Direk Maryo on new actors

MANILA, Philippines – On this noontime encounter, director Maryo J. de los Reyes reflects on some more than 35 years in showbiz and how he relates to various generations of actors.

One recalls how one immediately connected with him in 1979 when I watched his High School Circa ‘65 and enjoyed every moment of it. He captured that rambunctious high school life after which we predicted he would be a director to reckon
with.

One’s last viewing of his landmark films — Magnifico, Naglalayag, Bamboo Flowers, among others — confirmed his unique evolution as a filmmaker.

Some 37 years later, here he is ready with his latest output and saying it’s about time we support a new breed of dramatic actors.

The cast of The Unmarried Wife is a case in point.

“My film is a relationship story and working with Angelica (Panganiban), Paulo (Avelino) and Dingdong (Dantes) has convinced me we have the best yet who can represent the new generation. In the
past, there was Marlene Dauden and Lolita Rodriguez, Eddie Rodriguez and many more. For now, I believe Angelica is a standout and is at par
with them. And so are Paulo and Dingdong.

“Yes, only one of them is married in real life but in this project, I talked to them and told them what I want to emphasize in this film. It’s about relationship that inspires, that makes you happy and in the end, you have a relationship that no longer works and so you have characters caught in that situation. I do believe my film has a good lesson to impart for
those in a relationship, for those who are about to plunge into one and for those coping with ties that no longer bind. I want my film to elicit good and sound discussion on the varied aspects of a relationship dealing with such topics as divorce, adultery, annulment and other similar subjects which before were considered taboo.”

After close to four decades in the industry, direk Maryo can only sum up what it takes to become an effective director and how to be the best yet in a field now full of equally brilliant newcomers.

Says he: “I always try to learn from both sides of the generation. When I started, there was no cellphone, no Facebook and filmmaking wasn’t yet the digital product it is today. But I believe in keeping the basic things. To be a director, you must have that level of sensitivity that will enable you to fully understand the characters in your story. Others call it empathy and whatever you call it, you must have a full understanding of the human condition and know why people behave the way they do. You must understand why the heroine in a story stands out, why the villains end up that way.

“In doing a film, you have to avoid the clichés in a relationship and must be able to define them in a new way for the new generation. You must be able to impart lessons without being too righteous about them. As for working with actors, I know they are ready for the part and I know they have something specific to contribute to the characters they are playing.

“What I do is to prod them or to inspire them to give the best that they can to make that character a believable, if, memorable part of the story. What they went through in real life will make that portrayal more challenging.”

At this juncture, the three members of the cast add what they contribute to the director in portraying a role.

Says Angelica: “My life is an open book. The public knows my relationships, the boyfriends I have had and, of course, from those relationships came joy, happiness, sadness and a sense of betrayal. But life is like that. Sometimes, you forget your life has to grow with the character. I like the director to guide me and I got a lot of that inspiring guidance from direk Maryo. Sometimes, in one confrontation scene, I accidently slapped someone so hard I had to say sorry to the actor off camera. I told him, ‘So sorry I was carried away by that scene. It’s something I wanted to do to someone in real life but couldn’t.’ Yes, many things in real life help you build a good character in any story.”

For that reason, direk Maryo agrees that Angelica can be compared with the likes of Vilma Santos. “After working with her, I realized she can do anything. She’s good in comedy but she is just as effective as a dramatic actor. It’s time we elevate actors like her in the pedestal they deserve.”

Direk Maryo is sure of the many things he contributes to a project.

Foremost of which is what he calls the passion, the dedication that go into every frame of the film. “At my age, I know I needed every pound of my body to cooperate to see through this project. I survived the
late nights, I can still handle tensions on the set. But what a director like me can contribute after decades in the industry is the wisdom. I don’t know how this will affect the film. But for sure, it guided me a lot in knowing how this film should connect with today’s mainstream audiences.”

The Unmarried Wife opens today in cinemas.