A deceptively simple romance doesn’t take away that there is something quietly radical at work in Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr.'s Siargao set love story, Unconditional (BR Film Productions, 2025). There’s a leap of faith you have to go with in its narrative. In a central scene when Anna (Rhian Ramos) comes to realize that Greg (Allen Dizon) is transgender, you understand that Greg is coming from a place of vulnerability, where the basic idea that any woman will enjoy his company is a surprise to him, perhaps he’s dizzily blinded by attraction. And perhaps the film is pointing out that these labels, while relevant and necessary for an expression of identity, are artificial in a spiritual or psychological way. In most movies about heterosexual women who fall in love with transgender men, the woman in the relationship usually wants to keep the man’s transgender identity a secret, out of fear that she will be shunned by her peers and/or society, Unconditional is no exception. Trans stories where the trans experience isn’t central to the unfolding action are hard to come by. The aim of this film seems to reframe the reaction we typically see when characters reveal themselves to be transgender. Greg and Anna's romance is very sweet and doesn’t move too quickly, punctuated by a passionate and intense love scene. Dizon and Ramos share a chemistry that sizzles. Greg is generally quiet and introverted. He might have had a lot of experience with life’s hardships, but it soon becomes apparent later in the story that he doesn’t have much experience when it comes to love and romance. It’s not spoiler information to reveal that Anna eventually finds out that Greg is transgender. How she finds out won’t be revealed in this review. It’s enough to say that Anna finds out that Greg is a trans man after she’s already fallen for Greg but they haven’t had sex yet.
Unconditional is not the type of movie that keeps the same pace throughout the story. There are ebbs and flows, just like there would be in real life. However, there’s some melodrama in the last third that could make or break the romance between Greg and Anna. How it’s resolved is kind of rushed into the story in a way that could happen in real life. The biggest strength lies in the chemistry between Dizon and Ramos. Alix portrays the film’s protagonists with palpable empathy through naturalistic dialogue. Dizon with cagey finesse and Ramos with captivating elegance. Toss in some fantastic supporting work from Elizabeth Oropesa as Greg's mother Dolores, who shifts from one state of body and mind to another without being forced while Lotlot de Leon as his sister Terry is strong and understated. Unconditional is a simple story, but not a simplistic one, with performances that make all the characters seem fully dimensionalized. It eschews melodrama arriving at a lovely, unforced sense of acceptance.There is naivety and acceptance from Greg that makes the film different. It’s a sincere effort that feels earned and in its modest way, a deeply romantic gesture. The movie looks at the big picture through intimate lens. Ultimately, the film’s love story largely succeeds on its strong sense of place. Alix and screenwriter Jerry B. Gracio carefully and respectfully manages the different characters’ points of view, plunging us into a unique world and its inhabitants’ challenges in navigating their place both with and without their respective circles. Together, Allen and Ramos shine. Beautifully realized, Unconditional makes Greg work for what he wants and by the end, both he and the movie have fully earned the reward of our fascinated attention. Unconditional is never in a hurry. But if you’re looking for an immersive love story that takes you places you might not know, that challenges your conception of what romance looks and feels like, Unconditional is a great place to stop.
Direction: Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr.
Screenplay: Jerry B. Gracio
Director of Photography: Rain Yamson II, LPS
Editing: Xila Oflada, Mark Llona
Production Design: Jhon Paul Sapitula
Music: Marco Morales
Sound Design: Immanuel Verona, Fatima Nerikka Salim
