Elise (Joel Ferrer) ***1/2 - A man returns to his hometown and he reminisces about the girl whom he fell in love with since childhood, the titular Elise. At first glance, this feels like your typical Filipino romantic-dramedy and in a lot of ways, it is. The film spans a few decades and though it can be very funny and sweet, it does not shy away from the sadness, tragedy and heartbreak unlike a lot of mainstream Filipino, and otherwise, romantic comedies. The major flaw is that lead actor Enchong Dee looks almost exactly the same when he's play 17 as he is when he's supposed to be 40-something so I was kind of confused. LOL. But yes, this is a terrific romantic film. Filipinos and people in the Philippines, this is worth seeking out in theaters.