On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets hits too close to home…
The Plot
Jane (Bela Padilla) is an alcoholic, has-been actress. She meets Francis (JC Santos), a band guy who tries to help her through her self-sabotage tendencies.
My Honest Opinion
Is it still okay to say On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets is not a love story? Yes, there’s romance involved, and this time they got it right by not forcing anyone to get-your-shit-together-because-I’m-trying-to-fix-you. It’s all about alcoholism and its struggles of it perfectly portrayed with no romanticism involved.
Everyone else hated Jane because of her reputation but deep inside her strong facade is a demon she’s tried so hard to fight. She uses alcohol as a coping mechanism. Even lets her “boyfriend” abuse her because she’s hopeless and thinks she deserves it.
This is basically a firsthand look at a woman suffering from depression and substance abuse, thrown in some romance so we’ll see how they are affected, and how it should be handled.
Francis is supportive and loving, but there’s only so much that he can take too. But throughout the film, his overall vibe was like, I’ll hold your hand as you try to fix yourself—which was more than enough for me.
I’ve always liked Bela Padilla as I’ve learned to associate her with this type of storyline. It’s not really tragic per se anymore. She’s been a manic pixie, she’s also been a femme fatale. And it’s hauntingly beautiful how she can humanize any character she’s portraying.
Out of all her performances, On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets might be my favorite.
Personally, I think there are a lot of people in their 20s (especially millennials) who are not aware of these conditions until films like this educate us about how serious they are. It may not be ideal, but it’s better than constantly using it as dark humor when you know in your guts there’s something wrong.
Please don’t hesitate to get medical help or seek support groups. Surround yourself with people who understand. Hell, you can even shoot me a message when you don’t know who to talk to anymore.
On a lighter note, On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets was written and directed by Irene Villamor, the same writer and director of Meet Me in St. Gallen and Sid and Aya (Not A Love Story).
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