We came in absolutely expecting nothing much from “Dear You,” especially since its story revolves around people and circumstances that initially felt so far removed from our own.

And given the current tensions in the West Philippine Sea, we were almost ready to dismiss it as another piece of propaganda.

Thankfully, we were wrong.

“Dear You” has become something of a word-of-mouth phenomenon in China, a remarkable feat for a low-budget film made for around US$2 million.

That does not mean “Dear You” is a perfect film.

It is not.

The acting is uneven, which is hardly surprising considering that this is a low-budget production featuring mostly newcomers and non-professional actors. There are also moments when the story asks you to accept things that are, frankly, difficult to swallow.

But somewhere along the way, the film gets you.

What makes “Dear You” work is its ability to slowly pull you into the lives of its characters.

At the heart of the film is "qiaopi," the letters and remittances sent home by overseas Chinese migrants.

The film is steeped in Teochew culture and uses the dialect extensively, giving it an intimacy that would probably be lost in standard Mandarin.

And yes, there are plenty of improbabilities and downright questionable decisions along the way.

I, for one, cannot completely agree with the idea that pretending to be a dead person for decades is an acceptable way to keep a family hopeful, especially when it means perpetuating a lie to someone who deserves to know the truth.

But somehow, the film manages to make even that convoluted premise emotionally engaging.

Director Lan Hongchun deserves credit for that. He understands that the audience doesn't necessarily have to agree with every decision the characters make. He simply has to make us care about what happens to them.

And by the latter part of the film, we did.

The largely inexperienced cast also deserves some credit. While the performances aren't going to win any acting awards, there is an appealing naturalness to many of them. 

There is also gentle humor scattered throughout the heavier moments, keeping the film from drowning entirely in sentimentality.

What surprised us most was how genuinely affecting “Dear You” became.

For a film we entered expecting very little from, it turned into a surprisingly effective tearjerker.

It is sentimental. At times, it is overly convenient. Some plot turns require a generous suspension of disbelief.

But that is also part of its charm.

The film's worldview can be overly idealistic. Its portrayal of community and sacrifice sometimes borders on romanticized. There are also stretches where the storytelling becomes unnecessarily convoluted.

Still, beneath all that is something difficult to fake: sincerity.

“Dear You” is ultimately a film about people holding on to family, memories, promises and the places they came from.

And that is where Filipino audiences may find an unexpected connection.

The cultural details may be different, but the emotional experience is not unfamiliar.

That may explain why the film's success has extended beyond its original audience.

In an entertainment landscape increasingly dominated by expensive franchises and CGI-heavy spectacles, “Dear You” is a reminder that audiences can still respond to something much simpler: people talking, remembering, sacrificing and trying to make sense of the choices made by those who came before them.

The film is not competing with Hollywood on its own terms. It has no interest in doing so.

Instead, “Dear You” quietly makes its case for the kind of movie that can be made without an enormous budget and still travel far through word of mouth.

So no, “Dear You” isn't a perfect film.

But it doesn't have to be.

Sometimes a film can be imperfect, occasionally ridiculous, overly sentimental and still manage to touch you.

“Dear You” did exactly that.

And we are glad the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry brought it here and allowed Filipino audiences the chance to discover it for themselves.