Intense conversation in summer MMFF entry has voyeuristic appeal

Romnick Sarmenta (left) and Elijah Canlas in “About Us But Not About Us”

We cannot change people, We can only unmask them. That’s the premise of the psychological drama, “About Us But Not About Us.” It bagged the Critics’ Picks Best Film award at the 27th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia.

Written and directed by Jun Robles Lana, the hauntingly beautiful film which will be shown in the upcoming Metro Manila Summer Film Festival stars Romnick Sarmenta and Elijah Canlas.

Both actors show a gamut of emotions. Watching the film made me feel like I was eavesdropping on Eric (Romnick) and Lancelot’s (Elijah) intense conversation as they confront their own demons. It’s a mindf*ck, an act of contrition and a catharsis all rolled into one.

Here are quotes from Romnick (R), Elijah (E) and Jun (J):

R: Although the characters that Elijah and I play are complex, people can relate to Eric and Lancelot regardless of gender. Just like them, we have hidden agendas, get overpowered by emotions and, at some point in our relationships, we feel torn.

E: Our film made me realize how flawed humans are. Like Lancelot, I’m a survivor who’s been through a lot to stay afloat.

J: This film is very personal to me. The characters are all me, even the one molested by a priest. At the height of the pandemic, I needed to vent. So, writing the screenplay felt like a soliloquy. It contains painful lines said to me and those I said to others. The film saved me in more ways than one.

R: Our movie reminds me of the saying, “Mag-ingat sa tao na ‘di mo kilala, pero lalong mag-ingat sa tao na akala mo kilala mo na.”

Cast of “Working Boys”

Working boys go job-hunting

Working hard or hardly working? That’s the dilemma of the lead characters in Viva Films’ “Working Boys 2: Choose Your Papa” (showing in cinemas on March 29).

Directed by Paolo O’Hara, it is headlined by Wilbert Ross, Mikoy Morales, Vitto Marquez, Andrew Muhlach and Nikko Natividad, who portray certified bums. The boys’ shenanigans redefine naughtiness. Call them the Chiefs of Mischief.

Here are quotes from Wilbert (W), Mikoy (M), Vitto (V), Andrew (A), Nikko (N) and Paolo (P):W: Since Nikko was the last one to join the cast, the four of us played a prank on him. He almost got pissed off. But the prank broke the ice and solidified our bond on the set.

M: Boys in the “adulting” phase will be able to relate to the characters we portray. The character I play will remind viewers not to overthink and just go with the flow.

V: I just embrace the challenges of being the son of Alma Moreno and Joey Marquez. Hopefully, with my abilities, I can surpass them.

A: My character will remind young boys not to pressure themselves too much to succeed.

N: Just like my character, I am touchy feely. Before I revealed that I’m married and have a kid, some people thought I was gay because I’m malambing, even to my “bros.”

P: Our movie is inspired by the 1985 movie of Tito, Vic & Joey (TVJ), “Working Boys.” But it’s not a remake. I told the boys not to watch TVJ’s movie so they could give our version a new flavor.

Ayanna Misola

When Alma becomes Ayanna

Vanity is women’s favorite sin. To maintain our market value, we must not look our age, just like what happens in “Salamat Dax” (now streaming on Vivamax). Directed by Bobby Bonifacio Jr., the movie is topbilled by Ayanna Misola, Nikko Natividad and Alma Moreno.

The sexy comedy is about a middle-aged woman (Alma) who spices up her life by transforming into an almost unrecognizable version of herself (Ayanna) after a Botox procedure. With her younger look, will she be able to capture the hunk of her dreams (Nikko) or will it turn into a nightmare when the spell is gone?

Here are quotes from Ayanna (A), Bobby (B), and Nikko (N):

A: It’s my first time to do comedy. I watched Ms Alma’s movies so I could imbibe her moves. It’s hard to imitate how she talks because I’m more reserved and she’s more outspoken.

B: Our movie’s concept is like that of “Miss Granny.” But it’s more of a comedy than a sexy film. That’s why we got Nikko, who’s a natural comedian.

N: It’s only normal that my wife gets jealous. Since it’s my first time to go sexy, she’s not yet used to it. So I told her not to watch our movie na lang.A: I am open-minded when it comes to plastic surgery, but not to the point of getting obsessed with it. You have to know when enough is enough.

N: If I could transform, I want to look like Dingdong Dantes. He’s a complete package. I’m game to do a BL (boys’ love) movie with him.

A: For me, size does not matter. It’s not what you got, it’s how you use it.

From left: Julia Barretto, director Real Florido and Diego Loyzaga

Julia Barretto’s source of ‘hugot’

What a delight it was to catch up with Julia Barretto, Diego Loyzaga and Sylvia Sanchez at the opening of the new branch of Limbaga 77 in Trinoma. It was a lunch with a punch.

Sylvia said that after her son Arjo Atayde and Maine Mendoza get married, she will share their secret family recipes with Maine so she can cook Arjo’s faves. The actress can hardly wait to have an apo, so she already bought baby stuff, even if a visit from the stork is not yet on the calendar. When pressed for details about Arjo and Maine’s wedding, Sylvia’s lips were sealed.

Meanwhile, Julia and Diego enjoyed working together for the first time in “Will You Be My Ex?” According to Julia, her role is emotionally challenging since the character she portrays is in an on-and-off relationship.

“It’s a pull and push sort of thing,” Julia pointed out. “But the backstory of my character is clear, so dun na ako humugot. I don’t have to draw from my personal experience all the time.”