Cristine: I will change

MANILA, Philippines - The year about to close may have seen Cristine Reyes reeling from the effects of typhoon Ondoy when it hit her Provident Village home in Marikina. But she brushes that incident off and says 2009 has been good to her.

Cristine attended the recent International Drama Awards in Korea where she was nominated Best Actress for the soap Eva Fonda. FHM Philippines crowned her the country’s sexiest woman in its annual poll. Richard Gutierrez chose her as his leading lady in Patient X, his first venture as movie producer. She starred in a music video with Rico Blanco for his single, Ayuz. Cristine continues to endorse Freego Jeans, Posh Nails and other products.

There’s no slowing down for Cristine this month, as she promotes the horror-comedy-romance-fantasy movie Ang Darling Kong Aswang, official entry of OctoArts Films, M-Zet TV Productions and APT Films for the Metro Manila Filmfest.

Cristine is leading man Vic Sotto’s personal choice to play the title role of his uh, unearthly wife.

“I couldn’t believe it at first,” Cristine reacts. “I was speechless. But it feels real good!”

 Cristine admits feeling nervous at first about giving lip service to someone whose movies she watched since she was that tall, like Vic.

“I did not show it while we were shooting the scenes though,” says Cristine. ‘ I kept quiet and listened to my director’s (Tony Y. Reyes) instructions.”

It helped that Vic did all he can to put her at ease. Cristine recalls how he made her laugh and tell her stories about his life in showbiz.

The tougher part, though, was delivering her lines while wearing a pair of fangs (don’t forget, she’s supernatural here).

“Para akong ngongo,” she says.

Cristine didn’t mind, though. About time she says her other side: the wacky, more wholesome one people seldom see.

When you’ve been cast in sexy roles almost half the time, it’s nice to come to the set without thinking which part of your body to show and to show. Sorry guys, Cristine doesn’t show as much flesh as you hope she will in Ang Darling Kong Aswang. This movie is for kids and she’s as wholesome as can be here.

“I play a different role here,” Cristine explains.

The sexy tag, Cristine notes, will always remain.

Cristine will greet next year with a new movie: the remake of Ishmael Bernal’s ’80s hit Working Girls. With a new movie comes a new and better Cristine for friends, family, fans and co-workers.

“Expect me to let my head rule over my heart,” she promises.

Sure, she loved and lost, falling in love (she has broken up with Dennis Trillo), but Cristine is wiser this time.

Her love life takes a backseat for now. Thus, she tells suitors: “All I can offer is friendship.”

Cristine also vows to “change the way I behave” next year.

“I tend to be noisy. I must act more like a lady,” she muses.

Still another must in her to-do list is avoiding staying up late not for work, but “for no reason at all.”

“Those late nights just for the heck of it must go. They won’t do me any good,” Cristine says.

What’s good for her are family (Cristine will campaign for elder sister Ara Mina, who is running for Quezon City councilor) and sound investments (she’ll be moving to a new house in the Batasang Pambansa area) instead.

“I won’t get involved in politics if it were not for Ate Ara,” says Cristine.

Yes, she has grown wiser alright.