Cesar on ‘Martyr or Murderer,’ Sunshine and Kat’s friendship

Cesar Montano

I am a certified Kakampink, but since my BFF Buboy (Cesar Montano) plays Ferdinand Marcos (FM) in “Martyr or Murderer” (MoM), I cannot be mum to it. Our friendship transcends politics. Presidents come and go, but true friends like us remain.

MoM is the sequel to Darryl Yap’s film “Maid in Malacañang” (MIM). It opens on March 1 in cinemas nationwide. Aside from BFF, it is headlined by Ruffa Gutierrez, Cristine Reyes, Ella Cruz and Diego Loyzaga.

The film recounts what happened to the First Family before and after the Edsa Revolution, a sneak peek of their life in exile, and a brave discussion on the intrigues surrounding Imee Marcos’ exploits in Morocco. It also aims to provide answers to the unending hows and whys involving FM and his nemesis, Ninoy Aquino.

Does “Martyr or Murderer?” sound like a rhetorical question? And so it goes. Only a true Pinoy heart knows.

Here are quotes from Buboy (B), Ruffa (R), Cristine (C) and Darryl (D):

B: During the Edsa Revolution in ’86, I was in college. Like most students back then, I was anti-Marcos. But after shooting MIM and MoM, I found out the story behind the story. Revisiting history has opened my eyes.

R: I internalized my role as Imelda by having her photo with me all the time. Even while sleeping, it’s beside me. Direk Da told me to forget muna that I’m a beauty queen, so my rampa in MOM won’t be fierce. The hardest scene was with Isko Moreno, who portrays Ninoy. I had to memorize five pages of dialogue.

B: The hardest scene in MOM was when Cristine (Imee) was reprimanding me to spill the beans about what Ninoy did. Our call was 4 a.m., so I lacked sleep.

B: It’s always method acting for me. It was harder to portray FM than Rizal because I was not given ample time to prepare. For any artist, to be in a rush is quite tough. It was hard to replicate his look, particularly his hairdo.

C: As Imee, I’m more mellow in MoM than in MIM. What she went through in Morocco was a revelation for me. I felt her pain and humanity. Medyo may similarity ang pinagdaanan namin.D: When we shot MoM, I didn’t think of surpassing MIM. I focused on the quality. If your content is well-made, the support will follow. It’s really my art to shock and provoke the audience so they will be enticed to watch my films.

B: I was ribbing Direk Da that sana may love scene kami ni Ruffa kahit isa lang (laughs). But as Imelda, she was always in long gowns, so she was wholesome talaga.

D: MIM and MoM are family “dramedies.” Pinoys watched MIM because they were able to relate to the Marcos family crisis regardless of their political color. MoM will make you question if your family is perfect, and how much you’re willing to sacrifice for it. MoM is not a question for the faint-hearted. We all have moments in our lives na nagpaka-martyr tayo and may time din na gusto nating pumatay ng tao.

B: On my ex Sunshine (Cruz) and girlfriend Kath’s (Angeles) newfound friendship, I am amazed at how God moved into our lives. Only God could make that possible. I hope they can also befriend my other ex, Sandra (Seifert), at iba pa (laughs).

B: I really hope Shine reconciles with Macky (Mathay). He’s a good man, at guwapo pa. May God give them peace of mind.

B: On Shine saying that I better behave na with Kat or else lagot ako sa kanya, na-touch ako. But as our running joke with Shine goes when we were still together, hindi ko papalitan si Kath, magdadagdag lang ako. Just kidding. I’ve mellowed already. I pass the torch to my son, Diego.

Arron Villafor (left) and Angela Morena

Finding the right love with the wrong person

What happens when you fall for the wrong person, yet the love is real like in the interweaving love stories in “La Querida” (now streaming on Vivamax)?

Directed by GB Sampedro, it is topbilled by Mercedes Cabral, Jay Manalo, Arron Villaflor and Angela Morena.

In the movie, Joel and Maria (played by Arron and Angela) experience a rollercoaster of emotions while Leo and Connie (Jay and Mercedes) are caught up in the heat of a liaison dangereuse. Their journey will show that a marriage without love could lead to a love without marriage. Will they love happy ever or never after?

Here are quotes from Angela (A), GB and Arron (AV):

GB: The title of our film has a double meaning. In Spanish, it’s a term of endearment for a lover. But in Filipino, it has a negative connotation (“kabit”). We intended it that way to show that love is still love even if it’s forbidden.

AV: We can’t predict destiny. If I fall for a girl who’s already taken, I won’t mind being a querido if my heart tells me so.

A: I know my worth as a woman. So, as much as I’m able to stay away from a married man, I will. I deserve a man who’s mine 100 percent. I won’t settle for half of him.

GB: It’s a story within a story. It will be interesting for viewers to find out how the main characters are connected to each other.

AV: I asked Angela about her limitations during our intimate scenes. Our movie focuses more on emotions than sex.

A: Our film reminded me of the importance of honesty in a relationship. Truth hurts, but lies hurt even more.

Manang Medina (left) and VR Relosa

Love and obsession merge in ‘Lagaslas’

It’s “Fatal Attraction” Pinoy-style in “Lagaslas” (now streaming on Vivamax). The erotic drama-thriller directed by Christopher Novabos is topbilled by newbies Manang Medina, VR Relosa and seasoned actor Julio Diaz.

It tells the story of Edmar (VR) who falls obsessively in love with Karisma (Manang) while constantly spying on her as she takes a bath. When Karisma catches him peeping, she gives in to his fantasies. But after their sexual encounters, he finds out that she’s having an affair with her adoptive father, Vicencio (Julio). Get ready for a wild ride as voyeurism and incest collide.

Here are quotes from Manang (M), VR and Christopher (C):

M: Don’t let my screen name deceive you. I’m not conservative like a manang, though I am not as wild as the character I portayed in our film.

VR: I think that my heavy dramatic scene with Manang will impact viewers more than our sexy scenes. We showed raw emotions. We had no makeup on, so we were our authentic selves. Our love scenes are exciting to watch because our characters are always on the verge of getting caught.

C: Our movie is sort of patterned on “Fifty Shades of Grey” but in a Pinoy setting, so it’s relatable.

M: Since VR and I both started out in theater, we helped each other in finding our best angles. For me, it’s harder to act in theater because there is no Take 2. Once the play starts, the director can no longer guide you.

VR: For me, acting in movies is harder than in theater. I’m still not used to containing my emotions once Direk says, “Cut,” and I have to carry that emotion to the next scene. In theater, its free-flowing, and I can improvise.

C: Since it’s my directorial debut, ayokong mapahiya. I’m very hands on. I even demonstrated to VR and Manang how to do their love scenes.

Is Ate Vi about to spring a surprise?

The “Nasaan Si Vi?” billboards all over the metropolis are quite intriguing. Is Ate Vi (Vilma Santos) cooking up a new show, movie, advertisement or an online thingy? ‘Tis the guessing season about the Star for All Seasons.