Lovebirds

By: Amos Lassen

"Lovebirds"
Meeting the Guy
Amos Lassen
Alexis (Joseph Izon) comes to the Philippines to meet Mario (Andres Alexis Fernandez), a guy he been chatting with online. Alexis is Filipino and a custom of the Philippines is that visitors are welcomed by family host with a party of food, and people. When Alexis visited Mario, Mario's parents told to the neighborhood that Alexis was a girl. Mario's mother denied that he was Alexis and introduced him as Alex the brother of Alexis to the neighborhood. His parents did not learn about Mario's sexuality until later. Bit this is really a story about life in another country. The film is directed by Ronaldo Beturbin ("Unspoken Passion" and "Blink") and it is a sensitive and emotional look at young love.
Because Joseph was not out, there were problems and the most common happened because of the name "Alexis" which is usally a girl's except in Spain where Alexis is from. When Alexis arrives and Joseph's mother realizes that he is male, she announces to everyone that the girlfriend Alexis has fallen ill and has sent her brother Alex. Of course, no one in town believes her and she continues to be in denial. Ironically enough, it is the father of Joseph, (Tommy Abuel), who is more understanding and even tells her to stop the charade and face the truth that their son is gay and is in love with another man.
"Lovebirds" is a charming and heartwarming story about family - but with a gay twist. It looks at parent-child relationships and shows us that a mother will never stop loving her kids. It is a comedy film that relies mainly on the performances of the cast members and everyone is good. Boots Anson-Roa as the mother is the thread of the entire film.