From National Hero to deep-sea diver to hostage-taker

In this latest film after his award-winning performance in Muro-Ami, (he won Best Actor in the recently concluded Benodet Film Festival in France), Cesar Montano plays the role of the reluctant hostage-taker whose daughter died in an ambush and who later in the film, had in his custody the daughter of the murderer of his loved one.

"The character I play had every emotional and logical reason to exact revenge for the death of his child," explained Montano in between takes of his latest film, Hostage directed by Augusto Salvador. "Suddenly, he is in the company of the daughter of the man who staged the ambush that led to the death of his own daughter."

To kill or not to kill is suddenly the main dilemma of the character Cesar plays in Hostage where he pits talent with a young child actress named Moreen Guese who plays the part of the ambusher’s daughter. "When she learned that her father had a hand in the death of my daughter," the actor continues, "we figure in a touching scenes where the poor child asks me, ‘Are you going to kill me as well?’ This is actually what I consider the most challenging part of my role here. You have to constantly change emotion as you are dealing with an innocent girl you wanted to kill because her father was responsible for the loss of your own daughter. That kid is simply exceptional. We had good rapport on the first shooting days."

Many potential child performers auditioned for the part but after seeing the finalists, Cesar settled for Moreen Guese who he thought had something more than raw talent. "Mabilis ang pick-up niya," he said. "She in this batch of really outstanding young talents who can sing and dance very well but she stood out because she had character for one so young."

Cesar pointed out action assignments enable him to relax a little bit after the challenge of serious films like Muro-Ami.

In action pictures, he even had leeway for situational comedy. "Of course an action assignment is tough like doing straight drama," he points out. "But in drama, you get drained emotionally but you don’t run the risk of being dismembered by blasting scenes and dangerous stunts which are standard fare for action blockbusters.

You have also to be in good shape physically. I work out at least four times a week. I watch what I eat, I avoid oil, sugar and salt. It’s a big sacrifice but then if you want to last in this business, you have to know the word discipline."

Through the years, Montano has a checklist of what he ought to do when doing action pictures. First, he conditions his body, he fine-tunes the script with his inputs, he goes over the list of supporting cast (in this film), he works with Richard Merk, Daniel Fernando and Bayani Agbayani, among others) and works closely with his director.

"What the director had in mind should be parallel to what you also have in mind," Montano added. "What I like about Augusto Salvador is that working with him is like working with your brother. He is a good director because he is also a good editor. When he directs, he is already editing the coming scenes and he takes time to explain everything. Napakasarap kasama kasi napakagaang katrabaho."

Cesar readily admits he learned more from working with other topnotch directors like Marilou Diaz-Abaya in Jose Rizal and Muro-Ami.

What strikes him about Abaya is her openness and being level-headed about a lot of things. "She knows a lot but what you see when you work with her is not ego but the sheer humility. Napakagaling, napakataray pero ang bait-bait. You’d fall in love with her on the first day on the set. She’s a very simple woman."

He also has memorable encounters with Laurice Guillen in Ang Bukas Ay Akin where he won a Best Supporting Actor trophy and with Chito Roño. "Laurice always finds the time to explain your part so that you don’t lose track of your characterization in every crucial scene. Chito, I would consider na isa sa mga pinakamalalim na direktor. That he has his own eye, that he knows what he is doing, all of these you feel when you work with him."

Cesar said he doesn’t mind doing the part of a soldier in war-torn Mindanao. "I’d love to do that part but of course I had to take into consideration not just my safety but those of the other members of the cast and production crew," he adds.