DIRECTOR ERIK MATTI says his new film, “A Girl + A Guy” is so unlike any other movie he has made in the past.
He’s known fo horror flicks like “Tiktik” and “Kuwaresma”, and action-dramas like “On the Job”, "Buy Bust" and “Honor Thy Father”, but his new film is about and for a certain demographic, the millennials.
"It’s born out of trying to understand how this new generation of 20 somethings would think,” he says.
“I decided to make a film that will hopefully help me figure out what makes them tick. No judgment, no sermon. I just want to tell their story and exactly how they would react to this harsh world that we have now.
"It’s not easy setting aside my old fashioned scruples. I just want to make sure I bring out an honest depiction of the choices that a girl and a guy have to make to keep their sanity intact. I hope our movie hits a nerve with this generation."
The movie is a romantic drama that has daring love scenes between its lead characters, Fiona and Ralph, played by newcomers Alexa Miro and Rob Gomez.
Also newcomers Candice Ramos, Rosh Barman, Sarah Holmes and Emilio Francisco who are just so happy to be given their big break in an Erik Matti movie.
“It’s a drama that is so close to reality,” adds Direk Erik. “The difficulties of navigating a relationship in this day and age. Journey ito concerning life career choices, heartbreaks, and also of self discovery.
"Very millennial ang approach on how they perceive the world, their work their relationships. Me and Dondon now, we’re on the stage where we want to do the films we want to make.
"I don’t want to be pigoenholed into one genre. At heart, I’m really a romantic. Antagal ko nang di nakapagsulat ng script.
"After ‘On the Job’, ito na ginawa ko in May or June of 2019 in a four-day lock in Mindoro and Anj Pesumal wrote the full script.”
He’s happy that Alexa and Rob, Candice and Rosh, Sarah and Emilio maybe new, but they’re all very talented and willing to learn.
We notice during their zoom presscon that they’re all articulate in English since they all got to college, with Alexa taking up masscomm in La Salle and Rob taking up management in St. Benilde College.
“When we got them to do their respective roles, we explained to them clearly what we’ll requir from them so alam nila they will need to do daring love scenes.
"In all fairness to them, they all did well, nothing short of electrifying.”
So, among the two leads, who’s better: Alexa or Rob?
“Pareho sila. They acquitted themselves beautifully in this love story that is actually more of a relationship story about two people and how they learn from their own mistakes in life, career, family and the journey of finding yourself.
"I’m proud of them kasi totoong heartbreak, totoong acting ang ipinakila nila sa mga eksena nila together sa movie.”
Streaming starts for “A Girl + A Guy” on UPSTREAM.ph on June 24 for only P210, a much lower price than what you pay in cinemas and also, your whole family can watch.
