REVILLA. Overwhelming triumph—in the tonsorial sense.
THE now concluding Metro film festival may not be a critical success, but it’s an overwhelming triumph—in the tonsorial sense. The Best Hairstyle award definitely goes to Bong Revilla, whose Flavio character in “Panday 2” engages in many hectic and harum-scarum battles against all sorts of phantasmagorical foes, but emerges each and every time with his heroic head of hair—perfectly in place! Perhaps he was wearing an invisible helmet all the time—?
Time to try and cry again
Maricel Soriano is said to have staged a comeback to the big screen by way of her film fest entry, “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” and she even won as Best Actress for her pains—but, the movie’s bottom-dweller gross of only P8 million (as compared to top-earner “Enteng’s” P183 million) indicates that the veteran actress needs to try and cry again.
Value for money
—On the other hand, Judy Ann Santos’ comeback (with hubby Ryan Agoncillo) in “My Househusband” did the trick for her film career by grossing a much more respectable P42 million—which means that viewers have “voted” to warmly welcome her back to the big screen.
In fact, it could be said that “Househusband” is the festival’s “most economically efficient and effective” entry, since it is a “small” project with only two stars (well, three, including Eugene Domingo) and yet, it was able to earn as much as “Shake, Rattle and Roll 13,” which is a decidedly bigger and pricier production. The word’s out to producers: If you want value for money, a Juday starrer is the way to go.
Straight from the ‘hoarse’s’ mouth
AiAi delas Alas and Vic Sotto may have scored a direct hit on viewers’ collective funnybone, but the popular actress’ now “signature” hoarse voice was a decided turn-off. She obviously doesn’t think it’s a problem, but it is in fact a major distraction, since it’s jarring to the sensibilities and limits the range of the characters she plays.
Incidentally, AiAi isn’t the only popular performer with a speech impediment or distracting mannerism: Child wonder, Zaijian Jaranilla, also needs to enunciate his lines more clearly, Kim Chiu has a tinny speaking voice—and a number of TV news talents who employ the “bugoy” style of crass and gung-ho reportage also have to get their vocal acts together.
Ready for her closeup
Bangs Garcia, who played Kris Aquino’s BFF in “Segunda Mano,” should thank director Joyce Bernal from the bottom of her cleavage for casting her in her attention-calling role in the Kris-Dingdong Dantes chiller.
Before “SM,” Bangs was generally regarded as just a madcap, ditzy, third-tier “sexy comedienne,” but she was given so much to do in Bernal’s movie that she made a much more distinct impression, indeed.
Some viewers may have regarded her antic and frantic performance as too over-the-top, but it was needed to keep the movie’s pervasive mood of doom and gloom from rendering moviegoers comatose from shock—or ennui.
Standout supporting players
Finally, speaking of standout supporting players, the film fest entry that fields them in yummy multiples is “My Househusband.”
Aside from Eugene Domingo, the actresses who play Eugene’s maid, Judy Ann Santos’ maid, the obese wife and daughter of Eugene’s sugar daddy, plus Francine Prieto as a bitchy neighbor are all relatively unheralded talents who do a lot to keep the movie lively and diverting.
Take a well-deserved group bow, ladies!