IN the past, mental illnesses have been depicted on the big screen.
Two of the more laudable films that easily come to mind include Alvin Yapan’s “Mga Anino ng Kahapon” which specifically tackled schizophrenia, and Cathy Garcia-Molina’s “My Perfect You” which focused on a man who became delusional as a result of his depression.
“My Letters to Happy,” the directorial debut of screenwriter Pertee Briñas (best known for writing Dan Villegas’ “Always Be My Maybe”) zeroes in on bipolar disorder or manic depression.
Glaiza de Castro plays the title role in “My Letters to Happy.”Her character changes the life of an executive named Albert (portrayed by TJ Trinidad) who is coping with the sudden demise of his mother that derails his focus.
While playing around with a dating app, Albert encounters Happy, a seemingly independent, free-spirited type who is not afraid to say what’s on her mind. They meet, play the popular game “DOTA,” and she soon becomes a constant presence in his life, cheering him up and coming over to his house to cook and do household chores. Not surprisingly, Albert soon finds himself falling for Happy.
That’s when he discovers that Happy is prone to anxiety and panic attacks and as one of her BFFs revealed to him, has not had good luck with love, as the men she was involved with immediately distance themselves from her once they learned about her mental condition.
Since Happy refuses to seek medical attention for her ailment, she soon becomes more than a handful for Albert, just as her friend warned him.
He marries her nonetheless and the rest of the film proceeds to show the ups and downs (mostly downs) of their union. (Pep.ph)
