Being a priest requires full devotion to God, so falling in love would naturally challenge a seminarian and make them question whether priesthood is the right path for them. I Love Lizzy portrays this conflict as the seminarian Jeff falls in love with Bicol tour guide Lizzy, on the break where he’s supposed to make his discernment. It’s an intriguing love story, especially as Jeff and Lizzy heal past wounds with each other, and Carlo Aquino adeptly navigates his second seminarian role with ease. However, it’s clear that more care and attention was given to Jeff’s storyline rather than Lizzy’s. Despite this, I Love Lizzy is a unique, if a bit uneven, take on the seminarian love story that continues to captivate the predominantly Catholic country today.

There’s a whole genre of films that talk about faith, but most of these films are primarily created with the intention to convert people to a certain religion. I Love Lizzy talks about religion, but it’s more interested in looking into how religion is something people can turn to when they can’t turn to the ones that should be there for them. It’s a love story about how faith can save people– as religion saved Jeff from a life of crime, as Jeff believes that Lizzy is more than her alcoholic identity, and as Lizzy garners the belief in herself to restart her life. There are times where it falters, like when Jeff tries to talk about alcohol abuse, and that ending soundtrack is definitely inappropriate, but it’s lovely to see a different discussion on faith based on the real life seminarian love story.