Angel Aquino steals the spotlight in Magkaribal

In Koreanovelas (such as My Kim Sam Soon on GMA and Only You on ABS-CBN), cuisine is among the stellar attractions. In the ABS-CBN teleserye Magkaribal, it’s couture, which is the reason why its followers include fashionistas like STAR Life Section columnist Mons Romulo-Tantoco, her sister Berna Romulo-Puyat and Michelle Tiangco (wife of Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco).

Same in the US.

According to Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre (of The Filipino Reporter), “With the intricate world of fashion as its setting, Magkaribal has drawn special interest among many Pinoys in metropolitan New York, the fashion capital of the world.”

Although the smash ABS-CBN teleserye does not actually zoom in on the ins and outs of the fashion business as it focuses more on the stormy relationships of its characters, the weeknight primetime series aired on The Filipino Channel is good enough to give viewers abroad a glimpse of what’s in vogue in Manila.

Added Edmund, “And it doesn’t hurt that real-life renowned designers like Reneé Salud, Richard Papa and Frederick Peralta, among others, as well as top mannequins, make cameos every now and then.”

The show’s biggest draw is its powerhouse cast: Gretchen Barretto, Derek Ramsay, Erich Gonzales, Enchong Dee and Bea Alonzo, with award-winning veterans Robert Arevalo and Mark Gil.

I know some friends who engage in a guessing game while they’re watching Magkaribal  you know: Are the pieces of jewelry Gretchen is wearing “real” or “imitation,” owned or borrowed? Are her clothes really expensive or merely expensive-looking?

Magkaribal is supposed to be a Gretchen-Bea show but  surprise, surprise!  somebody else is stealing the thunder from them and she’s no other than Angel Aquino who plays Vera Cruz, the chiseled beauty and Philippine fashion queen.

That’s according to Edmund (and I agree with him) who gushed, ”Watching Vera Cruz is like riding a roller-coaster of powerful emotions. One minute you hate her, wanting to crush her into pieces for making tlives of Gelai (Bea) and Chloe (Erich) miserable, and the next you sympathize with her as Victoria Valera (Gretchen) torments her without end.”

Although Angel has starred in some high-profile films including Crying Ladies and Donsol (for which she won a Cinemalaya Best Actress trophy), she remained underrated until Magkaribal came along and reaffirmed her thespian chops. 

Yes, Edmund is right: “For those who are not so familiar with Angel’s body of work, she’s nothing but a revelation in Magkaribal, the same way Agot Isidro’s Ingrid stole the show in Tayong Dalawa.”

As Vera Cruz, Angel’s intense but controlled performance chews up all the characters that stand her way  whether they are in a Balenciaga or Prada  and either swallows them whole or spits them out, depending on her mood.

And with her striking beauty with high-cheekbones reminiscent of Katharine Hepburn’s, Angel can wrap her body with a white bedsheet and still emerge like a Roman goddess, something Gretchen may not be able to pull off with aplomb.

“She’s as beautiful and as scary as Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams’ fashion editor character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty),” Edmund quoted Zeny Avila, curator at the Philippine Center Gallery on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, as saying. “Sobrang lakas ng dating pero hindi siya OA (over acting). Her character is very lethal, her lines, her acting. Her performance is so convincing that she can even play with your emotions. You want to pummel her when she’s bad, but then you also want to cry with her when she’s at her lowest. She’s so good that she can manipulate your feelings.”

Edmund suggested that two other scene-stealing characters deserve more exposure: Gigi, the loyal friend and conscience of Bea’s and Enchong’s characters, played effortlessly by Bianca Manalo, 2009 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe; and Gianfranco, the cattish senior designer at Vera Couture, played with delight by RS Francisco, who, in real life, is said to be the highest-paid commercial director in the Philippines today.

Bianca, as the sweet and alluring Gigi, is a natural. Watching her deliver her punches always sends a big laugh. She may be naive, but she’s a lot smarter than Rufa Mae Quinto’s Booba.

Said Edmund, “You just hope she gets plucked from the slums by Vera or Victoria and transformed into an A-List modeland get more screen time.”

Like Bianca, RS also offers comic relief when the drama becomes too heavy to bear. “We enjoy how RS clobbers with insults fellow designer Jean Paul (Toffee Calma), who is no match to Gianfranco’s wit. Classy, smart and beautiful, his screen presence is undeniably strong.”

Like Edmund, I think Gretchen’s acting is not her best. It doesn’t even come close to her sterling performance in last year’s Maalaala Mo Kaya for which she bagged a PMPC Star Award Best Actress trophy for her performance as a married woman who had an illicit affair with a town mayor (Phillip Salvador).

“Too bad Gretchen’s high-priced wardrobe, accessories and shoes often upstage her that you hardly notice the pain of Victoria Valera as your eyes feast on her lavish collection.”

Not that the fashionistas are complaining.

“Sobrang ganda ng mga damit niya, puro top of the line,” said Rossana “Rose” Ignacio who, according to Edmund, runs the popular Aurora’s Hairport Beauty Salon in Jersey City and Edison, New Jersey. “The plot of the series is actually predictable like other Filipino dramas. But just catching Gretchen’s gowns, shoes and bags makes it worthy of my time. I also like the witty dialogues and the suspenseful musical scoring.”

Luckily, it’s not yet too late for Gretchen to put more oomph in her acting as Victoria’s rivalry with Gelai  her sister she thought was dead a long time ago  is just about to begin, with the evil Vera, of course, manipulating their forthcoming showdown.

But first, with her image as a fashionista firmly established, Gretchen should pay attention to her acting, or be resigned to being “eaten up alive” by Angel in their scenes together.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected] or at [email protected])