Directed by JP Habac, Ex Ex Lovers tells the story of Joy and her ex-husband, who abandoned her without giving her any closure. For years, Joy waited for her husband's return, but never heard from him. Everything changed when Joy's daughter decided to get married and asked her mother to track down her father and invite him to her wedding. Let's find out what happened in Ex Ex Lovers and if Joy and her husband reconciled in the end.
Joy's life was full of challenges, but amidst the chaos and hardship, she made sure to raise her daughter, SC, the best way she could. About 10 years ago, her husband, Cedric, also known as Ced, abandoned her and their young daughter. Ced was struggling financially, and the lack of a stable, well-paying job became one of the main reasons why his and Joy's relationship spiraled out of control. Ced lied a lot, a trait of his that Joy deeply hated. Joy was fed up with him keeping her out of the loop, and she didn't know what to do about it. Joy gave him a considerable amount of money, as she wanted to find work in the Middle East, but she had no luck there either and ended up spending it all.
One day, Ced left home without telling Joy that he had no intention of returning. The film never tells us what exactly led him to this decision, something I don't think does the creators any favors and makes the narrative feel rather shallow. Yes, Joy and Ced's relationship was bad, but it wasn't entirely clear what led him to call it quits. Many years passed, and Joy never heard from Ced again. Joy had gotten used to living on her own, but she still bore Ced's surname, something that sometimes made her feel claustrophobic.
Joy hadn't gotten a divorce or annulled her marriage, so she couldn't legally get rid of Ced's. Then one day, Joy's daughter told her that she had decided to marry a man named Joey and that she wanted her father to be present at their wedding. Joy didn't want her daughter to get married because she was too possessive of her, and she also felt SC was too young for that step. And to top it all off, SC said she wanted Ced to walk her down the aisle. Joy didn't want to make her unhappy, so she decided to go to Malta, where she thought Ced was, and bring him back for SC's wedding.
Joy found Ced and realized he hadn't changed at all. The man was hesitant to tell her he worked as a maintenance man in Malta, and if things had gone according to plan, he probably would have kept the truth from her. But even after everything Ced had done in the past, Joy seemed too attracted to him. I mean, this is where I felt the creators failed in their execution. They wanted to portray Joy as this person who thought she hated Ced for what he had done, but couldn't suppress her strong emotions upon seeing him for the first time in so long. But that internal battle she was facing wasn't portrayed adequately, or perhaps it was lost in the interpretation.
So Joy was still feeling quite possessive over Ced, and of all things, she was very interested in whether the man had had any affairs. I mean, even if the man had a heart of gold, he had abandoned the family, and I felt Joy was being too forgiving of him. The narrative also made a point of siding with Ced and glorifying his hardships. That said, Ced apologized for what he had done, but he still joked around and tried to keep the conversation somewhat lighthearted with Joy.
We learned that Ced had been in contact with SC for a long time, and together they decided to trick Joy into believing that it had all happened naturally. Joy was incredibly angry when she realized she had been kept in the dark for so long. In Malta, it seemed like Joy would reconcile with Ced, but upon returning to the Philippines, Joy made it very clear that it wasn't easy for her to just move on and forget everything that had happened so easily. Ced knew he had made a mistake and was prepared to continue apologizing to Joy for the rest of his life.
Aside from Joy being extremely possessive over her daughter and prejudiced against SC's fiancé, Joey, there were many other real issues that SC needed to work through. Joey came from a very privileged background, and his parents made all the decisions for him. SC didn't mind his parents being involved in their lives, but Joey having no say in his own relationship was something he couldn't accept. SC tried to understand everything, but at one point he realized they probably weren't ready for marriage. Joey's mom decided what kind of wedding they would have; his dad decided they would move to America after they got married, and at the end of Ex Ex Lovers, SC couldn't understand why Joey wasn't speaking up.
The two families were supposed to meet at a dinner party, and that's when all hell broke loose. Joey's parents had no idea that Ced was a handyman and did all sorts of odd jobs to support himself. They unconsciously insulted Ced and Joy, not realizing it wasn't the most appropriate thing to do. Their condescending behavior irritated SC and her parents, who decided not to tolerate it. SC took off her wedding ring and gave it back to Joey, telling him he needed to learn to stand up for what was right. It wasn't that Joey wasn't trying, but the obedience he showed to his parents would cause him problems in the future. SC didn't tell him to go against his parents; she just wanted him to tell them what they wanted as a couple, because, after all, it was their life. SC was always willing to have a healthy conversation, but having Joey's parents impose their will on them didn't sit well with her. So SC called off their wedding. She told Joey they probably weren't ready to take that big step. Joey told SC he would wait for the day he changed his mind and decided to get married. Maybe Joey would persist in his efforts and SC would break up with him, but I think for now he made the right decision.
After Joy found out that Ced and SC had been talking for a while and had planned the big get-together in Malta, she felt very disappointed in both of them. She told them it hadn't been easy for her to get back together with Ced and pretend nothing had happened. She commented that, back then, after Ced dumped her, she'd started to doubt herself. Joy had lost confidence in herself and, at some point, blamed herself for what had happened, even when it clearly wasn't her fault. Joy realized that, although Ced was a good father and a great friend, he was never a good partner. He shied away from responsibilities, tried to escape difficult situations, and hated confrontations, even if it posed a risk to their relationship.
In the Ex Ex Lovers finale, Joy decided not to get back with Ced, and he respected her decision. He had come with the intention of convincing Joy to start over, but in the process, he realized that Joy was probably right when she said they were better off as friends. Ced and Joy decided to divorce and forgive each other for whatever had happened in the past. Although the relationship ended, Joy felt a strange sense of relief. She felt free, happy, and motivated to forget the past and look on the bright side. She continued to see Ced occasionally, as they remained best friends. I think they made the right decision in the end, as there was no point in prolonging a relationship when they realized it probably brought out the worst in them.
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