Gretchen says only 10% of rumors are true

Jolina asked him who among the women linked to him (Kristine Hermosa, Amy Perez, Pauleen Luna, and Angel Locsin) would he like to return to. He didn't mention any name but he says it's the one "na hindi namin nakilala nang husto ang isa't isa dahil we were not given the chance at marami nang magulong nangyari". We surmise he's referring to Kristine, who then had Jericho Rosales as her ka-love team.

Marvin gamely revealed the Killer Question: Tumutol ba ang parents ni Pauleen sa iyo dahil pinagdabugan mo sila? "I don't think 'yon ang dahilan," he says. "They're just very protective of their daughter at hindi rin siguro 'yon ang tamang panahon para sa aming dalawa ni Pauleen. She's a very respectful daughter and I just respected her decision."

***

The "Don't Lie to Me" portion of "Showbiz Central" featured a couples edition last Sunday, Lovi Poe and Jolo Revilla, who are now paired by GMA-7 in the TV remake of "Kaputol ng Isang Awit," along with Glaiza de Castro and Marky Cielo.

Lovi was the one who was questioned first, followed by Jolo, and they have identical answers of three truths and three lies. The questions where they answered truthfully: "Issue ba sa inyo ang pagiging binatang ama ni Jolo?" They both said no. "Tutol ba kay Jolo ang mommy ni Lovi?" They also said no. "Sinagot na ba ni Lovi si Jolo?" The answer is also no.

The questions where they lied: "Totoo bang madalas kayong mag-PDA (public display of affection) kahit di pa kayo umaaming on kayo?" They both said no. "Is Jolo a one-woman man?" They both said yes. Binabakuran ka ba ni Jolo sa ibang suitors? They both said no.

From their answers, it's easy to see that Lovi favors Jolo and now that they'll be seeing each other more often on the set of "Kaputol ng Isang Awit," we won't be surprised if their relationship blossoms even further.

***

"Showbiz Central" also revealed that two discoveries of an artista search, Gian Carlos of GMA-7's "Star Struck" and Eda Nolan of ABS-CBN's "SCQ," are now the parents of a baby boy, Andrei, born on February 8 at the Jesus Immaculate Conception Hospital in Marikina. They've decided not to tie the knot yet and this is for the best as they're only 19 and will surely be facing a lot of problems ahead as young parents who don't even have regular jobs. Gian, who's from Iloilo, gained fame for his hemophilia and we hope his son won't inherit this ailment in his blood. Between them, it's Eda who's slowly making a name for herself having been cast in a teleserye like "Walang Kapalit" and the sitcom "Okay Ka Doc." She also gained notoriety for an episode of "Wowowee" where one of her boobs was allegedly shown by accident during a dance number. They were able to keep their relationship a secret but have finally admitted it now that Eda has given birth. Unlike Jennylyn Mercado and Patrick Garcia who have parted ways with Patrick flying to the US, Gian and Eda are still together.

***

Daniel Day Lewis has already won some awards for "There Will Be Blood" and, in all likelihood; he'll get his second Oscar best actor plum (after "My Left Foot") for this soon as so many critics lionize his performance. The movie is, more than anything else, a character study of a man's disintegration. He plays Daniel Plainview and we first meet him 1898, mining for precious metals underground all by himself.

The film (which has eight Oscar nominations) has no dialogue for its first 10 minutes or so. He meets an accident while digging (the first of many mishaps in the course of the film) but he gets what he's looking for. From gold, he then decides to shift his focus to oil. Another accident kills a man working for him and he inherits the man's orphaned son, H.W. (Dillon Reasier), who he raises as his own. He has become a rich oil man by 1912.

A young man, Paul Sunday (Paul Dano of "Little Miss Sunshine") comes to him and tells him that his family's farmland on the coast of California called Little Boston is floating on top of an ocean of black gold. He pays Paul $500 and goes to California where he takes advantage of the boy's father and other land owners.

He finds resistance in the twin brother of Paul named Eli (also played by Paul Dano), a young evangelical preacher, who makes Daniel promise to donate $10,000 to his church. But once he gets what he wants, Daniel forgets his promise and even Paul's request to do the prayers before the oil drilling starts operation. There is another accident that results in an explosion that made H.W. deaf for life. As he becomes a filthy rich oil magnate, Daniel loses his soul and becomes a murderer alienated from everyone.

The film is loosely based on Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel, "Oil," but it echoes the life of historical oil pioneer John Roc-kefeller, Edna Ferber's "Giant" starring James Dean, and Orson Welles' classic "Citizen Kane." The film is written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson who's been nominated before in the Oscars for films like "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia." It's a sprawling story about ambition, greed, corruption, and misplaced faith, also exploring the relationships between fathers and sons as seen in Daniel and H.W., Eli and his father. When H.W. grows up, marries Eli's sister and goes on his own, Daniel considers him a rival. The final scene showing Daniel and Eli in their last conflict in a bowling alley will shock many viewers.

Daniel Day Le-wis gives an intensely volatile tour de force performance as Da-niel Plainview, a manipulative man who can alternately be gentle, ruthless, charismatic, and insane, using even religion just to get what he wants. He's well supported by Paul Dano as Eli, the false prophet.

What's arresting about the film is the way it's presented by Anderson's unique cinematic vision that most viewers wanting escapist entertainment won't be able to relate with. Those who believe that a film showing the decay of a repulsive character for two hours and 40 minutes will find it overrated. But film aficionados will surely relish even the bleak cinematography by Robert Elswit, austere period design by Jack Fisk and the noticeably discordant musical score by Johnny Greenwood.

***

Gretchen Bar-retto is visible once again as she's promoting her album, "Unexpected." In interviews with her, Gretchen denies that she was thrown out by her longtime companion, Tony Boy Cojuangco, after she had an affair with Dodie Puno.

"Nasaktan ako sa mga balitang pinalayas ako ni Tony Boy at pinili raw ng anak naming si Dominique ang daddy niya," she says. "Hindi totoo 'yan kasi 90% sa mga nasulat, walang katotohanan, 10% lang ang totoo. I'm really hurt by the accusations kasi pinag-mukhang masama si Tony na pinalayas ako. He's a very good man and I wouldn't be with him for 14 years if he's not a good man."

At the 45th birthday celebration of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada at Blue Leaf in Fort Bonifacio, Gretchen arrived with her love partner to show that they're still together. But Gretchen is mum about her alleged romance with Dodie Puno. She says she'd rather be silent. We guess that's part of the 10% that she says is true.

"All I'd say is nagkakamali pa rin ako but it's a learning experience and I will take with me whatever I experience," she adds.

When Tony Boy approached her and pulled her hand to end the interview, Gretchen asked him: "Pinalayas mo ba ako? Answer."

But her man didn't answer and only smiled. As they say, silence means consent. What can she say to Tony Boy? "For all his love and forgiveness, I will love him for the rest of my life."

***

We'd like to thank Sharon Cuneta for the inspiring prayer and messages she's been sending to me and my daughter Hannah since my wife passed away. We really appreciate your concern.