Having a Philippine film on here is another first. Though it mostly takes place in Hong Kong, this definitely counts as a Philippine film by virtue of its leads, its director Cathy Garcia-Molina, and its screenplay. A comparison with the recent Still Human is obvious as both feature Philippine women working as domestic helpers in Hong Kong. But Hello, Love, Goodbye is the superior film is almost all respects with the main reason being that it captures life from the Philippine point of view much more authentically.

Joy has a degree in nursing but is one of the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who work in Hong Kong as a domestic helper. However she is nearing the end of her contract and hopes to be able to save up enough money to go to Canada where she can work as a nurse. When her employer runs into financial difficulties and wants to terminate her contract early, Joy begs to work for half-pay and says that she will find other work at night though it is illegal. She does so at a bar and meets Ethan, a Filipino bartender whose family has already settled permanently in Hong Kong. Being something of an inveterate playboy, Ethan pursues Joy incessantly as something of a joke between the two. But as they get to know one another and understand the problems faced by their respective families, the feelings eventually become real.

This isn’t a particularly well shot film and I had some issues with the sound quality. There are also a few moments that seem overly sentimental or when the plot relies on implausible coincidences. But on the whole this film is a real winner because the characters feel like they were drawn from life and faithfully captures the experiences of Filipinos in Hong Kong. As such no matter how much affection Joy may have for the disabled daughter of her Hong Kong employer, the film never tries to pretend that they can ever be truly friends on an equal level or that the job isn’t unpleasant. Joy’s life is governed by the relentless demands of an exacting schedule that permits her little time for herself as she wakes up early every morning, rushes her way through meals and hustles for side gigs in order to save enough money in pursuit of her dream to bring her entire family to Canada. At the same time, this film makes clear that not every Filipino in Hong Kong is like her. Some like Ethan are relaxed and settled down. Joy’s own mother marries a local, becoming resigned to an imperfect familial solution. A younger cousin simply fails to adapt to the fast paced life in the city state. This impressive variety of perspectives lends the film authenticity as you realize that such stories could have come only from Filipinos themselves.

Another way that this film stands out is how it is able to move beyond the traditional tropes of both the romantic genre and the self sacrificial woman stereotype. I love how it effectively champions feminism by having Joy be determined to pursue her own dreams and be selfish or, as she says, once in her life. Ethan of course tries to convince her to stay by asking her to marry him but she tells him that however well thought out his plan is, it is still ultimately his plan that he conceived without any input from her. There’s no neat, fairy tale ending here, not for Joy and not for her parents. Joy is forced to come to terms with the fact that her parents are not perfect and that her family will never be reunited back together. Yet the future is open-ended and hopeful as Joy moves on with her life as she exercises agency in search of what she truly wants. This is far more mature approach than I would have expected out of a commercial blockbuster. It says good things for the Philippine market that something as frank and grounded as this is able to become their highest grossing film of all time.

So this is a solid win on multiple counts. It is a good enough romance, despite still being a film about implausibly good looking people. It is a fantastic depiction of life for Filipinos in Hong Kong, doubly so as it acknowledges their diversity. I am envious that Malaysia just can’t seem to produce a film that is anywhere as good. It is sad however in that this film seems to acknowledge the reality that in order for Filipinos to make a better life for themselves, they absolutely must leave their own country.