"Alam niya yung istorya, and excited siya."

During her solo press conference for I Love You, Goodbye held last Saturday, December 19, director Laurice Guillen proudly told the entertainment press that her late husband Johnny Delgado would have enjoyed her latest work.

The "love drama" is Star Cinema's official entry to the 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival and is topbilled by real-life couple Angelica Panganiban and Derek Ramsay. The film also stars Gabby Concepcion who portrays the father of teen actress Kim Chiu. Angelica's character is caught in a love triangle with Derek and Gabby.

She continued, "Kaya nga nung nakita ko with the music na, iniisip ko na, 'Naku! Hindi na niya napanood, pero I'm sure mag-eenjoy siya'. Many times during the shooting ng peliukula, after na siya ilibing, naiisip ko, 'Ikukuwento ko 'to sa kanya', tapos maalala ko, wala na pala siya," she mused.

With her husband's death falling in the middle of filming, did she find it difficult to shoot the romantic scenes, considering that the film coincided with her period of mourning?

"Hindi naman problema 'yun sa akin," she answered. "I can put myself in focus. Nakatulong in the sense na I was living on the edge. 'Yun bang, so much more focused and so much more sensitive I guess. 'Yun bang, hindi ako 'yung parang laidback. Nakatulong yun. Because I was more keen. Like I said nga, kung minsan tawanan pa sila sa set, e. I'm in a period of mourning, but I can function," she stated.

She added that Johnny's last moments inspired her to do better and to work harder just so she could impress her husband.  "When you're dealing with the possibility of losing a loved one, parang you're living on the edge parati, so I was working on the edge."

During Johnny's last week on this earth, Direk Laurice said she had six more days of shooting. She halted production during this time to be able to be by her husband's deathbed. A day after his funeral, she resumed filming, wowing actors and the production crew of the film.

SENSUAL VS. PASSIONATE.  I Love You, Goodbye is not a "love drama" for nothing. In the film, lead actress Angelica Panganiban has love scenes with both her real-life boyfriend Derek Ramsay and with actor Gabby Concepcion, who is 22 years her senior. The said love scenes are currently a hot topic in the entertainment circle.

During the press conference, the director finally shed light on the controversial scenes. She described Gabby's as "very sensual and mature. Kumbaga, 'pag kumain ka ng gourmet, pati yung wine mo piling-pili, parang gano'n. Very sensual."

With Derek's love scenes, she called them "very, very passionate. 'Yung eksena nila sa beach, that was really something. That was hot," she said, further building excitement for the movie.

Despite Gabby and Angelica's huge age difference, Direk Laurice said that it didn't come as a setback. She simply subjected them to a number of workshops and from there, "alam na nila kung paano yun."

GABBY: MORE MATURE  I Love You, Goodbye is Laurice Guillen's fourth directorial work with Gabby Concepcion. She previously directed him in Rosenda (1989), Una Kang Naging Akin (1991), and Tayong Dalawa (1992).

What does she think of Gabby's big-screen comeback?

"You could see that he really missed acting in movies. And kahit meron akong pauulit sa kanya, he did it with enthusiasm. Never siya na para bang walang gana just because he was doing a lot of things. ang daming ginagawa ni Gabby pero pagka nasa set siya, you have him completely.

'Yung attitude, a lot more mature," she continued. "Tapos mas nakaka-deliver siya ng pain, mas naiintindihan niya yung mga relationships between husband and wife. Kung minsan nga kung nagmamadali kami, basta, yung gano'n, 'Alam mo na 'yan!'" she said with a laugh.