alex in “ina, kapatid, anak”, with senior actress ms. cherrie pie picache
alex, not a glamour boy, but an intense artist
alex with mara isabella yokohama in “palitan”
Alex Vincent Medina, or Alex Medina for short, is getting his way in.
Slowly, but surely.
He may not be a glamour boy, but his inept sex appeal can capture your soul. Plus the fact that he could ACT. He could definitely ACT.
Unti-unti na siyang napapansin sa teleseryeng “Ina, Kapatid, Anak” dahil markado ang kanyang role du’n. May misteryo sa character na ginagampanan niya. May “angst’. Hindi siya nagmukhang tanga o kawawa sa mga co-actors niyang mas lamang na sa kanya sa kasikatan at kagalingan. And that’s quite impressive enough.
alex shines his way in
Napakasuwerte niya na mabigyan ng ganu’ng kabigat na papel. Bilang isang mahiwagang lalaki na kapatid din pala ng dalawang bidang babae…
He shines.
In every scene, sa nasabing teleserye, umiigting ang kanyang pagganap. Pa-intense ng pa-intense. Kaya nakakasabik!
On May 22, Alex’s Cinema One film- “Palitan”, is going to be shown on big Metro Manila cinemas.
Sa “Palitan” din nagwagi si Alex ng Best Actor sa Cinema One Awards late last year. At ngayon, iso-showing na rin ito sa mga mainstream cinemas.
When ‘good luck’ strikes you, it strikes you HARD AND BIG.
A regular TV miniseries, plus a film- for a male newcomer is not bad at all.
alex vincent medina: this blogger’s choice and wish to play the role of VALENTIN in “Halik Ng Tarantula”.
sid lucero: his great “eye-stares” fits the chracter of VALENTIN.
MON: HE ALSO GOT THE “REBEL” LOOKS…
lance: his ‘disciplined’ ways and manners is like an intellectual, too. like the character of VALENTIN.
he’s the STRAIGHT guy willing to give a chance and bring back the love of a gay man… that kind of look fits the looks of Mr. Jonas Gruet.
JR: this theater and indie film actor also suits the great character of VALENTIN!
HIS RUGGEDNESS AND APPEAL FITS THE CHARACTER OF VALENTIN TO A “T”…JOEM BASCON!
arnold: the looks could kill, just like VALENTIN.
Sa nagdaang prescon ng “Halik Ng Tarantula’ last January 15 at Teatrino, naging topic ng usapan ang “long list” of actors na napipisil nina direk Soxie Topacio at Ms. Bb Gandanghari para gumanap sa papel na VALENTIN.
Napaka-challenging ng role na ito, lalo na sa mga papasikat pa lamang na aktor. Kapag nagampanan nila ang papel na’yun, lalo tataas ang respeto sa kanila ng mga tao.
Dahil ang karakter na ‘yun ay hindi “kabaklaan” na karakter, kundi isang napaka-artistikong karakter- that of a young political dissident and dreamer of a revolution na isang STRAIGHT, pero mapapaibig ng isang baklang cellmate niya (Yup, parehong nasa kulungan ang dalawa ng magkaibigan).
Si VALENTIN- siya ang straight na political prisoner at si MOLINA- siya ang ordinaryong bakla na nakulong dahil sa pagiging isang bakla.
Dahil sa dami ng mga araw at gabi na sila’y nagkukuwentuhan na kung saan, kadalasa’y ‘yung mga Hollywood movies na napapanood ni Molina, naging comfortable sa isa’t isa ang straght na lalaki at ang bading.
Umibig ang bading ng husto sa lalaking ka-cellmate niya. At sa kanya din nailahad ng lalaki ang mga gawaing naiwan ng kanilang grupo na dapat tapusin ni Molina kapag siya’y nakalaya na. Gagawin ni Molina ANG LAHAT-LAHAT para sa lalaking iniibig niya.
Isang HALIK. Isang halik na puno ng pagibig at pagmamahal lamang ang naging SUKLI para gawin lahat ni Molina ang mga iniutos ng lalaki. Pero iyon ang KALIGAYAHAN niya. Ginawa niya ang lahat ALANG-ALANG SA PAGIBIG!
Hanggang sa ma-salvage ng mga militar si Molina. At ang ending ng pelikulang ito ay magkikita sa langit sina MOLINA at VALENTIN.
Ang role na Velentin ay desente, pang-aktor talaga!
Kaya naman nu’ng mga oras na iyon sa naganap na prescon ng “Halik ng Tarantula”, isang aktor ang naisip naming bagay na bagay sa papel na ito. Walang iba kundi si Alex Vincent Medina.
Pero sabi ni direk Soxy, ibang mga talents ni Manny Valera (manager ni alex Vincent) ang ipinadala sa kanila para mag-audition. Which means, baka hindi na puede si Alex? Sana naman, mabigyan nila ng “second thought” ang role na iyon.
Aside from Alex, naisip din namin ang mga aktor na tulad nina Lance Raymundo, Mon Confiado, Jonas Gruet, Jr Macanas, Joem Bascon, Arnold Reyes at Sid Lucero bilang “VALENTIN”. Pero first choice talaga ng blogger na ito si Alex Vincent dahil sa kanyang looks na mukhang rebeldeng kabataan na taga-U.P. Ganu’ng dating. Pati mga mata ni Alex, kung tumingin ay matalim at malalim. Para siyang si Che Guevarra! At isa pa, matangkad din si Alex kaya hindi awkward na magsama sila ni BB Gandanghari onstage na 5’11″ ang height.
SINO KAYA ANG GAGANAP NA VALENTIN SA “HALIK NG TARANTULA”?
Ang play na ito ang first stage production ni Miss Bb Gandanghari. Ipapalabas sa unang linggo ng Marso sa Teatrino, Greenhills. Ano’ng sey mo, Rodell Fernando?
written by robert manuguid silverio
napakasuwerte mo naman, ms. bebe gandanghari. sino man sa mga aktor na iyan sa itaas ang makahalikan mo sa lips, swak na swaaaakkkkk!!!
Hindi namin inaasahan na mag-e-enjoy kami ng husto sa panonood ng teleseryeng “Ina, Kapatid, Anak” isang gabi. Iniiwasan kasi namin nung una na panoorin ito dahil ewan ba namin, medyo asiwa kami sa isang senior actress na kasama sa teleseryeng ito dahil pangit na pangit kami sa style of acting niya. Pero isang gabi, sa pang-engganyo ng aming butihing ina, pinanood namin ng buo ang isang episode ng “Ina, Kapatid, Anak”. At laking gulat namin sa aming sarili, nagustuhan namin ng husto ang teleseryeng ito! Lalo pa ang acting nina Miss Pilar Pilapil, Enchong Dee, Kim Chiu at Xian Lim.
Medyo nawala na rin ang pagka-asiwa namin sa isang medyo senior nang actress sa teleseryeng ito. Gumaganap siya bilang nanay ng isang bida dito. Nagustuhan na namin ang acting niya at medyo alam na niya na huwag “mag-overact” o masyadong “mag-characterize” dahil doon kami naaasiwa. Natuto na siyang maging SUBTLE ng kaunti sa acting.
the cast of “ina, kapatid, anak, BOOK TWO.”
Eh, ang gaganda pa naman ng mga eksena sa episode na ‘yun. Pinagtagpo-tagpo ng lola (very classy pa rin ang style ni Miss Pilar Pilapil dito maski na ‘lola’ na ang kanyang role!) ang dalawang kampo at pamilya para ma-settle na ang isyu ukol sa pagiging isang “surrogate daughter” ni Kim Chiu. Pero haun, lalo lamang nag-away-away ang lahat! Lalong naipit si Kim Chiu kung paano tutuklasin ang sarili niya! Pilit man siyang ayain ng kanyang adopted mother na si Miss Cherry Pie Picache (medyo um-okey na rin ang acting ni Ms. Picache sa teleseryeng ito at alam na niyang huwag ‘manapaw ng husto’ sa mga kaeksena niya) na umuwi na ay tumanggi pa rin si Kim. Dapat kasing malutas muna ang problema niya sa kanyang “tunay na pagkatao”.
Buti na lang, nariyan ang napakaguwapong si Xian Lim who’s always beside Kim Chiu in times of need. Nakakakilig ang mga eksena nila.
At siyempre pa, bilib din kami sa pag-arte dito ni Enchong Dee. Na-touch kami ng husto sa eksena ni Enchong kasama ang ang ina niya (na ginagampanan ni Mickey Ferriols) sa isang eksena. Kuhang-kuha ni Enchong ang proper emotions to convery his emotions in that scene na isinama niya ang kanyang ina sa bagong bahay nilang barong-barong na lang. Dati kasi silang mayaman na naghirap na.
ALEX VINCENT MEDINA joins “ina, kapatid, anak (book two).
Abangan ang nalalapit na BOOK TWO ng “Ina, Kapatid, Anak”. NAKAKASABIK! Kasi, may bago nang character na papasok- walang iba kundi si ALEX VINCENT MEDINA, ang baguhang aktor na lumilikha na ng alingangas ngayon sa mundo ng showbiz.
Ano kaya ang magiging papel ni Alex sa teleseryeng ito? Masapawan kaya niya ang mga “kagalingan at kaguwapuhan” nina Xian at Enchong? Abangan.
Go lang ng go, at abangan gabi-gabi ang “Ina, Kapatid, Anak”!
It’s only a very small film, an “indie” (independent) film… With a very small production budget, tight setting and a simple cast. And yet, “Palitan”, one of the digital film entries at Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival this year, ranked as the best movie that this blogger saw and watched in the year 2012.
The movie started with a ‘definition’, showing the male lead character – portrayed so convincingly by Alex Medina- in a series of sexual pleasures and ‘one-night-stands’ that greatly defined his weakness and being a drifter in a harsh reality of his existence. A young man whose innocence was interrupted by an early marriage and forced labor (as he worked in an electronics shop that he didn’t seem to enjoy).
His equally young wife, portrayed so subtly and graciously by Mara Lopez, was a mystery. She wanted a happy marriage life but failed to assert her individuality and ‘value’ to her husband. Deep inside her, she was wanting a greater “satisfaction” out of life.
The wife was the object of desire to the husband’s boss- so sensitively portrayed by Mon Confiado. He was the “Peeping Tom”, as he demanded Alex to videotape his wife while taking a bath as a payment to all his financial debts. But it went too far, and soon, the boss and the young wife got trapped in the web of an illicit sexual affair.
The story plot was simple but so deep. The dialogues were brief, but so vast. It was a great screenplay.
The director of the film was Ato Bautista, and he surely did a great tribute to the “Scorpio Nights” classic film of director Peque Gallaga wherein the movie was somehow inspired.
Director Bautista’s vision of the Cinema was unique, compact and suspenseful with his style of “unpredictability”.
He used Close-Up shots, compressed settings and locations, and a smooth flow of editing to convey his kind of ART. You would feel that you were really there on that tight space and setting (in this film, the setting was in Raon St., Quiapo, Manila), and intimately, you’d feel you were almost touching the skin of the characters in his film. Almost so real… So intimate, indeed.
Kudos also to the Cinematographer of this film- Mr. Rain Yamson, for applying “squeezed shots” and minimal lightings in his ‘camera eye’, because those techniques were both so effective and brilliant.
There was something, too, in lead actor Alex Medina’s eyes in this movie. As he delivered his words in the film, his eyes would speak something more. His voice trembled in a few scenes, but they were so effective in conveying a certain emotion. Alex was so penetrating in this film. No wonder, he won the Best Actor award at the Cinema One Fest Awards for this movie.
Mara Lopez exuded so much sexiness and bareness in this movie, but you won’t feel any “dirty kind of art”. Her sex scenes with both Alex and Mon were done and choreographed in diversity- with Alex, it’s like a “robot sex” and with Mon, a “passionate kind of making love”. But both were directed with taste and a delicate touch of a creative mind that certainly pleased the viewers.
Mara acted so simply, delivered her lines so naturally and exuded a great aura of subdued performance. She, too, rightfully deserved the Best Actress award for Cinema One via this film.
But the one who provided a tremendous support for this movie was Mon Confiado. His style of acting here was full of essence and magnitude. His ruggedness- OVERWHELMING.
Mon was like a wet towel (in this film) and you could squeeze so much juicy talent and greatness in him as an actor. This was one of his greatest performances on screen.
Now, you ask again, why did “Palitan” became the best film for this blogger in the year 2012?
My answer: I hadn’t seen a movie that’s so real, so powerful and so imaginative as this. Even the ending shocked me. It’s the most original vision of a movie that I had ever seen.
Try to catch this film on DVD’s or any future screenings and you’ll know why.
“PALITAN”, the best Filipino film for the year 2012- for me. It’s my choice, and dare not contest it, okey?
THEY MINGLED WITH SHOWBIZ PEOPLE WITH GREAT SENSE OF STYLE AND UPBRINGING.
THEY WERE THE MALE CELEBRITIES WHO STOOD-OUT IN THE YEAR 2012, NOT JUST WITH THEIR GREATNESS AS CELEBRITIES, BUT ALSO WITH THEIR GREAT SENSE OF FASHION & STYLE.
MEET MY OWN LIST OF CHOICES.
MEN WHO MATTERED.
MEN WHO DRESSED-UP SO WELL IN THE YEAR 2012!
MY “TOP TEN BEST-DRESSED MALE CELEBRITIES FOR 2012″!
(“These are my own personal choices, and not to be contested by anyone, ok?”— from sip & sip.)
1.) BOY ABUNDA- Mr. Boy Abunda’s consistency as a good dresser made him land the number one position for our Top Ten Best-Dressed Male Celebrity this year. It could clearly be seen all-throughout the year 2012 in his weekly TV talk show- “The Buzz”. His stylist should be credited, but Kuya Boy’s own way of carrying his clothes with great ease and comfort should not be denied.
2.) XIAN LIM- His lean body & splendid male torso made him carry his clothes so well- may it be rugged or formal. His debonaire looks added charm, too, with the way he carried his clothes in the year 2012.
3.) ALEX VINCENT MEDINA- This award-winning indie film actor is such a good dresser. He carried his coat & tie outfit so well when he appeared onstage to get his Best Actor trophy for the movie “Palitan” at Cinema One Digitals Film Festival awards night.
4.) LUIS MANZANO- Always so clean, so cosmopolitan, so enhancing. It’s visibly seen on his weekly game show on channel 2. A fashionable man.
5.) JOHN LLOYD CRUZ- He may still have to loosen-up more those unwanted baby fats, but John Llloyd Cruz always looks so much of a great dresser, especially that coat & tie he wore during the Star Magic Ball 2012.
6.) DINGDONG DANTES- His TV home studio should look at Dingdong’s formal character-type, rather than his rugged looks. This actor is clean and wholesome, even with the way he carried himself. No more shabby looks to Dingdong and he’s such a great corporate celebrity man.
7.) MIKAEL DAEZ- This ramp model walks the way a real ramp model walks. He’s oozing with sex appeal in short-sleeved polo shirts.
8.) ENRIQUE GIL- Stylish, statuesque, magnificent-looking young man in jeans and formal wear.
9.) JM DE GUZMAN- This actor has improved a lot with his choice of clothes to wear. But he really looked so great in shirts and denim pants.
10.) MON CONFIADO- When this actor entered a room full of people, especially during the grand press conference of Cinema One Filmfest, you will be awed with the way he carried himself in a black coat!
alex, while he sits, someone asks: “can you please be the picker of a broken rose?”
He was sitting and as if, waiting for someone at the receiving lounge area of 9501 restaurant at 14th floor of ELJ Towers at ABS-CBN Compound…
He looked somewhat serious, somewhat mystifying…
“Now that I saw you…”
****
He managed to smile back when a blogger smilingly looked at him in a friendly manner.
Somehow, one could feel, there’s something inside this young man that no one else saw- an undiscovered art, maybe… or, a soul that could be a saviour to a broken ‘rose’…
And there he was… as he played around with his co-actors- so childishly, inside the restaurant’s main hall. He giggled, he hugged females, smiled at the cameras…
He mingled with ease and tenderness to all the others.
And, as the event on that afternoon ended, he boyishly smiled when somebody complimented how good-looking he was.
Question:
How did he get the part on the most controversial film on Cinema One Originals 2012- “Palitan”?
“I simply wanted to try at first”, he answered. “So I auditioned for any possible roles there. But I was shocked to know - ako pala ang nakuha. It really surprised me!
“Lalo na nu’ng malaman ko na ‘yung pinaka-lead role pa pala ang nakuha ko“, Alex further added. “I thought I got the other role na support lang. But I got the lead part.”
And when Alex was given the script of the movie “Palitan”, he was all the more astounded.
“Ang ganda nito!“, Alex said again to the blogger interviewing him briefly. “That’s what I said to myself when I was already reading the script. My role was very challenging. It’s rare for a performing artist like me to be given that kind of role.”
And we learned, his role is that of ‘street-smart’ guy who would allow his boss (played by Mon Confiado) to video-tape his wife (played by Mara Lopez) while she’s taking a shower, as a payment for the money he owed to his boss. But other conflicts arose in the story, and many dramatic, violent & naked scenes howled-over Alex’s character in the film “Palitan”.
Another question: How naked was he in the film?
“Nilakasan ko na lang ang loob ko! Ha- ha!“, he quickly answered. “But we couldn’t reveal yet those scenes. Surprise daw… Maybe, a couple of butt-cheeks scenes… Yay.”
In case you still don’t know, Alex is the son of veteran film, stage & TV actor Pen Medina. He’s the middle child- the third child, among Pen’s five kids. His brother, Ping Medina, also acts.
Alex, by the way, is also included in three other Cinema One film entries- “Mariposa (Sa Hawla Ng Gabi)” directed by Richard Somes, wherein he played a very unique role, “Pascalina” directed by Pam Miras and “Supremo” (an exhibition entry to Cinema One Originals Filmfest).
In “Palitan”, he was so happy to be directed by Ato Bautista, and he felt so much bonded with his co-stars Mon Confiado and Mara Isabella Lopez.
Catch a glimpse on Alex… and imagine him – in an ‘illusional’ dream- as, … the picker of a BROKEN ROSE?
