Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Rewind follows the story of a man granted a divine opportunity to amend his past mistakes and resurrect his departed wife. The intriguing twist in the narrative emerges as he must choose another person to sacrifice on the day his wife originally passed away to revive her.
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For more than half of the film, I found myself engaged and hopeful, despite the familiarity of the plot. I don't mind if a movie's storyline lacks originality; what matters is the execution and the introduction of something unique. Rewind aspired to achieve that, but it fell short.
While there are tonal shifts that prove surprisingly effective, others feel forced.
Dingdong Dantes delivers a stellar performance in this film, maintaining a strong grip on his character, which is infectious. One standout moment for me was his act during Marian Rivera's character's wake.
Rivera is also commendable, although she, like other supporting cast members, including Coney Reyes and Lito Pimentel, feels underutilized.
Pimentel's character is introduced early in the film as Dantes' father, with the latter's character expressing anger for reasons that remain unclear to me. Pimentel's character holds much promise, but when the film should have allowed his character to shine, it fails to fully explore those scenes. It's a missed opportunity.
Product placements can often spoil a film if not integrated seamlessly, and unfortunately, "Rewind" is no exception. If there's any redemption, it's the fact that some of these placements managed to elicit laughter from the audience.
After the introduction of Pepe Herrera and the biggest twist, the movie started to lose its appeal. The part where Dantes' character needed to rectify his mistakes to bring his wife back to life felt rushed and contrived.
The entire movie serves as a whimsical exploration of the often absurd aspects of how filmmakers perceive theology. However, given that this kind of perception operates within the fictional narrative and functions as a key plot element, I am willing to overlook this matter.
Rewind is a bit of a mess, but it's brimming with untapped potential. Let's be real, most MMFF movies are geared toward families looking to unwind during the Christmas season, and that's totally cool. Kinda. As a movie buff, I usually care about consistency, but on Christmas Day, many Filipinos just want to kick back and have fun. So, film studios give them what they think they want. Is that okay? Well, not really. It's time for studios to step up and offer something more thought-provoking and substantial. The film industry should set its standards high and trust that the audience can appreciate meaningful content.
I might sound a bit too critical of Rewind, but let's face it — lots of people laughed, cried, and even learned something from it. In the end, the film achieved what it set out to do: bring joy, evoke tears, and inspire a specific audience. Unfortunately, I wasn't part of that group. Regardless, it's a triumph for the film, and hey, that's what counts for them at the end of the day.
Photo Credit: Star Cinema