Cesar and the making of Alas Dose

There are varied reasons why moviegoers should be curious about the latest Cesar Montano action flick called Alas Dose.

First, it stars Cesar Montano and Christopher de Leon who vied for the top honors in the previous edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival (De Leon won but Montano won the Best Actor trophy for the same role in France).

Second, the film was started by Erik Matti and nearly half way through as the director became busy with another bold flick, the project landed in the lap of veteran action film director, Augusto Salvador.

"In fairness to Augie Salvador," says line producer Norma Japitana, "he preserved the visual style of the film up to the end and he did real wonder to this action picture."

Indeed, it took a year to finish it and the project was witness to the several milestones in the life of Montano and his wife, Sunshine Cruz who plays the role of a TV journalist whose father (Bon Vibar) is involved in tracing huge amount of hidden money.

Shooting for Alas Dose started when they were yet in the courtship stage and midway through the project, shooting had to be shelved for the actor’s wedding and honeymoon and resumed after the two became legally man and wife.

Indeed, there is a big relief as line producer Norma Japitana stopped reckoning with gun rentals and used bullets.

Finally, play date is in sight.

Montano is in high spirits as he recounts the making of Alas Dose.

He is joined by stage actor Behn Cervantes who plays a Very Important Prisoner and is actually the ideological guru of the lead villain (De Leon) who worships the prisoner’s progressive mindset.

While De Leon respects the prisoner for his chosen ideology, the character played by Cervantes is also being sought by a top prison official (Bon Vibar) obsessed with finding hidden wealth.

Montano – who conceptualized the story of the film – points out: "In this film, De Leon is all respect for Cervantes because of what they fight for but in the end, he finds out that all this facade of ideological invincibility is all about money."

Doesn’t this sound like the parable of recent times when society are divided by people who fight for return of morality and decency in public office while the marked ones brazenly fight for political largesse – at all cost?

Cervantes – who in real life is fighting thieves in public office – is not a bit unnerved that his character is involved with stolen money and that he is figuring in an action movie which is a far cry from his much-acclaimed appearance as Mr. Ambassador in the hit play M. Butterfly.

He plugs his party list choice, Bayan Muna, and reminds movie scribes not to forget Wigberto Tañada and goes on to remind his listeners that this is not the first time he figured in an action movie.

"I was running around and firing bullets right behind Ronnie Poe in Agila before Alas Dose," he argues. "I am really glad that in this movie, I discovered that there is a bit of a macho in me. The bigger reward is that in this movie where I played a meaty part, everything was professionally done."

Montano says he had known Cervantes during those days he was doing stage plays in between movie bit roles. "When I was fleshing out the character of the prisoner in this movie, I immediately thought of Kuya Behn (Cervantes)," he explains. "I saw his character and I thought he was just right for this prison character whose ideology is respected but who is actually involved in money heist. This is a part perfect for Robert de Niro and I’d love to do this part myself except that I was already identified with anti-villain roles."

As for his team up with De Leon, Montano avers he had long ago wanted to work with the actor in a dramatic-action vehicle and their problem initially was how to find the right story. With Alas Dose, the dream team is considered fulfilled. "I’ve worked with Boyet (De Leon) in an earlier Viva project but we had very few scenes together. In this movie, we are the main protagonists. I’ve seen the rushes and although it is too early to conclude, I would say that I am very happy with the result."

The award-winning actor of Muro-Ami admits it is tough to be involved with an action movie both as an actor and writer.

As lead actor, he has to be in good shape for the action scenes and still be consistent with character delineation. "As a story writer, it is tough to balance the parts of the characters who should all figure in the crucial part of the movie," he says. "The good part is that I was working with veteran actors who know their parts and know them well enough to make the parts more than credible."

Meanwhile, Sunshine Cruz (one of the leading ladies – along with Patricia Javier who plays a policewoman – who started the film when she was still being courted by the lead actor) is now five months pregnant and is geared for the real-life role of a mother.

She tells media friends she is happier now as she finally found the enduring love of her life.

As she puts it, Mas masaya yong buhay ko ngayon na pinagsisilbihan ko yong taong mahal na mahal ko.