‘Forgotten Island’ REVIEW: A love letter to memories, friendship, and Filipino culture
‘Forgotten Island’ REVIEW: A love letter to memories, friendship, and Filipino culture
Liza Soberano as Raissa and H.E.R as Jo / Photo taken from IMDb
Who would we be without our memories? Depending on who you ask, people say that memories make us who we are. As someone perpetually terrified of forgetting my own, I have to agree with that. That’s why I journal so much, y’know?
DreamWorks’ ‘Forgotten Island’ is here to remind us of how powerful our memories can be, while being a celebration of Filipino culture. It is perhaps the portrayal of Filipino life and culture that has been most discussed and debated online. In the lead-up to the film's release, there was much debate about whether or not the film would be “Filipino” enough, as we had been let down in the past when it comes to representation.
To my delight, I found that instead of being a simple case of “Uy, Pilipins” pride, there were actually little details that made me smile because they reminded me of my everyday life. In particular, Raissa’s farewell party hosts many of them. The lechon, the relative who dominates at videoke, the photo of Jesus that all of us have seen at least one point in our lives. It’s these details that give Forgotten Island a unique Filipino identity that we haven’t seen celebrated on such a huge scale.
Of course, at the heart of Forgotten Island is the friendship between Jo, played by H.E.R and Raissa, played by Liza Soberano. Jo and Raissa’s friendship is one born out of loneliness and a misadventure in class when they were kids. They meet after Jo is sent to the principal’s office for talking about the Forgotten Island instead of her family history. It’s here that the two meet, and we learn about both of their backstories. It’s a really sweet scene, one that reminded me of how I used to make friends as a little kid.
Throughout the film, we see their relationship grow and change as things such as college and their own contrasting personalities get in the way. As someone who is still friends with a lot of my childhood friends, I loved this portrayal of friendship because it felt honest. As you grow up, your friendships shift into something else because you, too, are growing into yourself, who you want to be, and what future you want to make for yourself. Sometimes that’s different from what our friends want for themselves. And that’s okay.
H.E.R as Jo and Liza Soberano as Raissa / Photo taken from IMDb
Memory plays such an important part thematically in this film. It dives deep into what we use to keep our memories with us. Sometimes, a song, a smell, or a word can remind us of our memories. For Jo and Raissa, it’s the charm bracelet they made for each other as kids. Most of us are filled with memories that we don’t want to lose. It’s why people write them down or take pictures.
Liza Soberano as Raissa, Dave Franco as Raww, Manny Jacinto as Bungi and H.E.R as Jo | Taken from IMDB
Forgotten Island is also a showcase of Filipino mythology as the two girls unexpectedly find themselves on the island of “Nakali”, surrounded by many of our creatures from folklore. In particular, a were-aspin named Raww, played by Dave Franco, a terrifying mananaggal called Manang, played by Lea Salonga, and a Tiyanak named Bungi, played by Manny Jacinto. It was delightful to see all these creatures that I had avidly read about growing up on screen. I can’t say I would have ever imagined seeing them on the big screen, let alone in a DreamWorks film. Manang was actually pretty scary, much like Death from Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was.
It’s not perfect, of course. There were little things here and there that I found a little off in terms of the portrayal of Filipino culture. I personally think that Jo and Raissa’s catchphrase should’ve been “Tara na”, instead of “Tayo na,” but maybe I am alone in that. There is so much heart and passion, and such an appreciation for Filipino culture that I’m able to forgive the film’s flaws.
Lastly, something I thought was cool about the film was that the local animation studio, Snipple Animation Studios, actually got to work on the film. Their contribution was in the form of the 2D scenes with Raww and Prince Merman, which had a more anime-esque style that helped get the comedy across. As an animation graduate, it makes me happy that a studio in the Philippines was actually allowed to be a part of a mainstream, Filipino-led project like Forgotten Island.
Truth be told, I really was skeptical of this project- as I am with a lot of films that get announced these days. And in particular, because this film involved Filipino culture. But in the end, I was charmed by the touching story of two best friends relearning their friendship, and what matters to them. And I just can’t help it. It’s nice to see my home represented on screen.
‘Forgotten Island’ is now showing in Philippine cinemas.
