Love on rebound

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Freehand

TWO young couples who used to be committed to each other topbill "SRO Cinemaserye Presents Reunion" starting this Thursday: Jennica Garcia-Mart Escudero and Sheena Halili-Rainier Castillo. "Para masaya at magka-reunion nga sila pati sa kanilang relasyon," says executive producer Otep Buncalan.

So are they really engaged in balikan blues? "Du'n kami papunta sa balikan," says Mart. "Sa'ming dalawa, ako ang malakas ang loob. Alam kong may pag-asa ang panliligaw ko uli sa kanya. "

"Ang lakas ng hangin!" Jennica quips. "For me, mas masaya ako ngayon na mas madalas kami nakakapag-usap kaysa noon. "

Sheena and Rainier became an item during their StarStruck 1 days but Sheena says Rainier suddenly stopped communicating with her and they didn't speak to each other for sometime. "Nagkaayos lang kami when we were paired some months ago sa 'Dear Friend'. Masaya akong kasama siya ngayon, pero tungkol sa balikan, si Lord na ang bahala diyan. "

"Mas masaya talaga ko kapag kasama siya," says Rainier. "Sana nga, magtuluy-tuloy na ito. "

In "Reunion," Sheena and Jennica play losers in their class who pretend they have become rich and successful when they attend their high school reunion. The truth is they're just alalays of Jose Manalo. Also in the cast are Jade Lopez and Steff Prescott as the mean girls, Kevin Santos, Patani and John Lapus as Ricky Tienes, directed by Soxie Topacio.

IZA FILMFEST
Iza Calzado is proud the movie she did in Hollywood, "The Echo", with American stars Jesse Bradford and Amelia Warner, will be released here by Viva Films. "At least, local viewers now have the chance to watch kung ano 'yung pinaghirapan naming gawin sa abroad," she says.

Both "The Echo" and "Yaya and Angelina" will open on the same playdate, September 23. "O, daig ko pa ang may film festival on that day," she quips. "I hope moviegoers will watch both of my films. "

Iza is really one busy actress. In "Yaya and Angelina, The Spoiled Brat Movie," she plays another unique role as the visiting Duchess of Wellington who becomes the object of an assassination attempt so she'd be saved by Ogie Alcasid and Michael V. She's also Sen. Bong Revilla's leading lady in the Metro filmfest entry, "Ang Panday," and she's doing a new afternoon soap, the TV remake of Maricel Soriano's hit "Kaya Kong Abutin ang Langit," which is starting at the same time as Sunshine Dizon's "Tinik sa Dibdib. " "Kaya nga siguro kami naiintrigang nag-aaway dahil doon. Ngayon pa lang daw, nagtatalo na sa internet ang fans namin comparing us with one another. Sana, suportahan nila ang both shows para parehong mag-rate, As for me ni Sunshine, we're not competing with each other at all. "

When Iza celebrated her birthday recently, she spent it with friends Alfred Vargas, Mylene Dizon, Rhian Ramos, Isabel Oli, Joey Mead and DJ Toni at the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Village in Sitio Pajo, QC. She's involved with GK Sibol program for children 3 to 6 years old to help guide them to have a more fruitful and meaningful life through value-based quality education.

AUDITIONS FOR STARSTRUCK, PBB ONGOING
BOTH GMA7 and ABS-CBN are now conducting auditions nationwide for their next reality star search, "StarStruck 5" and "Pinoy Big Brother 3. " Both are meant to start airing in October but ABS has a headstart as they began to conduct their auditions earlier. From about 60,000 applicants, they've trimmed it to 50 and the 16 finalists will be presented to the public on October 4. Let's see who got the better looking and more talented contestants between the two shows. And which one will rate higher once they start airing on primetime.

So far in PBB, the winners didn't really hit it big in showbiz, like Nene Tamayo and Bea Saw. It's Sam Milby who's just an additional contestant in PBB 1 who became a big star. In the teen edition, it's the love team of Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson that became very popular. In StarStruck, only the first winners, Mark Herras and Jennylyn Mercado, who really made it. StarStruck 2 and 3 have yet to make it while winners from Batch 4, Aljur Abrenica and Kris Bernal, are now being launched to big screen stardom in "Nandito Ako, Nagmamahal Sa'Yo. "

JEAN NO CRADLE SNATCHER
Jean Garcia is flattered to learn that younger guys like Paulo Avelino have a crush on her, which is nothing new since she's been linked to John Lloyd Cruz and Polo Ravales before. "Ang haba ng hair ko, huh," she says. "Kaya lang, tigilan na 'yan.

Ayokong matawag na cradle snatcher. I don't know Paulo personally. May nagsabi lang sa'kin na crush niya nga ako. Pero 'yung daughter ko na lang, si Jennica, 'wag na ko. "

Jean is more concerned about her new villain role in "Stairway to Heaven" as Maita Aragon, the imperious stepmom of female lead Jodi (played by Barbie Forteza as a child and Rhian Ramos as a grownup). "Grabeng kalupitan ko rito kasi bata pa si Jodi, binubugbog ko na," she says. "Sumakit nga ang palad ko sa kasasampal. In one scene, limang beses ko siya sinampal. Ayaw naman ni Direk Joyce Bernal na dayain lang. Kaya naman after each take, niyayakap ko agad si Barbie at nagso-sorry ako sa kanya. Sana lang, 'wag personalin ng viewers ang role ko. Kasi before, naging malupit din ako sa bata as Miss Minchin in 'Princess Sarah', pero hindi ako nananakit. Dito, nanggugulpi talaga ako at nakakapagod din, huh. Pero trabaho lang ang lahat kaya wag akong kamuhian nyo. Magalit kayo kay Direk Joyce, utos niya yun sa'kin. Nung mapanood ko 'yung original Korean version, na-realized ko na ang sama-sama ng character ko, pero gusto ni Direk Joyce, mas lampasan ko pa ang kasamaan niyon. "

MOVIE REVIEW: 'MANAGEMENT'
FANS of Jennifer Aniston who miss her "Friends" screen persona, Rachel, will enjoy her new movie, "Management," as she reprises it in her role here as Sue Claussen, tempered with her title role in "The Good Girl". The directorial debut of screenwriter Stephen Belber, it's a romantic comedy about two people who are basically both losers.

Sue travels around selling cheap artworks. In the small town of Kingman, Arizona, she meets Mike (Steve Zahn), who lives a dull existence as night manager in the roadside motel where she stays. The motel is owned by Mike's parents and he lives in one of its rooms. Both Sue and Mike have contentedly settled in their own comfort zones, but when Mike meet Sue, he gets truly enamoured with her and follows her to her office in Maryland. They spend some time together then Mike is told to return to Arizona. But he later follows her to Washington State. By this time, she has resigned from her work and has shacked up with Jango (Woody Harrelson), a former boyfriend and punk rocker who has become a successful businessman.

The script of this film will never pass the Star Cinema template for rom-coms. To begin with, the leads who come from two different worlds are not even seen spending much time together before it sputters to the pre-destined happy ending. Jennifer goes missing in some parts of the movie while Zahn is in search of himself going to a Buddhist monastery and on a skydiving expedition.

What makes the film watchable is the fine performance of the two leads. Zahn plays Mike as a slacker who doesn't have much drive and just settles for what he has. In Maryland, he ends up sleeping on the floor of Sue's sala. In Washington, a Chinese guy, Al (James Liao, a scene stealer), takes pity on him and makes him sleep in their basement surrounded by restaurant supplies, just like home. Zahn inhabits the role perfectly as he has specialized in playing wide-eyed puppy and sad sack parts like this in "Saving Silverman" and "Employee of the Month. "

Jennifer (who co-produces the film) also succeeds to make her character sympathetic even if Sue doesn't really know what to do with her life and her future. Sue tells the sad part of his life to Mike's mom (Margo Martindale) and Jennifer makes sure she gives a balanced portrayal that never spins out of control. And in all fairness to Jennifer and Zahn, they do seem to have a strange chemistry that makes this erratic love story seemingly plausible.

Source: People's Journal