Acclaimed Erik Matti 'On The Job' Will Be Remade In Hollywood

DIRECTOR ERIK Matti has reason to be proud of his movie, “On the Job”, a crime-thriller that got good reviews when shown at the Directors Fortnight section of the Cannes International Filmfest last May. A co-production between Star Cinema and Reality Entertainment, it got a standing ovation after its screening in Cannes and was immediately sold for distribution abroad by Well Go Entertainment USA, with the rights costing a hefty $350,000. More recently, it won the jury’s choice prize at the Puchon Filmfest in Korea. The movie also won the best actor award for Joel Torre as the aging assassin called Tatang in Puchon. An Americanized version of the movie is now also in the works.

Matti himself co-wrote the screnplay with Michiko Yamamoto, based on the true story of an ex-convict. A convoluted story with multiple characters and parallel story lines, it exposes corruption in our prison system and how our politicians exploit it. Joel Torre and his younger assistant hitman, Daniel (Gerald Anderson), turn out to be prisoners who are allowed to leave jail to be used by politicians for their own selfish motives in assassinating their enemies.

Assigned to investigate the murders they did are Sgt. Acosta (Joey Marquez) and his own assistant, a young lawyer-NBI agent Francis (Piolo Pascual) who has a crooked businessman-politician for a father in law, Manrique (Michael de Mesa). All the major characters meet in a showdown in a bloody hospital shootout.

The other characters in the movie are the corrupt general running for the senate, Gen. Pacheco (played by Leo Martinez), and Nicky, the wife of Francis (played by Shaina Magdayao.) Also in the cast are Angel Aquino and Empress Schuck as the wife and daughter of Joel Torre, Rayver Cruz as Piolo’s friend, Vivian Velez, Rosanna Roces, JM de Guzman, Dawn Jimenez (formerly Balagot) as Gerald’s girlfriend and William Martinez. It opens in theatres nationwide on August 28.

Going back to Piolo, he has allowed his son Inigo, 15, to join showbiz. While the boy was here on vacation from school in the States, he finished an indie movie directed by Joyce Bernal (Piolo’s personal friend), “Relaks, It’s Just Pag-ibig”. He co-stars with two other newcomers, Sofia Andres and Julian Estrada. “Pinayagan ko lang kasi bakasyon nga siya,” says Piolo. “But now that tapos na ang movie, bumalik na siya sa States. Studies pa rin ang priority niya.”