A Moving Tale of Love, Loss and Healing
Barcelona: A Love Untold is a Filipino movie released in 2016. Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, one of the country’s biggest love teams, take the main roles in this poignant tale.
The movie tells the story of two young people who find each other at a time when they are both trying so hard to redeem themselves. The story begins in the aesthetic Barcelona, where Ely is studying to be an architect. It is not a coincidence that he chose the City of Prodigies to study. Barcelona has stunning architecture, and Ely is fascinated by Sagrada Família, the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world.
Ely is a young man dealing with the loss of his childhood love, Celine. He came to Spain not only to be an architect but also to fulfil one of Celine’s wishes for him. Ely is trying to heal and make Celine proud of him.
His journey leads him to Mia, who is Celine’s doppelganger, and as much as Ely tries to ignore her, he can’t. Mia is going through a lot at the time and is trying to redeem herself from one mistake she made in the past. She is intent on not letting that mistake define her. She moved to Barcelona for a fresh start away from her family and hoped for greener pastures. Unfortunately, life was not done hitting her with more lemons.
This is where Ely comes in. Like a Knight in shining armour, he rescues her and helps her get back to her feet. However, the ghosts of their past still lurk and taunts them. Ely is still deeply in love with Celine and feels deeply indebted to her and her family. On the other hand, Mia is still trying to prove to her family that she is not a mistake. Her journey is not easy, and she has a lot of challenges to overcome. This sometimes tests her mental strength and adds to her struggle. Part of her wants the pain to stop, while the other part fights to overcome it. It is a deeply riveting internal struggle that goes on in her head.
They both have lost people in different ways, and deep down, they are questioning if they should be happy. They are questioning if they have a right to love and be loved. This is part of the story that strikes a chord with the viewers. We are able to relate to these two characters because we can understand their pain and struggle.
As they get to know each other, Mia and Ely realise that they are similar to one another in many ways. As they start to fall in love, more complications arise. They soon learn they must deal with the past before moving on. However, it may be too late as their future was never truly written in the stars. After all, loving a man still in love with a ghost is not easy!
What I loved about this movie is how well Kathryn and Daniel brought these characters to life. It is not a secret that they are amazing actors and have great chemistry. The way they act with their eyes, while never saying certain things but still making the audience feel every bit of emotion is Oscar-worthy.
The writers incorporated a beautiful backstory for the Sagrada Família. It added to the storytelling and acted as a metaphor for Ely’s situation. Ely had unfinished business, just like the church. His love story with Celine was beautiful and one of a kind, similar to his love for the church. Perhaps, these were the reasons Ely felt drawn to the Sagrada Família.
Will you cry as you watch this movie? Yes, but it is definitely worth a watch. This is not just another romantic movie. It is a relatable and beautiful example of what so many youths are going through while trying to prove themselves. We all know what that is like, right?
Read More: Barcelona: A Love Story Ending Explained
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