The fine performances of 2002 (lead actresses)

( Conclusion )

During an awards night, the most important category is actually the Best Picture. However, there is no denying that the most-awaited part of the program is the proclamation of the Best Actress winner. And so, in my series of outstanding performances for the year 2002, I am running the list of lead actresses who excelled in their respective films last year.

Claudine Barretto – Years of doing soap opera must have really trained her in the field of acting. Particularly difficult (but what a training ground!) was Saan Ka Man Naroroon where she played three characters – good, bad and independent-minded.

In Kailangan Kita, she tackles the challenging role of a daughter who is practically reduced to that of a servant girl by family members (particularly her father, Johnny Delgado) because of one wrong decision she made in her young life. She is de-glamorized for the part because she plays somebody forever slaving it out in the kitchen. Looking at her on the big screen, you can practically smell her sweat (combined with coconut milk and other spices used in Bicol cooking) because that’s how effective she is in film.

Dina Bonnevie – She had her turning point as an actress in Leroy Salvador’s Tinik sa Dibdib where she plays a young woman who is so withdrawn, everyone thought she was a bit deranged. This was followed by another melodrama, Magdusa Ka, where she pitted acting talents with the late Nida Blanca. But even away from komiks material, Dina still excels in most of her films. Last year, for instance, she gave one of the finer performances in the lead actress category in American Adobo as a New York-based Pinay who can’t seem to find the right partner in life. Although everyone else turned in a fine performance, she never allowed herself to be overshadowed by anyone in the film.

Sharon Cuneta – Ever since Madrasta, Sharon Cuneta did wonderfully in most of her succeeding films. She was outstanding in Nang Iniwan Mo Ako (her best performance ever in my book). About three weeks, ago, I also saw Minsan Minahal Kita a second time on television and I thought she was also very good in it.

Last year, she gave an equally fine performance in Magkapatid, where she plays a doctor who has difficulty getting pregnant. When she finally gets to have her own son, she loses him in an accident. It’s a role that requires a wide range of emotions, but being the seasoned actress that she is now (so different from the Sharon who was playing it cute in Dear Heart and P.S. I Love You), she is able to deliver another one of her competent performances.

Ara Mina – She used to give embarrassing performances during the early phase of her career – especially in her forgettable launching movie (the title of which I couldn’t care to remember). Even in Pahiram ng Isang Saglit (a well-enough made film) where she plays the mistress of Christopher de Leon, I didn’t consider her performance very impressive. But after doing film after film – plus a weekly comedy show, Bubble Gang (where you’ll be trained at timing) – she began to improve in the acting department. In Mano Po, she did very well in her role as the rebellious daughter of a traditional Chinese family. She deserved the Metro Manila Film Festival Best Actress trophy.

Cherry Pie Picache – One of the reasons why we shoudn’t dismiss the results of that controversial Film Academy Awards is that we agree with the choices of the winners – especially Chery Pie Picache, who was voted Best Supporting Actress in American Adobo. Never mind the fact that she was actually played a lead role in the film.

Her role looks simple on screen, but it’s really quite complicated because it requires a lot of nuances to be portrayed effectively. And that much, Cherry Pie delivered in the film.

Among the characters in American Adobo, hers is the one that’s closest to real life and we know a lot of women like her – so lovable, but only in a platonic way. Well, that’s Cherry Pie’s role in the film and she does it with utmost realism.

Alessandra de Rossi – She is definitely the most talented among our young actresses today. Since she started making movies, she has done nothing but quality films (although I have no idea what Message Sent was all about because I didn’t get to catch that one). It’s therefore not surprising at all that she’s in the running every year in all the awards derbies. She has lost in some, won in some, but the important thing is that she’s always in the race. This year, she’s taking another crack at the Best Actress award for her inspired performance in Gil Portes’ Munting Tinig where she plays a schoolteacher whose dedication to her profession changes the lives of people in her community.

Vilma Santos – She rarely makes films these days, but every time she does one, it’s always a top contender for awards. This year, she is competing for Dekada ’70, a film that took a long time to finish. But it was worth it. Here, Vilma Santos delivers another one of her sterling performances under the direction of Chito Roño, who helped her achieve another grand-slam win in the 1998 film, Bata-Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa? Vilma has won two awards so far for Dekada ’70 (she was no longer eligible for the FAMAS). In case she wins again in the Gawad Urian, that’s going to be her eighth trophy from the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino. No, she won’t be elevated to any kind Hall of Fame. The critics’ group doesn’t believe she should be punished for being good.