CONFLICT IN – Some Valentines back, Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga co-starred in the block-buster “ Starting Over Again.” A follow-up movie was planned asap, but it took some time to do so due to tight schedule of both stars. He was busy when she was available…and vice versa. It was conflict in schedule more than anything else.
But at long last the Piolo-Toni big screen reunion is now a reality via the love drama “Last Night,” directed by Joyce Bernal and jointly produced by Star Cinema, Spring Films, and N2.
Aside from being her reunion with Piolo, “Last Night” is also Toni’s comeback movie. Her last film outing was in 2015 when she starred in “You’re My Boss.”
People ask: Will “ Last Night” equal or even top the gross of “”Starting Over Again”? Let’s wait and see.
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DIREK JOYCE – For the first time direk Joyce (or Bb. Bernal if you may) megged the team-up of Piolo and Toni. But before “Last Night” she directed them separately.
In 2007, direk Joyce was behind the romcom ( and family drama) “Paano Kita Iibigin” with Piolo opposite Regine Velasquez.
Toni, on the other hand, first worked with Bb. Bernal in the 2005 horror-comedy “D’ Anothers” with Vhong Navarro.
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SCRIPT – The script of “Last Night” is written by Bela Padilla. Yes, the lovely star.
Actually,it is Bela’s fourth screenplay… but first for Star Cinema.
Bela’s of course more familiar as actress on both big and small screen. She was in the early episodes of ABS-CBN’s toprater “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.” Bela was also featured in the primetime series “My Dear Heart.”
Her foray into scriptwriting makes Bela one of the emerging most influential Millennial voices in the industry.
“Last Night” is centered on Mark (Piolo) and Carmina (Toni), lost souls who meet one dark night. Both at the end of their threads,they unexpectedly begin a deal that leads to friendship that blooms into love.
Will true love make them fully alive once again?
For the answer, watch “Last Night,” opening nationwide on September 27.
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DOCU-DRAMA – Switching to another topic and medium, congrats to GMA for the powerful docu-drama on martial law, “Alaala,” topbilled by Alden Richards and directed by Adolf Alix based on the remembrance of activist-writer Boni Ilagan.
Alden gave a moving albeit low-keyed performance as Boni, jailed and tortured during the martial law years. Also featured in “”Alaala” was another writer and martial law victim, Pete Lacaba, portrayed by Roco Nacino, a fine actor.
Also in the cast of “Alaala” were Gina Alajar as Boni’s mother and Bianca Umali as his ill-fated younger sister Mila.
At one point in the docu-drama, the normally composed Boni broke down when he remembered Mila, who went underground and never came back.
