I’m Drunk, I Love You: For the boozed and battered heart

I’m Drunk, I Love You (2017)
Director: JP Habac
Screenplay: Giancarlo Abrahan and JP Habac
Starring: Paolo Avelino, Maja Salvador, Dominic Roco, and Jasmine Curtis-Smith
Rate: 4.5/5

 

Independence, coming of age, love, friendship, and everything (complicated) in between—these points are the focus of I’m Drunk, I Love You through the brilliant screenplay of Giancarlo Abrahan and director JP Habac. Through the relatable and mind-opening scenes, the film truly gives justice to tackling millennial life without overusing the traditional lovey-dovey clichés just to hit the audience’s hotspots.

 

As students and best friends for seven years, Carson (Maja Salvador) and Dio (Paolo Avelino) are about to finally graduate college in the field of social work and film, respectively. Regardless of their different paths in life, the two have an undeniable connection through their shared passion in composing, singing, and performing music. During a spontaneous out-of-town stay in La Union, the duo, together with their gay friend Jason Ty (Dominic Roco), experience unforgettable events in their lives—from meeting Dio’s ex-lover Pathy (Jasmine Curtis-Smith) and losing themselves in an enchanting music fest, to encountering Jason’s complicated love interest and witnessing Carson’s harbored feelings for Dio for over seven years.

Carrying the burden of one-sided love and getting stuck in the best-friend-zone, Carson’s commitment is undeniable; staying by Dio’s side through thick and thin just says it all, no matter how much she got hurt along the way. The film also bravely showcases the #squadgoals and #travelgoals lifestyle of the youth: drinking and gigging sessions, going on midnight road trips, and spending endless days and nights together. Lastly, the film also presents the realization that freedom and recklessness cannot be a permanent lifestyle, as we all—unfortunately—need to grow up sometime.

 

Apart from the memorable dialogue, the musical cues in I’m Drunk, I Love You flawlessly reflect the characters’ emotions as the storyline narrates a solid foundation of feelings that doesn’t ask for anything in return. The cast, together with the filmmakers, exquisitely delivers the coming-of-age movie in a way that crafts the unexpected plot of the love story—a long-lasting friendship that can’t easily be replaced or damaged—no matter how many messy feelings gets in the way.