Delusions and Misunderstandings

I'm freaking out, dude!

Agaton & Mindy is a story that lingers between the anti-romantic and the anti-tragedy of the formulaic love stimulated stories. It’s a film directed by Peque Gallaga with a script written with Lore Reyes and Vicente Gracia Groyon. This film might not be liked by most people not because it is terrible, rather it is something unusual. The misconception is the core of this tale to be taken just how it is presented.

This might be the first romantic film that could also be a character study of two unlikely individuals. Agaton (Chase Vega) is a loner, mysterious and somewhat restrained from showing an emotional connection with anyone. He is abandoned by his mother when he is still young. Mindy (Louisse delos Reyes) is quite the opposite, mainly due to her manic episodes, she always cusses at everyone and is stuck with her made-up fantasies. They get to meet in a dance class handled by the fiery, outspoken and sensual dance mentor Tanya (Cherie Gil). Their pairing is awkward at first. But along the way, these two opposite polarities flourish yieldingly.

Agaton & Mindy not just tackles love. It gives reverence to theatrical dance as a whole. Some might not be able to relate with the sheer beauty of this craft. The sensuality in their dance routine is not based on symbolisms. It is more on the outpouring of emotions, the desires, and the inexorable manifestations of two loving individuals. Instead, they use dance as the electricity of being in love, words might not be enough. Art is a form of expressing love which could go sideways with the love for the craft. It is usually inspired by such passionate and bewildering complexities.

What the audience might not be able to understand is Mindy. She is a typical angsty young girl who seeks to be noticed. She has a bipolar disorder. This film manifests a clear consideration of a person who has this kind of mood disorder. What you see is what it is. What you might not understand in this film is more likely awareness. She is not just a brat. She deals with her self in the dark. She is unlikable and hotheaded but this is her struggle. Agaton might not understand what she’s dealing with. But love is a cataract in the eye, and the haze is quite lovely. It underlines the fine qualities and acknowledges the flaws.

Upper class individuals are mostly present in the film. Could this be a nuisance? I hope not. They are branded as conyos of today’s generation. They love to socialize and use jargons on a daily basis. There are no conflicts between the social classes. The film is a representation of society in general.

Agaton & Mindy is not the usual love story. It tackles a character that is not common to romanticists especially to a character having psychological troubles and it is the cause of the story’s conflict. The problem could not be controlled and it’s not within anyone’s hands. It’s a self struggle; a struggle that would be ignored by most. Could love save this kind of relationship? I think that would depend on how we deal with the reality, not only for practicality’s sake, but more on how we could synthesize our own support system. Nearing the end of the film, these two characters did not only show film presence as a love pair, they could also win our compassion without too much hypocrisy of their true identity. I understand very well their plights, mostly of Mindy. It’s complicated to consume but love brings us back to reality. Perhaps love is not madness, but rather an act of beautiful sanity.

Charlie Koon's Rating: