John and Priscilla after Cebu trip

Priscilla Meirelles (left) and John Estrada

After my good friends, John and Priscilla Estrada, got back from their family vacation in Cebu amid their “marital woes” controversy, I checked on Pri and asked how everything was on the domestic front.

With Pri’s permission, here’s her reply: “John has made his intentions very clear, not only to me, but in his social media as well. We are trying to work out some things as a couple and a family. All I can say is a relationship is like a house. When a light bulb burns out, you don’t go and buy a new house … you fix the light bulb. Thank you for your prayers and for always checking on us, amiga.”

May Pri and John keep in mind that misunderstandings pave the way for a renewal of love. A breakdown can turn out to be a breakthrough, après tout.

JM de Guzman (left) and Cindy Miranda

For the love of JM’s craft

If only hearts could think and brains could feel, there would be no unrequited love. That one-sided kind of l’amour is what Viva Films’ romance drama, “Adik Sa ‘Yo,” is all about (now showing in cinemas).

Directed by Nuel Naval, it’s topbilled by JM de Guzman and Cindy Miranda.

JM portrays Paulo, a recovering addict, while Cindy plays Joy, who’s desperately in love with Paulo as her imaginary boyfriend.

Watching JM play Paulo reminded me of the time I interviewed him in his home during his junkie days. He was so spaced out and his answers were incoherent. But that’s all behind JM now. He has cleaned up his act. Even if his role in the movie has a déjà vu feel for him, which could open old wounds, JM gamely did it for the love of his craft.

Meanwhile, Cindy is quite a revelation in the film. She ran the gamut of emotions as a lovesick woman. Presenting ‘La douleur exquise’ (wanting someone you can’t have) à la Pinoy.

Here’s my chat with Cindy:

What’s your advice to girls like your character, Joy?

Go girl! Just be real with what you feel. Even if he does not feel the same way, at least you were able to express your feelings. That’s OK. Sometimes, love is not reciprocated.

What’s the craziest thing you did for love?

Giving up on my dreams and career because I was addicted to my boyfriend before. But it’s good I snapped out of it.

How did you manage to resist the charms of JM? I just focused on our scenes as work. Professional mode on.

How would you handle it if someone is addicted to you?

I would take it as a compliment. If he’s not my type, I would still be nice to him. If I like him, then game na kasi “adik” din ako magmahal.

From left: Xian Lim, Ryza Cenon and Fifth Solomon

Love that stands the test of 3 lifetimes

Xian Lim and Ryza Cenon are paired off for the first time in the period romance drama, “Sa Muli” (showing in cinemas on April 26). Written and directed by Fifth Solomon, it’s about a love that stands the test of three lifetimes.

Pep (Xian) remembers his previous lives as Victor in the 1900s and Nicolas in the 1950s. As a novelist, he has written his love stories with Aurora, and then with Belen. In both lifetimes, his soulmate dies.

As Pep who meets Elly (Ryza), he knows in his heart that she’s the reincarnation of Aurora and Belen. That’s why Pep is protective of Elly, not wanting the tragedy to happen a third time. He’s convinced that with his knowledge of the past, he can cheat fate this time around. So, he can write his third book about the two of them loving happily ever after.

Here are quotes from Xian (X), Ryza (R) and Fifth (F):

X: To break the ice between me and Ryza, Direk Fifth made us do our love scene on the first day of shooting. I bargained with him, “‘Di ba pwedeng warmup muna?” But that was one of the tricks up his sleeve.

R: If I could travel back in time like in our movie, I want to relive the moments when my mom was still alive. She died when I was very young, so I didn’t get a chance to really know her.

F: Documentaries about reincarnation fascinate me, that’s why I came up with the story of our film. I consulted historians and asked Sir Ricky Lee to read my final draft.

X: Kim (Chiu) and I have a mutual agreement about being paired with others for the sake of our individual growth as actors.

R: If I would be reincarnated like my character in our film, I want to be a dog. I want to experience the unconditional love that truly exists in a dog’s world.

F: I had a severe case of depression during our shoot and I took meds for it, which made me feel like a zombie. But I had to soldier on.

X: Since it’s a period film, there were scenes that Ryza and I wondered how we would pull off. But we just trusted in the vision of Direk Fifth.

Leila Alcasid (left) and Curtismith

Leila and Curtismith’s setup

Since I’m a Parisienne trapped in a Pinay’s body, I went loca over Hoka, the hip French brand of rubber shoes and sports apparel at the opening of its flagship store in Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

Present at the event were Rica Peralejo, Tim Yap, indie singer Curtismith aka Mito and sports commentator Patricia Hizon.

Mito revealed that he and his girlfriend, Leila Alcasid, have been living together since the pandemic started. “Her dad Ogie is cool about our setup,” he says. “But marriage is not yet in our agenda because Leila and I still have a lot of dreams to pursue.”

Also at the height of the pandemic, Patricia and her hubby, PBA legend Vince Hizon, welcomed their baby girl. “Our two sons are grownup na, so ang sarap magka-baby uli, at girl pa,” Patricia said. “Effect ng lockdown (laughs).”