Jana Agoncillo
For months now, we’ve been nagging some child stars’ handlers to get off their pert and pretty posteriors and line up indie film starrers for their (kiddie) wards—before they get to be too “old” to pass for juveniles.
Thus far, we’ve been hitting a wall—but, hurray and hallelujah, we’re finally getting our wish this month, because one of our kiddie faves, Jana Agoncillo, is topbilling an indie that’s part of this season’s Cinema One film festival.
In “Nervous Translation,” Jana plays an introverted girl who lives in her own private world. Her “breakthrough” comes when “she finds a pen that can translate the feelings of nervous people.”
Being a sensitive performer, Jana can be expected to do full justice to her assigned role. To make her “believers” really happy, she should be given another TV drama series before she reaches the end of her child-performing years.
Jana connected in a big way with viewers in “Ningning,” so she should similarly click in her indie showcase.
We hope that the other kids on our casting wish list will get their own stellar vehicle.
May 2018 see the screening of indie movies topbilling our other juvenile faves—Xyriel Manabat, Xymon Pineda, Alonzo Muhlach and Xia Vigor!
And, while we’re at it, we hope that 2018 will see the realization of our other fervent casting dreams, like comeback film vehicles for our older faves—Hilda Koronel, Rosa Rosal, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Amalia Fuentes, Vivian Velez, Daria Ramirez, etc.
Staying faithful
Similarly welcome is news that acting ace Jericho Rosales is being tapped to topbill a new drama series, “Love Will Lead You Back,” along with Sam Milby, Yen Santos and Yam Concepcion.
We aren’t sure how Sam will figure in the new series’ equation. Is his shift to acting in Filipino officially over, or will he continue to go the “Taglish” route that has served him poorly for a decade now?
We hope that the new series will show that his transition is complete, so he can more naturally blend in with the production’s Filipino context, and avoid being unintentionally upstaged by the more gifted and not language-limited Jericho.
Their two leading ladies could also be “iffy” factors. They’ve been given strong roles in the past, but haven’t yet turned in truly stellar portrayals.
This early, the best things about the new show are Jericho himself and its solid “senior” supporting cast.
A third plus factor, in our view, is the series’ focus, not on the usual infidelity, philandering and “musical beds” marital scenarios, which have already been done to death on TV.
Instead, the show is reportedly focusing on young marrieds who are determined to stay faithful to their respective spouses, despite the distractions in prevalent abundance.