Direk Mike ‘relieved to close book on collaboration’ with Atom

Film director Mike de Leon’s thoughts on his “Citizen Jake” lead actor Atom Araullo have caused a stir online.

Mike de Leon (second from left) with Atom Araullo (third) and the cast of ‘Citizen Jake’

On the official Facebook page of the movie where he posted a photo of the Kapuso anchor, the 71-year-old director shared a lengthy post about Atom and their working relationship before and after doing the film “Citizen Jake.”

Mike first stated that “Atom Araullo is not a professional actor and I only came across his name when I read that he had resigned from his job as a reporter in his former TV network (I don’t watch television).”

He said that although he personally picked the journalist-turned-actor, it was because he never wanted a professional actor to play the lead role in “Citizen Jake.” He thought it would be interesting to work with someone whose work was as journalist and who he thought shared his political convictions.

But eventually the veteran filmmaker realized that Atom’s journalism was not the kind he had in mind.

“It’s not the gritty kind but more of the celebrity-centered schlock that sometimes verges on entertainment, even showbiz,” his post read.

Nevertheless, he said Atom’s contribution to the screenplay was substantial. Mike also noted that as an actor, the 35-year-old journalist did a good job.

“There were scenes where he acted unevenly but there were also scenes, many of them major, where he was terrific,” he said.

According to him, even if “Citizen Jake” is his most personal film he would sometimes feel that it’s a film that he and Atom have done together, through thick and thin, through upheaval after upheaval and unfortunately there were many.

“But I hoped that in the end, we would still share the same convictions we started off with. Alas, that was not to be. Now I find myself alone in speaking for the film, defending the film against those who would exploit it for political mileage and those who would wish it harm, two types of people of basically the same mold,” he divulged.

“I think Atom and I are both relieved to close the book on this collaboration and finally get out of each other’s lives. What is important in the unique world of cinema is that ‘Citizen Jake’ has now acquired a life of its own, separate from us. As Francois Truffaut, the late great French Director, said in ‘Day For Night,’ his film about filmmaking: ‘The film is king.’ The only thing left is for people to watch it. (this is me, not Truffaut),” he ended his post.

Atom has not released a statement on the issue as of this writing.

“Citizen Jake” is about the personal saga of a Filipino (Atom) and his struggles with the contradictions within his own social class and the demands of a dysfunctional political family in a Third World nation.