(Second of three parts)
There were eight Best Actor nominees in the just concluded 32nd Gawad Urian: Perry Dizon, the pimp in Melancholia; Julian Duque, the battered kid who turns out to be a musical genius in Boses; Baron Geisler, the exploitative segment producer in Jay; Ronnie Lazaro, the father of a young woman who turns into an aswang at night in Yanggaw; Timothy Mabalot, the child involved in small-time illegal logging in Brutus; Coco Martin and Paolo Rivero who play lovers in Daybreak and Neal Ryan Sese as the kind-hearted cab driver in Huling Pasada.
While all eight gave worthy performances, the list was easily narrowed down to just two: Between Baron and Ronnie. However, that didn’t necessarily make our job any easier. Baron and Ronnie were clearly the two actors who gave the best performances by an actor in a lead role last year.
When Francis Xavier Pasion’s Jay was submitted to the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB) that rewarded it with an A grade, I was very sure in my heart and head that Baron was going to end up Best Actor for playing a gay segment producer trying to feature the murder case of a schoolteacher by exploiting the issue from all angles: Exposing the situation of the victim’s mother (Flor Salanga) and how she grieves for the loss of her son, his homosexuality (by interviewing co-teachers) and even finding an ex-lover (Coco).
Baron’s depiction of his character in Jay is the composite of practically all the segment producers I have worked with in my long television career: They turn on the charm when they need to ask for favors — from security guards to get access into supposedly off-limit areas to convincing movie stars caught in the middle of a controversy to discuss the issue publicly, exclusive to the show preferably. Oh, and they can be firm and the word No is not in their vocabulary at all. They will do anything and everything to get their story — regardless of who gets hurt in the process. Are they evil? No, it is just part of the job — all in a day’s work. And yes, they’re mostly gay, but not necessarily flaming and that helps so that they don’t call attention to themselves and eclipse their subjects.
Baron is all that in Jay — without a bit of exaggeration (he has worked with them since he joined showbiz in his early teens and obviously has done a lot of observing). Even the effeminate gesture he exhibits in the film never goes overboard. His execution of his character is perfect.
And so I was a hundred percent sure he was going to end up with the Urian Best Actor trophy.
But then, I later saw Yanggaw and was blown away by the performance of Ronnie who does not know what to do with his monster daughter. Is he going to kill her to spare the lives of others? Or will he let her loose on a killing spree to keep her alive? She is, after all, his daughter and would do anything for her. And so you feel his anguish, his frustration, fear and confusion. It also helped that Yanggaw is done in Ilonggo and Ronnie is extremely comfortable with the dialect — and everything is just second skin to him. All of a sudden Baron Geisler has a challenger to the Best Actor throne.
This was one time when I truly wished we had a tie, but as much as possible we try to avoid this from happening. Both Baron and Ronnie deserved to win, but in the end, it was Ronnie who was declared Urian Best Actor.
There were also eight nominees for Best Actress: Angeli Bayani (Melancholia), Mylene Dizon (100), Jaclyn Jose (Serbis), Anita Linda (Adela), Rhea Medina (Brutus), Gina Pareño (Serbis), Boots Anson-Roa (Lovebirds) and Judy Ann Santos (Ploning).
Boots Anson-Roa received praises from the Manunuri for her out-of-the-box performance as the conservative mother dealing with her son’s homosexuality in Lovebirds. However, the role was a bit lightweight (oh, but she was good and even funny there) compared to those of her other rivals in this category.
In the case of Jaclyn, the daughter now in charge of operating a rundown theater in Serbis, the role becomes her because she is a chameleon — one of the best in the movies and on TV. In a less competitive year, she could have brought home her sixth Urian trophy. But it was a tough race this time and her name fell off toward the finish line — leaving only Mylene, Gina and Anita.
Anita’s role was most difficult (as a woman who has children, but is growing old alone), especially since she was in practically every scene. Since her character was once a radio voice talent, there was a moment in the film where all by herself in her shack she tries to relish past glory by staging an act with her doing all the voices — young and old. She is brilliant here. That scene alone is already worthy of an Urian. However, she still had to deal with Gina and Mylene. In fact, toward the end, it was these two women who were left pouncing on each other to the finish.
Gina doesn’t have to talk much in Serbis. Everything is etched on her face — the lost glory of the movie theater she owned that was once grand, but is now reduced to a seedy place where male prostitutes ply their trade. The bitterness is also there — how her husband abandoned her and the lost fortunes. Even her stance says it all — still looking imperious and erect, but with the cracks showing. In Serbis, all you have to do is look at her and you’d hand her another Urian trophy (she won previously for Kubrador).
But then, there’s still the matter of Mylene. When I saw 100 last year, I knew she was finally going to get her Urian (having been nominated quite a number of times in the past). Playing the part of a dying cancer victim, she tries to live what remains of her life to the fullest. It’s a difficult part, especially since it requires her to exhibit all sorts of nuances — and she delivers these without showing any hint of effort to it. It’s like she just breezes through it all and the result is amazing — truly award-winning.
(To be concluded)