Dante Mendoza: Chronicler of the sordid life of the downtrodden

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Dream Factory

HOW come it took so long before Mark Herras was given a new series after "Paano Ba ang Mangarap?" whereas his partner Jennylyn Mercado was featured in "SRO Cinemaserye" and "Dear Friend"?

"Hindi ko rin po alam," he says. "Bale three months ding 'SOP' lang ang ginagawa ko. At least, nakapahinga ako. But GMA did send me to the US to do shows to promote GMA Pinoy TV. Pero I'm happy na balik-tambalan kami ni Jen on primetime in 'Ikaw Sana,' which also reunites us with our 'Mangarap' director, Joel Lamangan."

So how is it working with Jen again?

"I always enjoy working with her. Everybody says bagay talaga kami and we haven't lost our chemistry. We're now more at ease with each other, unlike before na may mga ilangan at tampuhan pa."
Is there no possibility for their love affair to be rekindled?

"Everything is possible and I'm not closing the doors. My past relationship with her is the longest that I had with any girl kasi halos two years din kami. At mas maganda nga siya ngayon, mas sexy. So kung mababalik yung dati, why not? Baka mas magtagal na kasi we're both more mature now."

Would he say to Jen their new show's title "Ikaw Sana"?

"Di ba puede siya ang magsabi sa'kin na sana ako na lang?" he laughs.

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Beauty queen Janina San Miguel, who's managed by Manny Valera,was the first contender to be eliminated from "Celebrity Duets, Season 3."

"Okay lang, pero napaiyak pa rin ako kasi pinaghirapan ko bawat kanta ko," she says. "I did my best kaya the judges were consistent in their positive comments for me. Siguro, sa text votes ako natalo. Wala kasi akong maraming friends who'd vote for me."

Previous beauty queens who were also eliminated when they joined "Celebrity Duets 1 and 2" were Melanie Marquez and Carlene Aguilar. Does this mean title holders like them aren't good singers?

"Siguro people say magpa-beauty na lang kami. May beauty queen na bang sumikat din as a singer?"

Wonder who among the remaining eight candidates will be ousted this Saturday. Will it be Gina Alajar, Niccolo Cosme, Maxie Cinco, Mikaela Bilbao, Joel Cruz, Jomari Yllana, Akihiro Sato or boxing champ Nonito Donaire?

Honestly, we're surprised by Gina Alajar's chutzpah. Last Saturday, she did a rousing rendition of "Ispageting Pataas" with Yvette of the Sex Bomb and she really had a good time gyrating like a dancerin her frilly white dress and wig. You could say she really let her hair down and you'd never suspect she's a multi-award winning actress.

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We sawthe special screening ofDante Mendoza's Venice filmfest entry, "Lola." It's great moviemaking but it left us feeling sad about the plight of poor people in our country, living such a marginalized existence.Dante's works are not feel-good flicks that just aim to entertain.This film is definitely not commercial as you get quite depressed after watching it. Dante obviously has foreign audiences in mind when he madethis (also "Kinatay," more about this in a later column) as his films will cater mainly to limited arthouse audiences.

"Lola" is the story of two grandmas. It opens with Lola Sepa (Anita Linda) fighting strong winds to light a candle at the foot of Quiapo bridge where her grandson was killed by a cellphone snatcher. We thensee her going to a funeral parlor looking for a cheap coffin for the dead teen. That scene where the hand-held camera (a distinctive style of Dante) follows her through a dark and narrow corridor until she chances upon the cadaver of the dead boy in the morgue is so asphyxiatingly heartrending.

Lola Puring (Rustica Carpio) is the grandma of the young snatcher, Mateo (Ketchup Eusebio), who stabbed the boy dead. A sidewalk vendor who lives with her other grandson, Bebong (Jhong Hilario), and an invalid son, she tries her best tohave Mateo released from jail. She cheats on her customers, pawns their property, goes to a relative in the province and ends up selling at the train stationall the goods she got as a present. Rustica has played supporting roles before, especially at Seiko Films when she was still with the MTRCB. She gets the role of her career here in "Lola" and delivers a solid, touching performance that should merit a best actress nomination.

Dante's camera chronicles the sordid urban life of the downtrodden in Manila. It's always raining in the film and Anita Linda is shown living in a place called Sitio Ilog that's perpetually flooded. The funeral scene leaves haunting images of the mourners in several bancas with the white casket traveling along with them in the flooded streets. Dante's style is more like that of an observer. He doesn't give too many details about thecharacters (for instance, we don't knowmuch about the family history ofboth grandmas) but what is established is that in our society, it's clearly the women who try their best to solve their family's problems and keep all its memberstogether.

You may or may not agree with the ending (which is also a comment on our justice system, just like the comedy "Last Supper No. 3") but it will leave you disturbed. Viewers who go only for generic romantic films with their usual happy ending will surely be alienated. But if you go for meaningful films about the human condition, "Lola" is something you will appreciate.

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Stardom didn't come to Sheena Halili on a silver platter. She worked hard for it and has paid her dues. After "Starstruck," she wasn't given any meaty roles until her knack for comedy was discovered in "Marimar" and "Kim Sam Soon," then in "La Lola" and "Zorro." She also helps host "Pinoy Records" with Chris Tiu, is inthe cast of"Yaya and Angelina, The Spoiled Brat Movie,"and plays Carla Abellana's best friend in "Rosalinda."Now, GMA-7 finally gives her a chance to play a lead role in "SRO Presents Reunion," where she's paired with her former "Starstruck" squeeze Rainier Castillo.

"Ang daming blessings kaya panay ang pasalamat ko kay Lord," she says.

They say love is lovelier the second time around. Will it work for her and Rainier?

"Hindi na," says Sheena. "He admits he now has a non-showbiz girlfriend. Kaya tigilan na yang balikan. No such thing will happen. The important thing is we have a good working relationship at di na kami naiilang o nag-iiwasansa isa't isa."

What if Rainier introduces to her his new girlfriend?

"Why not? Lagot siya dahil marami akong ikukuwento about him sa syota niya. Hindi ko naman siya exactly sisiraan, slight lang," she laughs.

"Reunion" starts tonight on GMA 7 after "Survivor Palau."

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Eda Nolan is a regular in "Katorse" and she understands the plight of the character that Erich Gonzalez plays in the soap, that of an unwed teenage mom. "What happened to her happened to me in real life," she says. "To any girl who'd experience the same situation, I advice them to keep the baby and take responsibility for what happened to her. Now, I have a very happy family."

Her baby's dad is teen actor Gian Carlos. "The difference between Nene (Erich's character) is that pinanindigan ni Gian ang baby ko, unlike Nene na ayaw panagutan ni Ejay Falcon."

Eda will be playing in "The Singing Bee" this Sunday after "Goin Bulilit" and hopes to win big for the sake of their child. She is paired with teen stars Empress Schuck and Andi Guck (daughter of Jaclyn Jose). They'll compete with Jon Avila, Marvin Raymundo and Will Devaughn of Coverboys; Kristel Moreno, Helga Krapft and Auriette Divina of Full Circle, sexy girls Krista Ranillo, Bangs Garcia and Aiza Marquez and teen boys Sam Concepcion, Alwyn Uytingco and Enrique Gil.

On Saturday after "Tiyagong Akyat," the special guests are Danny, Jim and Buboy of the APO, with OPM bands Rivermaya, Pupil, Itchyworms, Live Tilapia and UpDharma Down battling for the P2 million cash prize. Host Cesar Montano is ecstatic as last weekend, "Singing Bee" rated a very high 23 plus percent on both days. You can jam with the show's Beekada at thesingingbeehive.multiply.com.

Source: Malaya