In the upcoming rom-com Sakaling Maging Tayo, the love team known among its fans as McLisse resurrects after speculations that it has been disengaged when McCoy de Leon and Elisse Joson announced they were no longer talking to each other after their respective stints in the Kapamilya’s top rating late-night series The Good Son.
True, each of them had gone on separate ways, appearing individually in different projects and never thought they’d be together again in a project.
Elisse Joson said, “When this film was offered to me and they told me I would be with McCoy, I was at first quiet, couldn’t say anything. But then I am an actor, so I had to accept the fact that I would be working with, at one point or another, McCoy. And, of course, I must admit, that I felt good because I was offered a lead role in a film. Not everyone in the industry, our age, gets the opportunity to be in a film and play the lead roles.”
The former love team both said they felt awkward at first during the shooting of the film as they weren’t really speaking to each other that time. “Yeah, it felt that way,” confirmed McCoy who is now also playing an important role in the top-rating FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano as the activist son of Teddy Arevalo (Joel Torre), JP. “But eventually we warmed up to each other and we were able to play our roles as required in the script and what director JP Habac desired.”
“Opo, it was really awkward at first, but later we were back to when we were still friends although, syempre, iba na,” Elisse said.
“We were not talking about anything not related to work,” McCoy underscored.
The young actor, though, admitted that he is missing those times when he and Elisse were still close.
“It’s best for our own respective careers,” Elisse said. “We’re no longer teeny bops so we have to face more challenging roles given to us and we should be prepared for more than just pa-sweet or pa-bebe na roles. I should say, we should be maturing and move on,” she added.
Meanwhile, the McLisse love team remains as promotions for Sakaling Maging Tayo goes full blast. The fans would be able to see each other together more often as the showing of the film comes to a close.
“It’s a good time to renew our bonds as friends,” they chimed. “But we’re not expecting anything more than that.”
The trailer of the film has earned millions of views and McLisse, JP Habac, and Blacksheep (the producer) are crossing their fingers hoping the enthusiasm in social media could translate to box office figures.
Let’s wish the love team and the film the best, as the new year begins, for a boost to the local film industry.
And as we write along, McLisse remains the love team that has the biggest fan growth potential for this year. I certainly hope so. Continued on C3
* * * *
Czech drama ‘Little Girl Blue’ at Cinematheque
Gracing the Filipino audience with the final installation for the year-long “Czech Movie Gems” film festival, the Czech Embassy in Manila and the Film Development Council of the Philippines is proud to bring the Czech drama, Little Girl Blue (2007), awarded as the “Best Film” in the Czech Lion Award of 2007.
Produced by Oscar winning director Jan SvÄ•rák, this film written and directed by Alice Nellis reveals a poetic tale of Julie, a 40-year old translator woman in the midst of an expansive mid-life crisis in the changing city of Prague. Witness how her seemingly perfect and happy family life traverses a crossroad after one passing unveils her to impulsively reflect on her mechanical married life that led her to pursue life-altering decisions.
Played by Iva Bittová, a Czech avant-garde violinist, singer, and composer who started her career as an actress, Julie’s life was also filled with significant decision initiated by her choice to purchase a used piano for the vast living room. The film also stars Karel Roden, a notable Czech actor successful both in his home country and in Hollywood.
Aside from the story line, the cinematography also asserts a sensible and witty portrayal of sparkly images accompanied by life thrumming tunes that perfectly frolic with each scene.
The film will be screened on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 6:30 p.m. in Cinematheque Center Manila. This is the final film for the year-long Czech Movie Gems which aim to bring award-winning movies to Filipino audience on the occasion of 100 years of independence of Czech statehood.
Admission is free. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to capacity
* * *
Ejercito leads Pagsanjan’s grand fest
Maita Javier-Ejercito is beaming with pride these days even as she is on her last few months as municipal mayor of Pagsanjan, Laguna. She presided at a milestone event as the town recently celebrated its 350th foundation day through the Lagaslas Bangkero Festival.
Themed “Sa Panahong Lumipas, Pagsanjan Lalong Tumikas,” the weeklong event-filled fest was a tribute to the bangkeros or boatmen who skillfully navigate and shoot the rapids all the way to the picture-perfect Pagsanjan falls, one of the country’s earliest tourist hotspots.
The charming actress-turned-politician said the festival’s 17th edition was a grand showcase of the town’s road to progress over the years to due to its good governance programs that have touched the lives of people in the community, as well as its tourism and investment promotional efforts.
Festivities kicked off with the unveiling of the commemorative marker of the Spanish-era Puerta Real or Royal Gate by the National Historical Commission, which was built in 1878 to memorialize Pagsanjan’s glory years as Laguna’s provincial capital from 1688 to 1872. The site is believed to be the place where the town’s patroness, Our Lady of Guadalupe, appeared and drove away the pirates who are about to raid the town in the late 1800s.
The celebration coincides with the town’s patronal fiesta. which converge at the Diocesan Shrine of the Our Lady of Guadalupe whose first church was founded in 1687. In its Chapel of the Tilma is enshrined the stone where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared in Mexico.
Spicing up the festivities were a street dancing contest, whose accompanying music was recorded as an MTV by the lady mayor herself.
Other events were a Korean Traditional Folklore Group show, Chef War, the Ginoong Bangkero pageant for boatmen, a dancesport competition, and the Lakan at Binibining Pagsanjan with celebrity, and screenings of award-winning movies produced and starred by former Laguna governor ER Ejercito–Asiong Salonga: Manila Kingpin and El Presidente.
Pagsanjan was declared by the Laguna’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan as the province’s “tourist capital” more than a decade ago during the incumbency of former mayor ER Ejercito because of the volume of visitors who do the rapids tours.
* * *
More stories of these kinds at www.isah.red. Follow me on Facebook (@isahvr), Twitter (@isahvred) and Instagram (@isahvred).
