“So many men, so little time,” why this column starts with a line made famous by comedienne turned vixen and icon Mae West is because some of the most important leading men this side of local Tinseltown are making their presence felt in various motion pictures.
We start with the double beefcakes in Kasal, Derek Ramsay, and Paulo Avelino.
Beautifully photographed with a storyline you either love or hate, headlined by Bea Alonzo as Lia, a public school teacher torn between her past (Ramsay) and Avelino (present). Overtly melodramatic, Kasal is the kind of fare that can best fit the current afternoon drama staples. It also wanted to say so much on many, thus when its best breather transpired, an erotic shower scene that had no Bea in it, a seduction sequence that went awry between the two male leads Ramsay and Avelino, it made everyone go “oooh!”
Citizen Jake’s alpha pack followed suit with Atom Araullo described by film master in a Facebook post as “Perfect for the role of Jake, the self-absorbed millennial” and a “closeted movie star.” Manila’s finest character actors are in this film – Teroy Guzman, Nonie Buencamino, Adrian Alandy, Gabby Eigenmann, Richard Quan, Fernando Josef and Lou Veloso, cannot be faulted for giving life, limb, and gravitas to their respective characters and the riveting universe of Citizen Jake.
Of course, Jameson Blake in So Connected as the object of Janella Salvador’s affection created a major stir. Why so? People in the know opined that the newbie and Salvador shared a more palpable chemistry than the reel and real partnership that Janella currently shares with Elmo Magalona.
Her relationship with Elmo, without a doubt, brings out the “Mommie Dearest” ala-Joan Crawford side of Jenine Desiderio.
As the month of Flores de Mayo, Santacruzan, summer workshops and circumcisions ended, a trio con brio of hombres gave most collective hearts mega doses of kilig.
Dingdong Dantes essayed the cigarette puffing, insomniac and lonely Sid opposite the beguiling Anne Curtis in the not a love story billed as Sid and Aya.
You must really love Piolo Pascual to have survived a film by Lav Diaz, in black and white, with a four hour of running, with lines being sung with no music.
And Martin Escudero’s portrayal of Sajid in Ang Misyon proved to all that he still in the running in the dramatic lead actor department. His director Cesar Soriano proclaimed in a press gathering that Escudero, though the third choice for the role was “the best actor of his generation.”
Arriving very soon in cinemas, is Joshua Garcia, in I Love You, Hater with his reel and real love team, Julia Baretto. In the movie trailer, Garcia pretends to be a member of the pink community to hold to his “job” and Baretto, acts as his main competition. With Kris Aquino as their boss, Joshua as a character who is gleeful and gay will surely arouse a lot of curiosities. Let us pray he does the role perfectly or else, he might not get the love.
Will this season of men continues? Or will there be more powerful feminine figures that will be the center of the universe sooner than we think?
Here’s hoping that all the movies mentioned today, our dear Manila Standard readers, you gave them the love and support. Cliché, you may say about this but “tangkilikin ang sariling atin” especially our Pinoy films is a lambing that we must all do.