Real Life Fiction, a film featuring Piolo Pascual and Jasmine Curtis-Smith with notable physical exposure, will compete at the box-office on 28 August against a documentary about SB19, the undisputed leading pop band in the country. 

Directed by Paul Soriano, who some cheekily refer to as “Mr. Toni Gonzaga,” Real Life Fiction is an arthouse film featuring Lav Diaz, himself a noted arthouse director. 

Papa P (Pascual to you) plays the movie actor Paco, while Diaz portrays the owner of an eclectic pawnshop that Paco becomes drawn to while searching for his true self.

In the film, Pascual’s character decides to write, direct and act in a film, leading him into a tragic situation.

A media colleague who saw the film at its recent premiere described it as exploring “the abyss of an actor’s mind as he loses parts of his sense of self after years of being celebrated personality.” Can anything be more arthouse than that?

On the other hand, Curtis-Smith’s character is described as the “on- and off-screen muse [of Pascual’s character],” blurring the lines between reality and fiction.

Real Life Fiction is said to “shed light on the psyche and the limits to which actors push themselves and the people around them to find brilliance in madness.”

Epy Quizon also stars as Paco’s stern yet considerate manager.

Journalists and vloggers who have seen the movie were impressed by Pascual and Curtis-Smith’s willingness to expose more than usual on screen.

The film has received an R-16 rating from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), meaning it’s suitable for viewers aged 16 and above. Well, this is a far better rating than X, which indicates a film is disapproved for showing. Recently, the MTRCB rated And So It Begins, a documentary about former vice president Leni Robredo’s presidential campaign, with a PG (parental guidance). Directed by Ramona Diaz, known for her documentary Imelda about First Lady Imelda Marcos, And So It Begins was initially scheduled to open on 25 August.

The recent days have been a spate of X-rated (banned!) documentaries, including Cinemalaya-celebrated Alipato at Muog, which was also disapproved by MTRCB. 

Hopefully, this “banning season” will end soon and not affect the entries in the upcoming Sinag Maynila Film Festival on 4 to 8 September. It has seven documentary entries. 

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Vivamax will captivate fans this August with two hot erotic offerings. Vivamax films are not subject to MTRCB ratings.

Now streaming exclusively on Vivamax is Rodante Y. Pajemna, Jr.’s Ang Kapitbahay, headlined by Christine Bermas, who continues to shine in Vivamax movies despite her top billing in the company’s first film release, Unang Tikim.

In Ang Kapitbahay, Bermas plays Rose, who awakens the lustful desires of her young neighbor Alex (Clifford Pusing), leading him to pursue her.

Rose also has her eyes on Alex and will give him his first-ever sexual experience, demanding that he help her extort a huge sum of money from her powerful boyfriend, known only as “General.”

She promises Alex a future together if he complies.

Will Alex agree to her plans? Can Rose be trusted? And who exactly is the General?

Another Vivamax original to enjoy is Private Tutor. 

In this film, Zsara Laxamana plays Joy, a hardworking public school teacher in a long-term relationship with Vigo (VJ Vera), a mechanic. To earn more, Joy takes on a tutoring job with Erica (Christy Imperial), a senior high student who wants to learn more than just academics.

She seeks to explore carnal pleasures.

Erica’s father, Gordon (Mark Dionisio), a wealthy widower, also desires Joy, leading to a situation where Joy ends up pleasing both father and daughter.

What will happen if Vigo finds out?