Alex Godinez (left) and Matteo Guidicelli
Matteo Guidicelli said he willingly did all the dangerous stunts in the action flick, “Across the Crescent Moon,” but drew the line at filming love scenes.
“I didn’t think shooting erotic sequences was necessary, so I spoke against it. I said ‘yes’ to everything else—car chase, high jumps, fight sequences,” Matteo told the Inquirer.
The film, written and directed by Baby Nebrida, will be out in cinemas starting Jan. 25.
Matteo denied that his decision had something to do with his girlfriend, singer-actress Sarah Geronimo, being jealous of his leading lady, Alex Godinez. The latter is actually Matteo’s high school girlfriend.
“Sarah has no reason to feel jealous of Alex. I just thought that the love scene could be done without us actually being physical about it. The lovemaking could be implied,” Matteo pointed out. “It wasn’t even in the original script. I know that everything is possible through proper communication. We were able to pull it off eventually with the use of different light and camera angles.”
The actor added: “I did inform Sarah that my leading lady is also my ex, and she was OK with it. The two of them already met in gatherings we’ve attended. Alex is a niece of Tito Martin (Nievera), who is my mentor.”
Martin was one of Matteo’s guests at his anniversary concert held in Cebu in November 2016.
Alex, who left to live in the United States for seven years, said she and Matteo have remained good friends since they were 14. “It’s great to work with Matteo. I first knew him as a race car driver. I didn’t know he was creative and artistic. I’m proud of him now,” said Alex, adding that she is currently dating a guy named Cris, who isn’t from show biz.
Matteo also said Alex was a last-minute addition to the cast. “At first, I thought it would be awkward to work with Alex, but it wasn’t. We respect each other, and we draw boundaries. She also introduced me to her boyfriend,” he said.
“I hope Sarah has time to watch the film,” he added.
The pop star is currently working on another film project with John Lloyd Cruz.
Matteo disclosed that Sarah had convinced him to study culinary arts. “She introduced me to chef Gene Gonzalez, who is one of the best in the country. This is also part of my research because the family is considering putting up a branch of our Italian restaurant (Trattoria da Gianni) in Cebu here in Manila,” he explained.
In “Across the Crescent Moon,” Matteo plays a Muslim soldier who fights human trafficking and other crimes in the South. “I hope the audience will not only enjoy the film, but also appreciate its message. It’s all about Filipinos being one, about respecting each other’s beliefs, and treating everyone equally,” he said.
The movie’s playdate incidentally coincides with the second anniversary of the Mamasapano clash, a tragic incident that resulted in the death of 44 members of the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police in Maguindanao.
Through the film, Matteo said he has learned so much about the life of a soldier. “They deserve to get a higher pay and be given better benefits. In other countries, soldiers are honored—they even have special lanes at the airport,” Matteo said. “We should treat them well because they fight for our country. They deserve more than P15,000 monthly salary.”