Good story, Not enough for a whole film

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I'd heard good reviews about this movie so I bought the DVD while in Manila. First, the image had black bars on the sides but I fixed that by adjusted my plasma.I was interested in the status of Filipinos who work in Italy and this movie was a good primer on that. I felt disappointed, however, at many story holes and improbable incidents. I'm sure the movie had elements from true stories of Filipinos in Italy but a few parts seemed improbable, like how he just cheated on his absent wife despite going all the way to Italy to find her. I also found it hard that he turned from a into an angry guy who throws furniture and stuff. That would raise red flags for many women.I think Philippine movies need to get away from clichés and worn-out formulaic plots and endings to advance. I also felt the main actor was unfit for this role.

Here, people will understand the life of the many Filipino migrant workers of Italy.It is a love story of a young man named Lino (Piolo Pascual)who comes to Milan,Italy so find his missing wife whom he terribly misses. In order to do this, he joins a large group of illegal Filipinos who manage to escape to Italy through the Swiss border. Arriving in Milan, he meets a young Filipina domestic helper who passes for a beautiful Italian woman named Jenny(Claudine Barretto) and asks for her help. Through her, he gets to know the way of life in Italy as a Filipino migrant worker and the discriminations he has to face from the society of discriminating Italians and Italo-Filipinos, although he fails finding his wife. As he gets used to this, he falls in love with Jenny and together they experience the sweetness of life. But as time goes by, troubles occur and they have to decide whether they really belong to each other or not.This story, although not very masterfully made, has a beautiful and romantic plot. Dedicated to the masses of Filipino workers in Italy, this is what I can call a classic related to the Filipino migrant worker. A must see for modern Filipino romance movie lovers.

OK. so i liked some of the films that Star Cinema has produced.... and i thought, why not go see this movie Milan. The crux of the matter is... this is a bad movie. The lead character(Piolo Pascual)is so confused about his existence that his existentialist angst comes as an ABBA song (you know... can you hear the drums, Fernando?) Not only that! This movie offers a picturesque glimpse of italy (oh my god! is that why the movie was entitled Milan?) but that's it. Expect no more. What you'll get from the beginning of the film until the end is pure drivel! A guy loses his wife... he searches her out in Milan... (for the life of me i don't get this, how can you just jump the boat and just sink, sink, sink, happily sink?) and then he finds the loving arms of another Filipina who (surprise!)falls in love with him too and then just when things cannot go on any murkier, he finds his wife who is (another surprise!) a rape victim(!) and is too ashamed to go home so she rejects him and they all live miserably all together! The same goes for the audience. I just want to puke after seeing this film.Bad! Teribly bad!

This movie exemplifies trials and tribulations for Filipinos dreaming of that bright future in a foreign land. The movie touches the spirit. I extend my gratitude to the characters, the director, and all who were involved. I hope to view more movies of the same content. Rome and Venice were beautiful on screen, and the memory of my visit there remains vivid.Personally, I believe life offers no guarantees. Nevertheless, it is not destined to be lived too cautiously, so as not to miss life's sweet experiences.