Formidable tandem

AUNOR. Her acclaimed drama is now an official entry to the MMFF.

Ellen Alejano, business analyst: “At the Sydney Film Festival, where Brillante Mendoza’s film, ‘Lola,’ was shown, the director was asked how Filipinos perceive his movies. His honest answer, ‘They acknowledge my talent, but they don’t usually watch my films.’ That was sad to hear.

“More than the awards, may the inclusion of ‘Thy Womb’ in the Metro Manila Film Festival pave the way for more Filipinos to discover Mendoza’s brilliance—especially with Nora Aunor’s participation in it. La Aunor and El Brillante make a formidable artistic tandem. It’s something for Pinoys to be proud of!”

Other views:

Jason Pesigan, voice student: “Last Sunday’s thanksgiving concert for ‘Walang Hanggan’ was impressive, especially the musical numbers of Christian Bautista, Erik Santos and Lani Misalucha.

“In contrast, ‘ASAP’s’ Singapore telecast had an eclectic mix of singing and dancing, with notable performances from Gary Valenciano and Billy Crawford. But, Piolo Pascual’s singing left much to be desired.

“I also saw him sing solo during a Cinema One station break, with the ABS-CBN symphony orchestra accompanying him—with dismal results! Now that he’s spearheading a series of concerts in the US, he should work harder on his singing.”

Relevant topics

Leila Hernandez, televiewer: “Once in a while, a teleserye stands out from the usual, predictable plots. ‘Princess and I’ deserves its top rating, because it dares to explore relevant topics.

“I hope it doesn’t get tempted into doing only what the audience wants. The recent kidnapping of the princess could have been an opportunity to establish the king’s heroism and leadership.

“As for the romance between the young leads, they can show that the demands of royalty go beyond love. It would be interesting to see the young female lead blossom into a real princess for her people.”

E-mail [email protected]