BARBIE Forteza was initially intimidated being directed by the formidable filmmaker Joel Lamangan in “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” that opens in theaters on November 8.
“Pareho kami ng katambal kong si Ken Chan na first time maidirek niya so ingat na ingat kami,” she said. “Nakaka-pressure, kaya kahit gusto naming magbiruan sa set, behaved muna kami. Pero okay naman pala, marami kaming natutuhan sa kanya lalo na tungkol sa pagdadrama.”
The story starts when she and Ken are still students, but Ken breaks her heart and she ends up crying. Later on, Barbie becomes a broadcast journalist and she is assigned to interview Ken. They meet again, Ken says “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter,” but will he be true to his word or break Barbie’s heart again?
Also starring in the movie is Kim Rodriguez, with whom Barbie has something in common. They’re both ex-girlfriends of Kiko Estrada. How did they interact during the shooting?
“Okay naman kami ni Kim,” Barbie replied, laughing. “Okay na okay actually kami kasi pareho naman kaming happy sa mga buhay namin ngayon and never naming napag-usapan ang ex namin.”
We asked director Joel Lamangan how he’ll size up Barbie and Ken as actors.
“Mahusay na mga bata sina Barbie at Ken,” he said. “I think they are the best of their generation. Mabait na, maganda pa ang attitude towards their work. Malayo ang mararating nilang dalawa sa sining ng pag-arte.”
***
Cristine Reyes used to play sexy roles but now that she’s a wife and mother, she’s more careful with the roles she does. She is currently busy with two new movies: “Seven Sundays” for Star Cinema and the horror flick “Spirit of the Glass 2, The Haunted” that opens on All Saints’ Day. How is this different from past scary films she did before, like “Pasiyam,” “Barang,” “Patient X,” “Tumbok” and “Elemento”?
“Marami kami ritong tinakot nung multo,” she said. “Kami ng friends kong sina Maxine Medina, Benjamin Alves, Daniel Matsunaga na siyang kapareha ko, Ash Ortega and Enrico Cuenca. And the special effects here, talagang latest technology ang ginamit to make sure the audiences will really get scared.”
Aside from this, she’s also doing another movie with Viva Films.
“Yes, I’m so happy and thankful dahil maraming movie projects. Lahat ‘yan, blessings. Puede ko ngang i-claim na happy in love na ako, happy pa rin sa career.”
It’s good her husband, Ali Kathibi, is not complaining that she no longer has time for their family, especially their daughter Amara. “Busy rin siya since he has also joined showbiz and has acted in films like ‘Double Barrel’ and ‘Pagsanib kay Leah de la Cruz.’ He’s now also in the cast of ABS-CBN’s primetime teleserye, ‘Luna Sangre.’ I’m really glad kasi ang mga director na naka-work niya, lahat sila, sinasabing magaling siya.
“Okay naman kami pagdating sa time management. Siempre, priority pa rin ang aming family na siya ring dahilan kaya ayoko na magpa-sexy, lalo’t may daughter na ako.”
***
Daniel Matsunaga is Cristine Reyes’ leading man in “Spirit of the Glass 2.” He’s really busy as he’s also in the cast of “Fallback” with Rhian Ramos and Zanjoe Marudo, and the Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “Meant to Beh,” with Vic Sotto, Dawn Zulueta and Andrea Torres.
When asked about Erich Gonzalez, Daniel tried his best to avoid the issue. “I don’t want to talk about the past anymore,” he said. “Past is past, ‘di ba? Also, she’s not part of our movie, so let’s just move on.”
Did they see each other at the Star Magic Ball?
“Yes, we did, and I said hi. Pero huwag na lang natin palakihin kasi this has been going forever na and it’s so tiring kasi it’s done, it’s past na.”
He seems to be more friendly with another ex, Heart Evangelista, as there’s a video showing him, Heart and her husband, Sen. Chiz Escudero, together. “Yes. Masaya naman. As you can see sa video, we’re fine with each other. We’ve remained friends and I met her husband so, you know, we have no problem at all.”
How is it doing a horror flick like “Spirit of the Glass 2”?
“We enjoyed working together nina Cristine and the big cast. But in the old house in Laguna where we shot the movie, there’s a room na when you enter, the feeling is so heavy, mabigat, eerie, parang you can feel a presence. And we learned later na doon pala namatay ‘yung owner ng house. We asked the caretakers and they said may nakikita talaga sila roon.”
***
After the blockbuster “Kita Kita,” Alessandra de Rossi now stars in another romantic flick simply titled “12,” with a totally new leading man, Ivan Padilla. She herself wrote the script of “12.”
“Actually, nabuo ang project na ito before ‘Kita Kita’ pa,” she said. “Hindi lang nagawa agad kasi wala kaming mapiling leading man ni Direk Dondon Santos so he posted on social media kung sino ang puede kong maging leading man. May naglagay ng picture ni Ivan who was introduced in ‘I00 Tulad Para kay Stella’ as Hunter, one of the boyfriends ni Bela Padilla, and when I saw him, sabi ko, ‘Direk, may leading man na tayo.’”
How did “Kita Kita” change her life?
“Wala namang nagbago sa buhay ko. Siguro, sa ibang tao, nabago ang tingin nila kasi box office hit yung movie.
Pero ako, wala talaga akong pakialam. Like itong ‘12,’ I don’t say na dapat parang ‘Kita Kita’ ito. Unang-una, magkaiba sila.
‘Kita Kita’ is rom-com. Ito namang ‘12’ is rom-drama, romantic drama. Hindi ito pambata, so hindi sila puedeng pagkumparahin. Nahihiya nga ako kay Boss Vic pero sabi niya, gusto niya talagang gawin ito kasi naniniwala siya sa project.
This is a story about the relationship between two people.
Buong kuwento, sa amin lang ni Ivan tumakbo as Erika and Anton.
We start out as friends, for 5 years, then naging magkarelasyon kami, for 7 years, so that’s a total of 12 years, na siyang title ng movie.
Through it all, it’s like a roller coaster ride of emotions. He’s a director of TV commercials at ako naman, band singer who gives up my career para maging stay-at-home partner niya. So dumating ang time na he proposes marriage to me. Tatanggapin ko ba o hindi, especially after I realized I gave him all my life at siya na lang lagi ang nasusunod?”
So how would she rate the acting of Ivan?
“Ang galing niya. Sabi ko nga, favorite actor ko na siya. Iba yata talaga kapag galing Hollywood kasi nag-aral daw siya roon ng acting for 10 years
. Gusto ko talaga, magaling na aktor ang kabatuhan ko ng linya. May mga eksena kami, emosyonal, sobrang galing niya, sabi ko kay Direk Dondon, dapat malampasan ko ‘yan. Subtle na lang ako, hindi ako iiyak, tulala na lang ako. Sabi ko nga sa kanya, ‘Puede ba ko sa Hollywood?’”
“Sisikat ka run,” Ivan told her. “I saw ‘Kita Kita’ and I was blown away by her performance. After watching her, parang nahiya ako sa kanya. Hanga ako sa kanya kasi she gets totally lost in her character, putting her heart and soul into it.
Sa set, comedy kami kahit we’re doing drama. Before the take, tawanan kami nang tawanan, pero pag take na, biglang serious, and after the take, tawanan uli. I really enjoyed working with her and I’m proud of our movie so don’t miss it on November 8.”
