LANI Mercado turns 55 on Thursday, April 13. We remember Mother Lily introducing her to us at Regal in 1981 when she was only 13 years old. She was quickly introduced in “Story of Three Loves” then paired with Bong Revilla in “Boboy Tibayan,” “Sa Dibdib ng Sierra Madre” and “Celeste Gang.” He never let her go of her. They were married in California in 1986 and she became a mother to their eldest son, Bryan, and six more children.
They’re celebrating their 37th anniversary next month. What’s the secret of the durability of their marriage?
“We’re not perfect as a couple,” says Lani when we had lunch with her and Sen. Bong.
“We’ve had our own share of misunderstandings. But we never just gave up or left each other. Instead, we try to settle our differences.”
And what’s Lani’s birthday wish for herself?
“Wala na, puro pasasalamat na lang kay Lord kasi ang dami na ng blessings na ibinigay Niya sa amin. Kung meron man, I just pray for good health for Bong and I, and our entire family.”
On her 55th birthday on April 13, Lani will hold a free concert for her constituents at the Nomo Parking Lot in Bacoor. They will have a lot of surprise guest stars, including December Avenue, Ate Gay, Sunkist Lola, and more.
“We’re also giving away a lot of prizes,” she says. “Dahil 55 na ako, we’ll give away 55 envelopes with P2,000 cash each, plus 55 wheelchairs and other prizes. It’s my way of giving thanks for my birthday.”
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‘As the lead character who intends to kill herself in “Unravel,” she has the best full-length role among all the actresses who have an entry
in the film fest, with the movie starting and ending with her.’
Photo from Kylie Padilla’s Instagram account
We have seen all the eight entries in the ongoing Summer Metro Manila Film Festival. The best three films we can recommend to anyone without any hesitation are:
1. “About Us But Not About Us” – An LGBT story written and directed by Jun Lana. It’s like a one-act play with only two characters and set in just one location, a restaurant. But it’s so well written, so well crafted and so well acted that you never get bored while watching it.
2. “Unravel, A Swiss Side Story” – A lot of masa viewers do not know what the title means and how to pronounce it correctly, and that might alienate possible viewers. Set in beautiful Switzertland, it’s about mental health issues and suicide. Written by Senedy Que and directed by RC de los Reyes, it’s very well acted by the leads, Gerald Anderson and Kylie Padilla.
3. “Here Comes the Groom” – A laugh-out-loud comedy involving body switches, it’s written and directed by Christopher Martinez. Its funny situations will no doubt amuse viewers who just want light, escapist entertainment. It offers uniformly excellent ensemble acting.
This Tuesday, April 11, the film fest awards night will be held at the New Frontier Theater and we have a feeling Kylie Padilla will bag the best actress award. As the lead character who intends to kill herself in “Unravel,” she has the best full-length role among all the actresses who have an entry in the film fest, with the movie starting and ending with her.
And in all fairness to her, she didn’t waste the opportunity to show her dramatic talent as she performed her role very convincingly.
For sure, Bela Padilla as the amnesiac heroine of “Yung Libro sa Napanood Ko” might be nominated, but Kylie’s role is far more demanding and her performance is surely more affecting than Bela’s. Another contender should be total newcomer Eisel Serrano as the scriptwriter in “Love You Long Time,” but her role is light as a feather compared to that of Kylie’s much more demanding role.
As for best actor, those who will compete are Romnick Sarmenta and Elijah Canlas, both standouts in their veritable acting duel in “About Us,” and Gerald Anderson as Kylie’s knight in shining armour in “Unravel.” Take note that all three have a lot of English lines in their movie that they all deliver with aplomb. The dark horses will be Carlo Aquino as a boy from 2018 who turns up in the life of a girl who lives in 2022 and Enchong Dee as the straight groom whose body is inhabited by a swishy gay in “Here Come the Groom.”
For best supporting actress, our bet is Gladys Reyes as the grieving wife of the deceased tricycle driver in “Apag.” Just like all the other actors in the movies, she is not given many emotional highlights (Director Brillante Mendoza deliberated avoids any hint of melodrama at all cost) but she certainly looks the part.
In the best supporting actor and actress categories, most of the cast members of the rambunctious comedy, “Here Comes the Groom,” can qualify, like Keempee de Leon, Xilhouete, Kaladkaren, Nico Antonio and Maris Racal.
