Inspiring
Gray is PH’s fourth Miss Universe —AP
The color of the day is Gray—Catriona Gray, that is.
It’s not even 24 hours since she won the Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, besting a field of over 90 contestants for the crown. I woke up way too late this morning to see the pageant, but video clips have already been uploaded on YouTube. She was poised, confident, colorful, vibrant, smart and, from her advocacies, compassionate.
Facebook has been in a very happy place. Not since Ryan Cayabyab was named national artist has my feed been this joyful. Filipino men and women of various gender identities and orientations have all been figuratively jumping up and down for joy.
But if the articles predating Gray’s victory are any indication, this is victory she deserves for all the hard work she put into it. She was determined to win—and win she did. The competition this year was very tough, what with many of these women as determined as she was.
The thing that I found most inspiring was a photo capture of this year’s Top 5: Vietnam, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Venezuela and the Philippines. They were all women of color representing Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Africa and Latin America.
Congratulations, Catriona Gray! You have made this country very proud and happy. Prepare yourself for a whirlwind of a year. Take plenty of pictures; that year will go by very fast.
Atlantis
A few lovely nights ago, thanks to an invitation from Smart Infinity, a bunch of my girlfriends, my daughter and I headed to Uptown Mall Cinema for a special private screening of the newest superhero film to come from the DC Universe, “Aquaman.”
It stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry and Amber Heard as Princess Mera. Also in the movie are Nicole Kidman, Temuera Morrison, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Yayah Abdul-Mateen II, Dolph Lundgren and Julie Andrews.
Jason Momoa as Aquaman
I decided to go into the film not reading any reviews, so I could judge this film for myself, and for what I think it was going to be. Thank goodness for that decision, as all of us had a fantastic time.
The film was lighter than the previous DC movies. The colors were vibrant and the jokes plentiful enough, many of them delivered by Momoa himself. And just seeing an incandescent Kidman, as well as realizing we were in the presence of musical-theater royalty in Andrews, was worth the price of admission for me.
The movie is action-packed and goes at a very nice pace. And perhaps, due to director James Wan’s previous experience at helming horror movies (“The Conjuring,” “Insidious” and “Saw,” among them), we are treated to a few not-too-scary jump scares. Heard is a surprisingly effective actress, not to mention drop-dead gorgeous, and seeing Dafoe onscreen is always a treat, whatever he does.
However, let’s not forget the centerpiece of this film: Jason Momoa.
Yeah, he’s eye candy sporting an incredible physique. Many of us first laid eyes on (and subsequently fell in love with) him as Khal Drogo in the long-running HBO series “Game of Thrones.”
His chemistry with Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys onscreen was palpable, and their friendship offscreen is nothing short of adorable. It was great to finally see him in the title role, and I was curious to see how he’d fare.
He was fine, of course! He was charming and funny, with heaps of sex appeal that jumped off the screen. There is an ease about him that draws us in and makes us want to know more. And, paired with Morrison, their tandem as father and son was sweet to watch.
Of course, once he donned that familiar orange and green costume that I remember from the “Justice League” and “Super Friends” cartoons, I was cheering. I unabashedly, and very loudly, screamed my head off. I could also hear my daughter sighing, from two seats away.
So why am I all excited about yet another superhero movie based on a series of comic books? There was so many of them that have come out already, thanks to both Marvel and DC.
But, what makes this film so special? This Aquaman was a person of color. The actor chosen to play him is of Hawaiian descent. He’s a Pacific Islander. His color is the same as mine.
If the box-office successes of “Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians” are any indication, then movies with people of color in lead and featured roles are not a hindrance to that beautiful “cha-ching” from the first weekend.
More and more, we’re seeing movies that represent what the world actually looks like. And yes, people of color are sitting up and watching, and are ready to lend full support.
As of this writing, “Aquaman” has made over $250 million at the box office. Cha-ching.
I’m making my return to “Once On This Island” on Broadway this Dec. 27, and I plan to put Catriona and Jason’s photos on my mirror.
They are inspiring.
