Mae Cruz-Alviar, director of “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” has said that the concept of “kilig” has been widely embraced by Filipino moviegoers who are very expressive and passionate about local films.
“Kilig is distinctly Filipino. So ang pusong Pinoy, iba rin kung kiligin. Iba tayo kiligin sa mga Amerikano, sa mga ibang bansa. Ang Pinoy pag kinikilig we are very expressive. Passionate kasi tayo, romantic,” said Alviar, during an interview on “Tonight With Boy Abunda” on ABS-CBN.
“Pag kinikilig tayo, we show the kilig. Kasi ang mga movies natin hampasan, sabunutan sa mga sine. So that’s how ang mga Filipinos kinikilig,” Alviar said.
“In fact, the word kilig is Pinoy. Walang lose translation. Walang translation na direct. So ang kilig Pinoy talaga yan. Kaya i-embrace natin na atin yan,” she added.
Alviar recalled she had difficulty embracing “kilig” in her movies because of her personality.
“Ang tutoo nahirapan ako dati. Kasi ’yung mga Pilipino kilalalanin mo muna kung paano sila kiligin. Ako nung una I’m kinda reserve. Because nakilala ko kung paano kiligin ang mga Pilipino, kahit ako bumuka rin ako,” she said. “So in the films that I make, natutunan ko kung paano ipalabas ’yun at paano ’yung mga Filipinos kikiligin dun sa movies.”
Asked to comment on the movie “Kahit Isang Saglit” with Piolo Pascual and Judy Ann Santos, she said: “’Yung mga love teams na naging successful, meron silang chemistry. Meron silang magic. Inexplicable. Magtinginan lang sila meron na.
There’s something about it. Yung kilig na binigay nila sa akin nun kasi they are just about my generation. So ang kilig nun feeling ko parang kilig lang nun sa kaibigan ko or parang ka edad ko.”
“Siguro pag gumawa uli sila ng pelikula ngayon ka-edad ko rin, makaka-relate ako. And it’s different from the other kilig that the younger generation is doing now,” she said.
On “Maging Sino Ka Man” with John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo, Sam Milby and Anne-Curtis Smith, Alviar said: “Ganun din.
May chemistry sila na pag-nagsama sila sa screen, hindi mo na kailangang i-direct. Lumalabas na lang. Tinginan pa lang meron ng nagsasalita na mga mata.”
Alviar also said that it is the duty of directors to make sure that there’s chemistry between screen partners.
“Dati kasi kinausap ako ni Mam Charo (Santos) about it. I was doing this series at sinabi n’ya sa akin ‘Mae walang lumalabas na kilig I don’t feel it’. So kailangan mo ’yun maipalabas sa kanila kasi No. 1 if they are very good actors, even if you don’t feel anything for your co-actor, kailangang lumabas sa mata nila, ma i-arte nila ’yun na maniniwala ka na in love sila and No. 2 as a director, it is your duty na matulungan mo sila,” she said.
“They have to know na ito ang goal natin. Kailangan maparamdam mo sa akin and I am the one to say na hindi ko nakikita sa mga mata mo, hindi ko nararamdaman,” Alviar added.
On the late actor Rico Yan, Alviar said: “Si Mr. Dimples. Si Rico kasi parang boy-next-door. Parang sya ’yung gusto mong ipakilala sa magulang mo. He’s also my generation so ’yung kilig na binibigay nya sa akin, my goodness, parang gusto mong sabihin ‘mommy gusto ko s’yang iuwi.’ He’s such a clean image and napakabait naman talaga.’
Alviar described the chemistry between Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo as “magical.”
“Nung una pa lang when I worked with them sa “24/7 In Love” and they were kids, teeny boppers pa lang, meron ng magic nun. Meron ng chemistry nun that’s why naging KathNiel sila,” she said.
“But through the years, pinagtibay ng panahon. Kasi ang dami na nilang pinagdaanan as a love team. They went through individual challenges. And now pagmakikita mo sila, para silang old couple. Nakita mo kasi sila they grew up in front of our eyes. In spite of all the challenges, tumitibay lang ng tumitibay, The chemistry is just getting stronger and stronger parang wine,” Alviar said.
“You will see a different KathNiel. It’s been awhile since they did romantic-comedy. It’s been awhile they’ve been in a light material. The past projects panay heavy. But na prove nila na kaya nila ’yun. Let’s go back to where they started. This is where they started and naibalik nila ’yun but more mature ang attack.You see them in their element na magpakilig pero mas may lalim,” she said.