Comfortable & challenging
Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos have been the pair to beat at the Metro Manila Film Festival every time they have had a film together. Their two romantic comedies, Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo (2006) and Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo (2007), were both blockbuster hits.
This year, their film My Househusband has been selected for screening at the annual film festival.
tabloid! finds out their expectations and what people can expect from their movie.
This is the third time you have an entry at the film fest. What's new?
Agoncillo: This is not a sequel to our earlier films. We have a totally different story with completely new characters. Plus, we're married now, as opposed to the last two films, when we were just boyfriend and girlfriend. The chemistry on screen is noticeably different. We're much more at ease now with each other.
Santos: Comfortable yes, but also challenging because we play roles that are so different to what we are in real life. For example, in one scene in the movie where we were fighting, my character was screaming at Ryan. I never do that in real life. In real life when we fight, we don't scream at each other, we just don't talk for a while, until we feel we are calm enough to talk.
What do you usually fight about? There's been talk about Ryan not wearing his wedding ring, and stories of him being seen with other women. Any reaction?
Santos: It's not a big deal for me when Ryan forgets to wear his ring. It doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes he's got so much to think about he forgets a lot of things. And about other women, I am confident that Ryan has never dated anyone. I will not give him a reason to date another woman.
Agoncillo: Those are only rumours. And about the fights — we have misunderstandings, you can never do without it in married life, but we sort things out.
You're up against big films. What do you think are your chances at the box office?
Santos: We're the underdogs, but it's never been a consideration for us when we make movies. Of course, commercial success is important, but our primary concern is for us to do a good film. The audience will come.
Agoncillo: We were also underdogs before, but our movies eventually became the box office top-grossers, largely through word-of-mouth. I believe we have a good story, and a good film. We also have Eugene [Domingo], who's a great actor.
*****************
Marian's in
It's official: My Beloved will now have Marian Rivera as the female lead, replacing beleaguered actress Rhian Ramos, who is on leave following the devastating video uploaded by ex-boyfriend Mo Twister alleging his former lover had an abortion.
Rivera, who is still taping for the top-rating series Amaya, had no qualms accepting the project, which will pair her for the fifth time with real-life love Dingdong Dantes. The couple's past four team-ups — Marimar, Dyesebel, Ang Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang and Endless Love — were all prime time top-raters.
Pokwang's refreshing change
People who are used to seeing Pokwang will be in for a surprise in her latest movie project, A Mother's Story.
In the film, Pokwang takes on a dramatic challenge as she plays an overseas Filipino worker who leaves her family behind in search of greener pastures in the US.
The film ends in tragedy, as Pokwang's character returns to a broken and emotionally wounded family upon her return after seven years.
The movie premiered in Los Angeles last November, and will have a US tour that will take it to Chicago, Las Vegas, Seattle, Jacksonville, and elsewhere to Canada, the UK, Spain and Italy. The movie opens in Manila next month.
Imee carries on Imelda's legacy
Former presidential daughter and now congresswoman Imee Marcos was surprised that an indie film which she produced will be included in the New Wave-Independent section of the forthcoming Metro Manila Film Festival.
Marcos' mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos, was a big supporter of the Philippine movie industry, and Marcos, at a press conference for her film, committed to continuing the family's support for the industry.
Marcos' film, Pinta Kasi, has been in production for three years and is said to have cost 20 million pesos (Dh1.67 million) .
Anne turns concert star
This year has been a fruitful one for Anne Curtis, whose movie No Other Woman was one of the biggest surprise hits in the film circuit this year. And in addition to her noontime show, Showtime, which was recently staged in Dubai, she also had her debut album, AnneBisyosa, something the self-confessed terrible singer thought was somewhat of an impossible dream.
And yet, here she is again with another surprise as she announced she will soon stage a concert in January, billed AnneBisyosa: No Other Concert. "It will be my first and last," she said.
"I'm sure it will be fun, only because it's me who is singing. It will never happen again."
