was conceived by the screenwriter Mike G. Rivera. Not only did he make the most of his experience in the industry, but he also put his creative mind and excellent penmanship to work to conjure up the script, consequently, bringing his idea to life.
Romantic relationships or marriages tend to go through phases of ups and downs every now and then, the latter of which is seemingly what’s been explored in ‘What If’ through the celebrity musician couple. Many of us have either gone through or heard about the rough patches that inevitably come with being in a romantic relationship or marriage. So, the authenticity of the predominant theme in the movie can’t be questioned, which is one of the primary reasons why a majority of the viewers find the film realistic and true to life.
However, the reason why you might find ‘What If’ a bit too familiar is that it is not the first film to touch upon the themes of troubled relationships or marriage and seemingly picture-perfect relationships getting ruined as many movies and TV shows have highlighted the same over the years, including ‘Revolutionary Road’ and ‘A Star Is Born.’ However, one of the most suitable examples has to be that of the Sam Levinson directorial ‘Malcolm & Marie.’
The romantic drama film stars John David Washington and Zendaya as the up-and-coming writer-director Malcolm Elliott and his girlfriend Marie Jones respectively. When the couple returns home after a celebratory movie premiere, Malcolm eagerly awaits what the critics have to say about his latest project while anticipating critical and financial success. The evening turns into a long night as several revelations about their seemingly loving relationship come to the surface and test the strength of the love they share.
Much like a single trip to the honeymoon brings several changes to the relationship of the couple musicians in ‘What If,’ a single long night does the same for the relationship between the titular characters in ‘Malcolm & Marie.’ Although the Filipino film consists of a number of realistic themes and elements, it would be safe to say that ‘What If’ does not have anything to do with reality and is entirely a work of fiction.
Read More: Best Romantic Drama Movies
