FILMBIOS – Robin Padilla has the distinction of portraying historical and contemporary characters in two filmbios.
One is “Boni” – as some millennials refer to the Katipunan Supremo: Andres Bonifacio. The other is “Bato” – guess everybody knows him, unless one has been living under the rock for a few years. “Bato” is , of course, Gen. Ronald de la Rosa, former PNP chief and now senatorial candidate.
As in “Boni,” Robin captures the essential “Bato” and takes the role from there. He hastens to add that he does not impersonate, a stand-up comedian, say Jon Santos, can do a better job.
A good actor like Robin can make the audience forget for a while that he isn’t the actor but the role he is playing.
The great FPJ portrayed Mayor Ed Hagedorn and NBI director Epimaco Velasco. One of his finest films was focused on Asedillo, directed by Celso Ad. Castillo. Asedillo was known as the Robin Hood of Quezon and Laguna.
Rudy Fernandez was on the big screen Ping Lacson, Bingbong Crisologo, Victor Corpus.
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WHY? – Yes, why do some people, among them an inactive director, take Robin to task for playing “Bato”? Sight unseen, they want to boycott the filmbio.
Why not judge “Bato” on its merits and not on bias and prejudice?
How did the award-winning director, Adolf Alix, handle the material? Did he give justice to the colorful and controversial life of General De la Rosa?
If Adolf did… cheers. If not…jeers.
The thing is: Give the movie a chance to be seen first. Now, if it boosts his senatorial candidacy…fine. Nothing wrong with that.
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PROMISING – If you ask me, “Bato” is most promising movie.
His life has action, romance, comedy, drama.
And romance? General De la Rosa tells the whole world he’s one-woman man.
When asked if “Bato” isn’t attracted to other women, Mrs. De la Rosa’s truthful answer: “My husband is a policeman, not Pope Francis.”
So there.
