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‘Unconditional’ review: Allen Dizon gives brave performance as a trans man

Article (news)

Fred Hawson

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1750917633545Unconditional.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Allen Dizon and Rhian Ramos in ‘Unconditional’ </div>Anna (Rhian Ramos) was a professional social media marketing manager. She had already broken up with her toxic boyfriend Mark (Paulo Gumabao), but the guy still kept calling her to ask if she would accept his politician father&#x27;s offer to work for him. Her best friend Uly (Rico Barrera) invited Anna to go with him to spend a few weeks in beautiful Siargao to get her mind off the negative thoughts which were bothering her. Several years ago, Greg (Allen Dizon) brought his mother Dolores (Elizabeth Oropesa) from their hometown in Batangas to Siargao where his elder sister Terry (Lotlot de Leon) had set up a business selling island souvenirs. He worked at the coffee shop of his good friend Liam (Brandon Ramirez) as a barista. One day, when Uly needed to go back to Manila earlier than expected, he dutifully endorsed Anna to Greg&#x27;s care. On the surface, it would seem like this was just another love story set in the backdrop of a picturesque island paradise. However, in that first sequence where we meet Greg, we are immediately shown that he had a couple of big scars located in his chest under his two nipples. We are shown that he was injecting the contents of a medicinal ampule trans-dermally into a fold of skin he had pinched on the inner aspect of his thigh. We see his mother suffering from dementia, and she always called him by the name of Regina. So, when we put all these introductory clues together, we come to the conclusion that Greg is actually a transgender man. So this was the big twist of this romance, and director Adolfo Alix Jr. decided to reveal it from the start. This way we can effectively feel his fear and reluctance to declare the feelings of love he had for Anna. This is certainly a new acting challenge for Allen Dizon as he is playing a female character who had already transitioned into a male. As Greg, Dizon was mainly acting manly, but he was also able to project Regina&#x27;s femininity long repressed within him.  While some may prefer a real trans man actor to play Greg, Dizon&#x27;s restrained performance was brave and admirable, especially in that unprecedented nude gender reveal scene. Rhian Ramos&#x27;s Anna was a woman working out various inner conflicts: tolerating demanding calls from an ex, wondering why this new man kept on keeping away. This portrayal of fluid lover Uly was Rico Barrera&#x27;s most natural performance recently. Elizabeth Oropesa&#x27;s Dolores was a mother battling with dementia, whose love for her children still shone through.  Comebacking Brandon Ramirez had an acting moment as Liam opened up to Greg. <div> </div>This review was originally published in the author&#x27;s blog, “<a href="https://said-fred.blogspot.com/2025/06/review-of-unconditional.html">Fred Said.</a>”

Adolfo Alix Jr.’s 'Unconditional' may appear at first glance to be a breezy island romance, but beneath the waves lies a bold and tender story of identity and self-acceptance.

Adolfo Alix Jr.’s 'Unconditional' may appear at first glance to be a breezy island romance, but beneath the waves lies a bold and tender story of identity and self-acceptance.