Post by admin on Jun 16, 2005 14:07:25 GMT 8
Nasaan Ka Man,’ a love story and a thriller too
Manila Bulletin Online
June 16, 2005
Basically it’s a love story, but Star Cinema’s latest movie "Nasaan Ka Man" is also a suspense thriller but the suspense in it is just a texture, according to first-time film director Cholo Laurel who also co-wrote the story with Ricky Lee.
Cholo also said the story was inspired by several films but is not a direct adaptation of any one of them. "Ngayon naman eh very few na lang ang mga movies with original stories..."
The movies that Cholo said inspired him were "Wuthering Heights," "The Others," "Hush, Hush Sweet Carlotta and even Nick Joaquin’s "Portrait of an Artist as Filipino."
In the cast of the movie are respected and tried thespians like Claudine Barretto, Jericho Rosales, Diether Ocampo, Gloria Diaz and Hilda Koronel.
(To recall, Gloria and Hilda both figured prominently at the start of the 70s. Gloria just won as Miss Universe, the first Filipina to win the title; and Hilda was a promising young actress and teen star. They were considered to be two of the most beautiful women in the country. Hilda proved to be a good actress, one of the country’s finest and most respected and of international standards. Gloria, on the other hand, Gloria became a box-office sensation in Philippine cinema, churning out one hit after another, with the country’s top leading men.
(During the next decade, the two maintained staying power but their private lives were also stormy and were of public knowledge. During the 80’s, Hilda was known as a respected but temperamental "Brocka" actress who still commanded leading roles with the country’s leading dramatic actors; Gloria was known as a "Zialcita" actress who also reinvented herself as a comedienne and top TV star.
(After 35 years, they’re still around, as durable and dependable as ever. Hilda bagged several awards for "Crying Ladies," and Gloria also won several acting awards (including the Urian) the past few years for her work in"Rizal" and "Batang West Side.")
So in "Nasaan Ka Man," it’s a casting coup of sort. And considering that Cholo is a newcomer, he was nervous at first, he said, and so before they started shooting, he had to talk to each one of them. After that, they became comfortable with one another so filming went on smoothly. In the supporting cast are Irma Adlawan, Katherine Luna, Jhong Hilario, SCQ Batch 1’s Neri Naig, and Dante Rivero.
Originally entitled "Lihim," the movie is about two spinster sisters played by Gloria and Hilda who adopted three persons (Jericho, Diether and Claudine). They are religious women, but they also know how to enjoy life. They drink, they smoke and have fun.
But complications crop up when their adopted children fall in love with each other. Nothing wrong really, because they are not blood relatives, but there are still complications somewhere somehow.
Cholo, by the way, was trained as a commercial director, someone who has an eye for details and who tells his story in lush visuals that enhance the smooth narration. So what can the stars of "Nasaan Ka Man" say about him?
Claudine: "I was intiminated at first. But when I read the script, I had to admit to myself it was a brilliant script and so I readily accepted it..." This is Claudine’s first movie after winning as Best Actress (for another Star Cinema presentation "Milan") at the recent Luna Awards of the 23rd Film Academy Awards.
Gloria Diaz: "Well, aside from being handsome? He is very good, and I liked him even more because he gave instructions in English..."
Diether Ocampo: "He has new fresh ideas and he uses not the traditional approach that we normally see in movies...basta, the finish produce will vouch for his capacity. ‘Nasaan Ka Man’ will really marked him as a good director...you won’t forget this film."
A romantic movie for all ages, "Nasaan Ka Man" is the first major dramatic film for 2005 and is also Star Cinema’s 12th anniversary grand offering.
By the way, "Nasaan Ka Man" earned a "B" rating from the Cinema Evaluation Board which also specifically mentioned that in the movie "the acting was uniformly topnotch. The script, editing, cinematography and the production design were excellent. Cholo Laurel was able, sensitive and imaginative."
"Nasaan Ka Man" was shot in Baguio City, in a setting which added to the story’s gothic-suspense-romantic-thriller appeal.
Catch the movie in your favorite theaters. It opened last Wednesday.
Manila Bulletin Online
June 16, 2005
Basically it’s a love story, but Star Cinema’s latest movie "Nasaan Ka Man" is also a suspense thriller but the suspense in it is just a texture, according to first-time film director Cholo Laurel who also co-wrote the story with Ricky Lee.
Cholo also said the story was inspired by several films but is not a direct adaptation of any one of them. "Ngayon naman eh very few na lang ang mga movies with original stories..."
The movies that Cholo said inspired him were "Wuthering Heights," "The Others," "Hush, Hush Sweet Carlotta and even Nick Joaquin’s "Portrait of an Artist as Filipino."
In the cast of the movie are respected and tried thespians like Claudine Barretto, Jericho Rosales, Diether Ocampo, Gloria Diaz and Hilda Koronel.
(To recall, Gloria and Hilda both figured prominently at the start of the 70s. Gloria just won as Miss Universe, the first Filipina to win the title; and Hilda was a promising young actress and teen star. They were considered to be two of the most beautiful women in the country. Hilda proved to be a good actress, one of the country’s finest and most respected and of international standards. Gloria, on the other hand, Gloria became a box-office sensation in Philippine cinema, churning out one hit after another, with the country’s top leading men.
(During the next decade, the two maintained staying power but their private lives were also stormy and were of public knowledge. During the 80’s, Hilda was known as a respected but temperamental "Brocka" actress who still commanded leading roles with the country’s leading dramatic actors; Gloria was known as a "Zialcita" actress who also reinvented herself as a comedienne and top TV star.
(After 35 years, they’re still around, as durable and dependable as ever. Hilda bagged several awards for "Crying Ladies," and Gloria also won several acting awards (including the Urian) the past few years for her work in"Rizal" and "Batang West Side.")
So in "Nasaan Ka Man," it’s a casting coup of sort. And considering that Cholo is a newcomer, he was nervous at first, he said, and so before they started shooting, he had to talk to each one of them. After that, they became comfortable with one another so filming went on smoothly. In the supporting cast are Irma Adlawan, Katherine Luna, Jhong Hilario, SCQ Batch 1’s Neri Naig, and Dante Rivero.
Originally entitled "Lihim," the movie is about two spinster sisters played by Gloria and Hilda who adopted three persons (Jericho, Diether and Claudine). They are religious women, but they also know how to enjoy life. They drink, they smoke and have fun.
But complications crop up when their adopted children fall in love with each other. Nothing wrong really, because they are not blood relatives, but there are still complications somewhere somehow.
Cholo, by the way, was trained as a commercial director, someone who has an eye for details and who tells his story in lush visuals that enhance the smooth narration. So what can the stars of "Nasaan Ka Man" say about him?
Claudine: "I was intiminated at first. But when I read the script, I had to admit to myself it was a brilliant script and so I readily accepted it..." This is Claudine’s first movie after winning as Best Actress (for another Star Cinema presentation "Milan") at the recent Luna Awards of the 23rd Film Academy Awards.
Gloria Diaz: "Well, aside from being handsome? He is very good, and I liked him even more because he gave instructions in English..."
Diether Ocampo: "He has new fresh ideas and he uses not the traditional approach that we normally see in movies...basta, the finish produce will vouch for his capacity. ‘Nasaan Ka Man’ will really marked him as a good director...you won’t forget this film."
A romantic movie for all ages, "Nasaan Ka Man" is the first major dramatic film for 2005 and is also Star Cinema’s 12th anniversary grand offering.
By the way, "Nasaan Ka Man" earned a "B" rating from the Cinema Evaluation Board which also specifically mentioned that in the movie "the acting was uniformly topnotch. The script, editing, cinematography and the production design were excellent. Cholo Laurel was able, sensitive and imaginative."
"Nasaan Ka Man" was shot in Baguio City, in a setting which added to the story’s gothic-suspense-romantic-thriller appeal.
Catch the movie in your favorite theaters. It opened last Wednesday.