Lumayo Ka Man sa Akin (Seiko Films, Inc., 1992) plays like a showdown between its style and story. Johnny Delgado is Jaime, a powerful, brutal man surrounded by killers and henchmen who lowers his guard to allow Raul (Richard Gomez) into his inner circle. Raul knows Jaime has an unsavory reputation, but he doesn't plan to get involved in his business. That's before he meets Jaime's young wife, the love of his life, Stella played by Gretchen Barretto. The establishing scenes are effective, the director, Laurice Guillen knows what she's doing and we understand that Jaime has made a deliberate decision to lift his ruthless guard to allow his new friend inside. Then elements of an idiot plot begin to appear. It is absolutely clear to us, but apparently not to Raul and Stella that Jaime and his men know everything that goes on.
In Lumayo Ka Man sa Akin, Stella is seen as merely a pawn in this contest between the men. She is Jaime's property, Raul comes sniffing around and then she's mauled and thrown aside so that the real story, the showdown between the males can begin. This contest, which leaves not a single blood-soaked possibility of violence unexplored, leads up to a sick sequence in which Jaime asks for an apology and receives one from Raul whom he trusted but offended by sleeping with his wife. No mention of an apology to Stella. It's possible to respond to this material in more than one way. On the one hand, Lumayo Ka Man sa Akin is a well-made movie, directed by Guillen with the eroticism she brought to Init sa Magdamag (1983) and the melodrama of Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap (1984). It contains Johnny Delgado's best performance in a long while, tough, subtle, convincing. The action scenes are well-handled and we believe the attraction between Gomez and Barretto, two very silly people who think that they can put one over Delgado.
Sound Supervision: Gaudencio Barredo
Production Design: Guillermo Sancha
Edited By; Efren Jarlego
Musical Director: Willy Cruz
Director of Photography: Edurdo F. Jacinto, F.S.C.
Screenplay: Olivia M. Lamasan
Directed By: Laurice Guillen
