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| raymond bagatsing in MALAMAYA |
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| raymond with sunshine cruz and enzo pineda |
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| at the MALAMAYA presscon: the cast with producers and directors |
RAYMOND BAGATSING is the third wheel in the love affair of Sunshine Cruz and Enzo Pineda in the Cinemalaya entry, “Malamaya, The Color of Ash”. So why did he accept a supporting role after he played the lead title role in the critically acclaimed “Quezon’s Game” where he has won an international acting award?
“I like the movie and it’s an entry in Cinemalaya so I’m glad to be a part of it,” he says. “We’re artists here and I play ay potter, parang yung role ni Patrick Swayze in the movie, ‘Ghost’. Siya nga yung inspiration ko rito. The role is really something different and I’m also excited about the treatment of our female directors, Danica Sta. Lucia at Leilani Chavez, sa movie. Kasi the look and the colors of the film on screen, they change, depende sa mood and emotions ng characters as the story progresses.”
The movie’s producer, Arnold Vegafria, butts in at this point during the “Malamaya” presscon. “Actually, he plays a special participation here and we’re thankful and happy that Raymond accepted the role kahit hindi siya ang bida. But he proves here na magaling talaga siyang aktor, kasi kahit mas konti ang eksena niya compared to the lead, siguradong tatatak pa rin ang character na ginagampanan niya sa viewers.”
“Ako naman, I’m just happy na they still get me to do movies,” adds Raymond. “Aside from this, kasali rin ako sa isang bagong movie, ‘Love is Love’, directed by GB Sampedro at isasali raw sa Metro-Manila Filmfest. Makakasama ko naman diyan sina JC de Vera, Rufa Mae Quinto, Jay Manalo, Marco Alcaraz, Roxanne Barcelo. Kakaiba rin ang role ko diyan as I play a gay character.”
“Malamaya” will have its gala premiere at the CCP Main Theatre on August 6. The Cinemalaya filmfest will run in selected theaters from August 2 to 13. “Malamaya” will have its regular commercial in theaters nationwide starting August 14, which is also the playdate of another Cinemalaya entry that has the same theme of a May-December affair, “Belle Douleur”.
And on August 21, another movie of the same story opens, “Just a Stranger”, with Anne Curtis playing a slightly older woman who falls for someone younger than her, Marco Gumabao. Well, as they say, the more the merrier. We hope it’s true because, the truth is, they might just hurt each other at the box office.
