Open

'Open' is a good start to a conversation.

As someone who has been "cheated on", has "cheated", has friends and family members who had to grapple with the ramifications of this social construction called "infidelity", I think it is about time we scrutinize it. Usually, art, such as cinema, is the best launch pad for this.

I also want to add that while the film may seem to appeal to or resonate more with those from middle to upper class backgrounds, let me just say that:

(1) the phenomenon of "infidelity" is a universal experience in societies that put premium on monogamy. It cuts across economic backgrounds, sexual orientation, and cultures. It is also equally painful to a person who earns an exorbitant income and someone who earns minimum wage.

(2) Open, poly- relationships (or any other creative, unorthodox romantic set-ups other than monogamy for that matter) were not primarily invented or are exclusively practiced by the so-called "patricians".

The upper classmen tend to be more conservative about their relationships, and this is rooted in their desire to protect their wealth and status. (Ever wonder why divorce remains illegal in this country despite the fact that the rich are in power?) It is the plebeians or the masses and the disenfranchised who-under the pressure of various constraints-have the ingenuity to innovate their social and romantic lives.

There's also a stronger sense of community among the masses, making it relatively easier for them to adopt to difficult relational situations as compared to the sheltered.

The learned are just good at articulating and, thereby, appropriating what the masses have already been doing for ages.

It is why, in my opinion, there is so much more to learn from understanding the psyche and culture of the masses than that of the boring elites. Nothing about what the elites do interests me.

Also, Arci Muñoz is brilliant in this film.

'Open' is a good start to a conversation. But it mustn't end here.