Director Cathy Garcia-Molina is back with a brand new romantic dramedy, this time, trying a new pairing with Gerald Anderson and Pia Wurtzbach playing Burn and Abi respectively. “My Perfect You” is mainly presented from Burn’s perspective following a humiliating series of events that leads him shut off from the world. During his darkest times, he coincidentally meets Abi – a quirky resort-owner who is trying to revive her dying business.
Admittedly, many were skeptical about “My Perfect You.” The trailer doesn’t offer anything really new from what we’ve seen before in classic Star Cinema rom-coms, and without a proven combination of stars, it’s perhaps viewed as a non A grade project. But the film is a breath of fresh air in a genre that seems to thrive on the popularity of love teams more than the film’s narrative. Tackling several new concepts intertwined with the traditional rom-com tropes, it explores the sensitive issue of mental health in a way that it’s not too on the nose.
Anderson has proven time and time and again that he has the acting chops of a caliber actor. But it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen him offering this kind of performance, perhaps its due to a series of lackluster projects that didn’t necessarily capitalize on his abilities. “My Perfect You” is a great reminder that he has earned his right to be called an actor. The way he can easily navigate between his cheesy sequences and dramatic takes is impressive. If it wasn’t for his believable portrayal of a man genuinely in love with a figment of his imagination, the film would’ve not worked as well as it did.
Wurtzbach, on the other hand, handled her dramatic scenes really well, although some of the comedic bits didn’t pan out as good as it could’ve been. Her chemistry with Anderson was questionable at the start, but their tandem, boosted by their three other friends, eventually found its footing that by the end that their farewell was so heartbreaking.
“My Perfect You’s” attempt at a rom-com that delves deep than just your usual meet-cutes is commendable. Garcia-Molina handled Burn’s special condition well that it eases the stigma on mental health without being too preachy. Instead, it presents it in a creative fashion with its cinematography and the subtle voices that Burn supposedly hears.
At the same time, the story didn’t glorify it as nothing more than a third element in an otherwise formulaic love story. Instead it shines a light not just on Burn’s struggle to cope with it, but also his family’s in-denial and eventual acceptance of his situation that led to his betterment.
My Perfect You tackles the many adversaries life has to offer, and how the power of optimism and love can counter just about anything.