In 1960, the great Italian auteur Luchino Visconti released a film about brothers called Rocco and His Brothers that starred the handsome Alain Delon as Rocco, the French actor that conquered the world in many films that had been translated many times over in languages understood in each country across the globe.
In the local film industry, three brothers are making waves as they are they are making a big buzz in the media with the film titled Tres that showcases their individual acting gifts in three separate films that make up the trilogy.
The three brothers that star separately in the trilogy are all sons of actor-turned-politician Ramon “Bong” Revilla. And they are Jolo, Bryan, and Luigi.
Jolo Revilla
Jolo is currently the Vice Governor of Cavite province. But he is also an actor seen in ABS-CBN’s FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano as a presidential security guard. But he is more excited to promote the film Tres than being irritated by the news that he was axed from the top-rating show of the Kapamilya network.
Jolo’ is featured in 72 Hours, the episode directed for the trilogy by Dondon Santos. He plays a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent.
Jolo said when his family (which owns Imus Productions, the producer of the movie) thought of the concept for a film with him and his brothers, the drug war of President Rodrigo Duterte came to mind.
This makes the film very relevant to what’s happening to our country,” he told members of the press that gathered for his solo presscon at Annabel’s.
The pretty Rhian Ramos plays Jolo’s love interest in the episode.
Also joining him are his real-life mother, Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado, Albert Martinez, Dominic Roque, Ronwaldo Martin, Benj Manalo, Raikko Mateo, Precious Lara Quigaman, King Gutierrez, Arron Villaflor, Neil Coleta, Michael Roy Jornales, Paolo Serrano, Jay Gonzaga, and John Andrew Schimmer.
I learned a lot from him,” the actor said referring to Dondon Santos. “He’s easy to work with.”
While he hasn’t been seen in the movies since becoming the Vice Governor of Cavite, he is glad the family has resumed producing movies again, and he is thankful the first movie it produced for its comeback features him and his two other brothers. Continued on C3
Bryan Revilla
The movie press got the biggest surprise when Bryan Revilla met with the press recently to promote Tres. The eldest son of the former senator is an articulate young man who could give any actor a run for their money in an interview in which he can answer any question without batting an eyelash or winking his eye in uncertainty.
Why he isn’t in the movies, like his dad, mom, and brother Jolo, is a matter of choice. He is very inconspicuous, preferring to finish his studies at College of St. Benilde (major in consular and diplomatic affairs)
Also, since the time his father has been detained at Camp Crame, “I took upon myself the responsibility as my dad’s ‘proxy’ in the family, being the eldest sibling,” he said.
Asking him to go back to the movies didn’t pose a big problem for the former senator and his siblings that are running Imus Productions now.
I can’t say ‘no’ to my dad. That’s his wish so as his eldest son, it’s my obligation to make him feel I am worthy to be his son,” he said.
But, if given the choice, Bryan would rather that he stay behind the cameras, maybe play the role of managing the day-to-day affairs of the production company. “I am not very good in front of the camera, or in handling the movie press,” he confesses.
But watching the trailer of “Virgo,” the episode in which he is the star along with Carla Humphries and how he conducted himself before the movie press belied all the things he said about himself.
The movie press are unanimous in saying he is the more articulate between the two brothers.
‘‘Virgo” was originally conceived as a full-length feature. It was even shot as a full length by director Richard Somes, edited later to conform to the trilogy format of Tres.
Also joining him in the cast is Joey Marquez.
Bryan said, the episode is action packed. “After each shooting, I’d nurse bruises and scratches and muscle pains. But it was all right, all to make the movie worth your while.”
Luigi Revilla
Only 26, (the youngest among the three Revillas), Luigi Revilla is very happy to be in the trilogy Tres as the featured star of the episode “Amats,” also about drugs.
Luigi is Bong’s son with another woman, but the love child has since been assimilated to the Revilla family even Lani herself treats her like her own son.
In the episode “Amats,” he plays a rich guy-turned-penniless after his parents died. He was introduced to drugs after he met a character played by Assunta de Rossi. She then goaded him to become a pusher.
But, the film is also about redemption, and Luigi’s character eventually realized the evil that drug has wrought upon him and countless others, so he becomes an undercover.
Bong Revilla made sure his son gets into the character right and delivers a credible performance.
‘‘He said I needed to immerse into my character, not just reading and mouthing the lines. He told me I should be the character I am portraying and people should not see me as Luigi.”
Luigi discovered what acting is all about early in life when he joined GMA Network and starred in some teen-oriented shows.
‘‘When I was starting, I could hardly act,” he declared. “What I was thinking of back then were my lines. I only really got the hang of it when I attended workshops.”
Admittedly, he had to hurdle challenges in portraying the role of a drug addict in “Amats.”
‘‘I find it difficult to act like you’re high so I watched some movies to learn how to do it.”
The action parts were easily addressed as Luigi is into Muay Thai.
‘‘We have different attacks in the episodes of the movie. In my brother’s part, there was blasting and gun fighting. In my episode, since it’s a millennial action movie, we concentrated on hand-to-hand combat.”
‘‘Once, I was punched in the nose by Sandino Martin. In another scene, I kicked Markki Stroem. It was so hard that he lost a tooth.,” he related.
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Tres which produced by Imus Production is the idea of former senator Bong Revilla. They chose the genre to give opportunities to stuntmen who’ve been without work for some time after rom-com movies dominated the scene.
The movie opens in theaters on Oct. 3.
