'Five Breakups and a Romance' is a hot take on the realities of a relationship

There are many different reasons why people break up. "Five Breakups and a Romance" gave a solid five.

It was the first time Alden Richards and Julia Montes starred in a film together, so no one from the crowd at SM Megamall during the film's premiere night on Tuesday knew how intense their chemistry would be.

Within the first five minutes of Julia and Alden being in the same frame, we knew we were in for a roller coaster ride of emotions.

The story of Lance (Alden) and Justine (Julia) in the film spanned eight years, and their romance began in 2016. In that long amount of time, the screen couple has shown different facets of a relationship, along with the struggles along the way. Here are five of them. 

If you haven't seen the movie yet, you may stop reading until this paragraph as GMA News Online gives five highlights from "Five Breakups and a Romance" that stood out in the almost two-hour film.

1. Just one of those things: Career or love? 

The way Lance and Justine met was not in any way special. They were introduced by their friends who happened to be in a relationship. It all happened in Singapore. 

When it was time for Lance to come home to the Philippines to pursue becoming a doctor, Justine agreed to keep in touch as she stayed in Singapore for her brand management job.

They did keep in touch, but long-distance relationships are not for everyone. It's wasn't for Justine and Lance. 

2. Throwing daggers: Back to zero 

After less than a year, Justine came to the Philippines to be with Lance. He was still in medical school, but she decided to trade her high-paying fashion job in Singapore to be a consultant for a fast-fashion brand in the Philippines. 

In this part of the film, the two are seen struggling to find a common ground. Lance was having a hard time in med school, Justine was still finding her footing in her new job. 

Did she make the right choice to come home to the Philippines? Is love worth chasing and leaving her job for in Singapore? 

3. Quantum Entanglement

Quantum Entanglement is a scientific phenomenon that says if two particles become entangled, they would remain connected no matter the distance. That's how Lance describes his attachment to Justine, even after they break up.

Lance and Justine meet again at the renewal of vows of the latter's parents. It's been two years since their bad argument. They fall in love, again. 

Does love deserve a second chance? 

4. Everybody hurts: Betrayal 

They move together into Lance's condo, thinking they have it all figured out. Then the pandemic gripped the globe. By this time, Lance was already a general surgeon and was among the frontliners during COVID-19.

Apart from the struggles of living in a pandemic, there was also a betrayal to factor in for the couple. It was one's biggest and the other's last straw. When is enough, enough? 

5. For old time's sake

It took Justine three years to rebuild her life. She now lives in Manila permanently, and has risked all her savings to build a fashion brand. Lance, on the other hand, continues to be a doctor.

Now, if you think this film has a happy ending, you're right. There's a happy ending, but maybe not how you expected it to be. 

"Five Breakups and a Romance" director Irene Villamor is known for having anti-romance films, but this film with Julia and Alden is not anti-romance at all. If anything, it's as realistic as it can be, and it's about time we see more of this type of storyline. 

"Five Breakups and a Romance" is now showing in more than 200 cinemas nationwide. 

— LA, GMA Integrated News