A US vacation for Richard

RICHARD Gutierrez is leaving on February 17, after the opening of his “The Promise” on Valentine’s Day, for a well-deserved vacation in the States. “After taping for ‘Captain Barbell’ almost every day for eight months, then shooting ‘Mano Po 5’ and ‘The Promise,’ I feel I’m really entitled to take a rest,” he says.

He’s going with his parents and brother Elvis to L.A. then to New York City. He’s excited as it’s his first trip to the Big Apple. “Lagi lang kami sa West Coast so going to the East Coast is something new to me. Kaya lang, sobra raw ang lamig ng winter doon ngayon.”

Upon his return, Richard will go back to work for his new show, “Lupin,” where he is paired with Katrina Halili, Rhian Ramos, Ehra Madrigal plus another new girl whose identity is still a mystery. For “Lupin,” GMA-7 is getting him his own stylist who will look after look his wardrobe and hair style.

Richard is confident that his Valentine movie with Angel Locsin, “The Promise,” will be a big hit. “We both gave it my best,” he says. “This is my most dramatic film so far and I even have a breakdown scene na talagang pinag-aralan ko muna nang husto before we shot it.”

Richard Gutierrez and Angel Locsin play their first mature roles

Handa na sina Richard Gutierrez at Angel Locsin para sa kanilang
kauna-unahang mature roles sa pelikulang The Promise.

The Promise is jointly produced again by Regal Films and GMA Films—
the same tandem that gave us the last two years' hit Valentine
movies, Let The Love Begin and I Will Always Love You, na sina
Richard and Angel din ang mga bida. This time, The Promise will
actually be shown on Valentine's Day, February 14.

The Promise is a loose remake of Reyna Films' Hihintayin Kita Sa
Langit (1991) of Carlos Siguion-Reyna, starring Richard Gomez and
Dawn Zulueta. Raquel Villavicencio, scriptwriter for both movies,
disclosed na mas malapit sa novel ni Emily Bronte na Wuthering
Heights ang The Promise kaysa sa Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit.

Ayon kay Raquel, Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit kasi is nearer to the
1939 film version that starred Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon,
playing Heathcliff and Catherine, the novel's original character
names.

Mike Tuviera—the man behind TXT and the "LRT-2" episode of Shake,
Rattle & Roll 8—is the director of The Promise, to be shot in
several parts of the country, including Bolinao in Pangasinan,
Cavite, and Laguna.

Pinabata lang ni Raquel ang mga bidang characters to suit the age of
Richard and Angel. The award-winning scriptwriter, however, stresses
that this will be the first time na gaganap ng mature roles ang
dalawa sa pinakasikat na young stars sa kasalukuyan.

Sa first trailer pa lang shown in a mini-press con with the
publicists and editors, hitik na ang halikan ng dalawang bida. In
one scene pa nga, Richard is just in his maong pants while talking
to Rhian Ramos—one of Richard's leading ladies in Captain Barbell.

Hindi pa rin daw tapos ang principal photography ng The Promise, so
hindi pa nakukunan ang isang love scene na gagawin nina Richard and
Angel. Although PG-13 ang rating na inaasahan ng pelikula, expected
na rin daw nina Richard and Angel that their love scene here will be
more than what they did in their past movies and TV shows together.
Pareho na raw silang handa para rito.

The Promise also stars TJ Trinidad, Ryan Eigenmann, and Raquel
Villaviciencio herself as TJ and Rhian's mother.

Angel at Richard, perfect match

Tama si Ms. Lorna Tolentino na strong support siya sa Mano Po 5: Gua
Ai Di dahil halos pumantay na siya sa exposure ng mga bidang sina
Richard Gutierrez at Angel Locsin.

Simple lang ang kuwento ng MP5 na katulad ng mga naunang Mano Po
movies, ang basic conflict ay ang pagmamahalang Pinoy at Chinese.

Very light ang atake nito na bumagay sa young cast kesa kung ginawa
itong madrama at masyadong seryoso.

As usual ay matino ang pagkakadirehe ni Direk Joel Lamangan at
pawang nag-deliver ang kanyang mga artista. Okey ang timpla ng
comedy at love story. Type namin ang pagtatampok sa mga pagkaing
Chinese at `yung mga eksenang nagluluto ang mag-lolang Angel at Ms.
Boots Anson-Roa, sana lang ay medyo hinabaan pa ito at mas nabigyan
ng highlight.

Sobrang guwapo ni Richard Gutierrez sa screen at hanep ang moviestar
aura. Cute siya bilang young veterinarian na nainlab sa hindi niya
kalahi.

Perfect match sila ng ever beautiful na si Angel Locsin, na hindi
lang maganda kundi mahusay pang aktres. Kwela si Ms. LT bilang
purong Chinese na ina ni Angel na kontrang-kontra sa Pinoy na si
Richard.

Halos lahat ng eksena ay nandu'n siya pero pinakaaliw kami sa
celfone scene ni Ms. LT na kiyemeng may kausap siya, wala naman pala!

Ang ganda-ganda ng exposure ni Christian Bautista sa MP5. Tailor-
made sa kanya ang role ng isang sikat na Asian singer na kababata ni
Angel at naging `sagabal' sa pagmamahalan nito at ni Richard.

Very sympathetic ang character ni Christian at kahit `panggulo' siya
sa magka-loveteam ay hindi siya lumabas na kontrabida.

In fairness ay ang laki ng in-improve ng kanyang akting. Swabeng-
swabe ang dating ni Christian at never siyang nagkulang o nag-OA sa
kanyang mga eksena.

Kargado siya ng tamang emosyon kaya naantig kami sa tagpong
nagpapaalam na siya kay Angel at siya na lang ang lalayo at
magpaparaya. Sana, mabigyan agad ng follow-up movie si Christian.

`Katuwa `yung pagsisingit ni Direk Joel ng mga dream sequence gaya
nu'ng well-choreographed fight scene nina Richard-Christian in full
Chinese martial arts costume.

Medyo nanghinayang lang kami sa kapansin-pansing pagbabago ng kulay
at texture ng pelikula sa ilang eksena dahil ang ganda-ganda pa
naman ng look at color ng movie, tapos ay biglang nagkagano'n.