Avoiding ‘crutch’ of ‘medical’ drama
KARYLLE came into her own, with a little help from intense costar.
Most of the time, TV program hosts are encouraged to be as lively and giddy as possible to entertain the socks off their shows’ gaga viewers. Each Holy Week, however, they make a radical shift and go “spiritually dramatic” by way of special productions that show how “movingly sensitive” they really are!
Expectedly, the results are sometimes weird and even unintentionally funny, because TV hosts aren’t necessarily good actors—not by a long shot!
So, how did some hosts-turned-actors fare this season? On the plus side, “It’s Showtime’s” Karylle top-billed a drama about unexpected teen pregnancy, and how her character was given a really hard time by her father (Art Acuña), before she strove even harder to rise above her huge “mistake,” and thus belatedly win his love and forgiveness.
Karylle’s support
Karylle’s focused and emotionally “accessible” portrayal was good on its own terms, but what made the anthology drama truly special was Acuña’s even more elemental and insightful performance. It was in her scenes with Acuña that Karylle really came into her own as a standout thespian, no doubt further “pushed” by his innate intensity.
Less successful
On the other hand, Anne Curtis’ own dramatic showcase on “It’s Showtime” was less of an amazing success, in part due to the fact that she was portraying a teenager, a role for which
ANNE Curtis was not as convincing as a teenage pole dancer.
she was patently too mature—especially on close-up.
Anne played a pole dancer who also had a less than supportive and even cruel dad (Nonie Buencamino)—a recurring “pattern” that has made us worry that “lousy dads” are being used as conflict-inducers and scapegoats much too often on TV these days.
Stop already
True enough, in another TV drama last Holy Week, Ricky Davao played yet another lousy human being who was pointedly male, making the women in his extended family, played by Aiza Seguerra and Ryzza Mae Dizon, come to grief.
Please. There are other villains out there, so why not put the blame on them for a change, and give the usual suspects and whipping boys some welcome relief?
Special, not!
AIZA Seguerra was innately natural, but Ryzza Mae Dizon looked too plump as a suffering kid.
The Aiza-Ryzza drama was initially a should-see in our book, because they share the same show biz start on “Eat Bulaga.” We hoped, therefore, that the special telecast would be truly choice—but, it was not to be.
Aiza did well, as usual, because she’s an innately natural and believable thespian, but Ryzza was patently too plump and well-fed for the “suffering” character she was playing, so her dramatic “moments” were predictable instead of memorable.
Where Piolo failed
Last April 2, it was Piolo Pascual’s turn to go “medically dramatic” on “Maalaala Mo Kaya,” where he played a man tragically
PIOLO Pascual has become edgier, but he still didn’t know when to leave well enough alone.
afflicted with mental illness. Even if he meant well, he became a threat to the safety of his sister’s children, so he was kept away from them—which stressed him all the more!
The good news is that Piolo has become a less cautious and edgier actor, and in fact appears to enjoy looking scruffy and acting offbeat. But, he still didn’t know when to leave well enough alone, after a key dramatic or thespic point had already been made.
To become a truly excellent actor, he should avoid using the “crutch” of medical drama and next portray an otherwise healthy character who has to contend with and triumph over less obvious and knee-jerk challenges in his life. With no “crutch” to lean on, he could go faster, further.
