Lessons from recent performances by Buboy, Daniel

Aspiring actors can learn a lot of useful lessons—positive and negative—from recent performances turned in by leading stars and character actors:

The latest teaching points have been imparted by teen actor Buboy Villar, by way of his spot-on title portrayal in “Kid Kulafu,” the Manny Pacquiao biopic.

Most TV-film depictions of real-life sports stars tend to “enhance” the lead character’s appearance, but “Kid Kulafu,” to director Paul Soriano’s credit, makes it a point to cast the “ordinary”-looking Buboy as the young Manny.

The astuteness of the casting decision should prompt other filmmakers to forget “face appeal” and “enhancement,” and just go for believable personification, which is what biopics should be all about.

Vertically challenged

Aside from looking like the young Manny, Buboy is similarly “vertically challenged,” and that’s all to the good, too. Villar also works hard to be believable as the young pugilist, by “getting” his signature fast, feisty flurry of moves and jabs in the ring.

Best of all, he vivifies Pacquiao’s “heart,” a combination of need, drive, survival instinct and huge ambition, which propelled him to the top of the global boxing scene and enabled him to savor the heady perks of fame—and fabulous fortune!

Thespic points

As Manny’s mother, Alessandra de Rossi also scores some thespic points, but she stops short of the overwhelmingly “totalized” characterization that the real Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao breezily and sassily comes up with, easy as pie, every time she steps out in public!

As Manny’s supportive uncle, Cesar Montano also comes up with a textured character portrayal, but isn’t given enough screen time to go to town with it.

On point of contrast, it’s instructive to see that the cast also includes some handsome young actors cast as Manny’s friends and cotrainees. Right from the get-go, it’s clear that they aren’t “right” for their parts, since they’re too show biz-“porma” to be believable as probinsiyanos.

They’re darkened and “made-down,” but in the light of Villar’s absolutely convincing portrayal, they stick out like sore thumbs.

Logical, but put-on

In their own recent movie costarrer, “Crazy Beautiful You,” young faves Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo’s performances also had some thespic lessons to impart: Kathryn’s “sharp” and “jaded” characterization may have been “logical” in a theoretical sense, but in practice, it felt too “pushed” and put-on. Worst of all, it made her look old in relation to Daniel—not a good thing for a popular young love team!

Daniel came off better in the film, because his portrayal was less juvenile and frisky than usual, and he even acquitted himself well in a quietly dramatic scene or two.

In addition, he’s gained weight and muscular definition, so it’s likely that he’s preparing himself for more mature and physical roles in action-dramas.

Given the fact that he’s a Padilla, this move could be right up his DNA’s alley! If he plays his career cards right, he could even give local action movies a second lease on life, after being comatose for over a decade!