“I owe it to our writer-director Jerrold Tarog,” she says. “Marami kaming nag-audition for the lead role in ‘Bliss’ and I’m really glad na akong pinili niya. But actually, hindi pa man niya ako ini-inform, I already felt na akin itong role na ito. Akin ito.”
Iza plays a movie actress, Jane Ciego, who started in showbiz as a child star and is already tired of playing the same roles over and over again so she decides to produce her own prestige movie to win awards and gain respect. In the film within a film’s climax, she’s supposed to be raised from her bed through a harness, but it snaps and she falls down, losing her consciousness. When she wakes up, she’s already a cripple who moves around in a wheelchair and is held prisoner in a large house guarded over by an abusive nurse, Lilibeth (Adrienne Vergara). Soon, she can no longer distinguish if what she is experiencing is a nightmare or reality.
The film’s ending is shocking as it shows the nurse molesting the unconscious and naked Iza, then she suddenly opens her eyes and wakes up from her coma. It’s a full frontal shot but we have a sneaking suspicion that Iza is not really naked but is wearing a body suit since the skin tone is different from her normal color. See the movie and judge for yourself if it’s really Iza who’s totally nude or it’s all a camera trick.
Did her boyfriend, Ben Wintle, see the film and what’s his reaction to that controversial scene which must be the reason why the movie was initially given an X rating by the MTRCB? “Yes, he has seen it. Natawa lang siya. He said mas maganda raw yung totoong nipple ko. He’s very open minded and very supportive. He knows it’s something I just have to do as it’s part of my work.”
How is it working with Jerrold Tarog who’s best known for “Heneral Luna”? “It’s my first time to work with him and I was really impressed with the amount of preparation that went before the actual shooting. He has a shot list and you can actually ask him sa set kung ilang shots pa tayo, unlike sa iba na hindi alam kung kailan matatapos ang shooting. Maayos ang naging working relationship and he has no tantrums on the set. I’m glad I trusted him as ‘Bliss’ gave me my first international acting award in Osaka.”
The movie is produced by TBA (Tuko, Buchi Boy & Artikulo Uno Productions), the same company that made the first good film we saw this year, “I’m Drunk, I Love You”. In the presscon for “I’m Drunk”, we ask the producers why they’re scheduling it against the movie of a more established love team, LizQuen in “My Ex and Whys”. They said they were not fazed by it as they’re offering a pleasant alternative. As we all know by now, LizQuen easily clobbered “I’m Drunk” at the box office.
Now, the same thing is happening again and it’s like they’ve not learned their lesson. “Bliss”, an R-18 rated movie for adults only, opens in theaters other than the SM Cinema chain on May 10,. It will be up against Regal’s “Our Mighty Yaya”, a G-rated wholesome movie starring Ai Ai de las Alas for the whole family. Honestly, which do you think has better chances of hitting it big at the tills?
