YOU can never lock-in director Mike de Leon as a one-genre wonder. His body of work spans a lot of them, from romance/coming of age (Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising) to musical (Kakaba Ka Ba?) to horror (Kisapmata) and even dark comedy (Bayaning Third World). But those familiar with him have observed that while his body of work is very varied, there is an underlying and recurring theme of fighting the system and challenging the norms.
Citizen Jake, de Leon’s latest film after an 18-year hiatus, is no different. But this time, we see an angrier Mike, one who comes as a rude shock to the senses. What else is new though? De Leon never plays it safe.
Citizen Jake is a thought-provoking experience. De Leon’s terrifying perception of today is marked by cynicism. Our world, as he sees it, may look as picturesque as Baguio City (the movie’s setting) but the beautiful scenery just camouflages the demise that society is facing. Our world now suffers from a crippling amnesia that’s never acknowledged, as it has already sunk in too deep that taking action may already be too late.
We first meet Jake, played by documentarist and broadcast journalist Atom Araullo, talking to the camera and asking the audience to hear his story. He is a journalist who used to write for a major newspaper but was forced to resign when his father, Jacobo Sr., ran and won as a senator. He is now a teacher and runs a blog that exposes the corruption committed by the Marcoses and his cronies, which include his father.
While continuing to be a fearless blogger, he comes across the brutal murder of a young woman who is also a student where he teaches. At first, he is dismissive and also apprehensive in getting involved, as it is not his beat. But with the insistence of his girlfriend (a coteacher who was close to the victim), he starts to investigate and uncovers a big web that involves bribery, prostitution and many more.
Strange, isn’t it? Or not. “Truth is stranger than fiction,” the film always reminds us.
One might not be able to resist taking a stab on the casting of Atom Araullo as Jake, as he isn’t even an “actor,” but Atom has handled the role deftly. Besides being the lead, Araullo is credited as a screenwriter (along with de Leon and Noel Pascual) and this has helped him breathe life and personality to his character. Then there’s Lucas, played by the ever-reliable Lou Veloso, whose highlight is when he recites a poem that he wrote, which encapsulates how he feels about society now. Veteran actor Teroy Guzman as Jacobo Sr. is explosive in all his scenes. Meanwhile, Cherie Gil, as a sexy starlet turned socialite, is magnetic and brilliant (the character is based on a real person, or so I was told), and her nephew, Gabby Eigenmann, who plays The Godfather-obsessed kuya of Jake provides comic relief with his impeccable timing and delivery.
But the film plainly belongs to de Leon. His technical assurance, his command of the medium is remarkable. His shots are well-planned, and his biting dialogue serves de Leon’s purpose beautifully. His film may offend but there’s no doubting the fact that the end product is from a still brilliant and still highly original mind.
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ABS-CBN’s online streaming and video-on-demand content platform, iWant TV, is releasing a new and original web series by award-winning Director Pam Reyes, titled #Adulting, a coming-of-age light drama-comedy that follows four young Filipina women from different colleges who are about to leave the comforts of their university life for the first time.
Pam, the creative producer of the award-winning movie Birdshot, said #Adulting explores the lives of millennials and explicitly shows the bitter, harsh, but fun reality of a young woman’s struggle in modern-day Metro Manila while tapping on relevant issues.
When asked about what she expects from the series, she said, “I’ve always wanted to create something that shows the lives of young women in the Philippines. It’s a unique perspective that I hope the audience will like. It’s cool to note that we shot this with a team that’s predominantly women. The four characters I cowrote with Rae Red have different paths and issues. We both graduated from University of the Philippines Diliman, and most of the characters and situations are inspired by real life events.”
The main character, Aira, is a film graduate and aspires to be director but has to go through the ropes as a production assistant. It is through her character that the show throws inside jokes about the film industry. Lars, the ate of the group, comes from a long-term relationship and is struggling to choose between her dreams and her love life. Sab, the conyo quirky girl, is battling personal and mental issues while maintaining a seemingly positive life. Bulak, the public administration Ilongga graduate, is working her way to the work force but also working on her confusions about sexuality.
Rapidly transitioning into an agile digital company, ABS-CBN has the biggest online presence among Filipino media companies. It is the top local YouTube and Facebook publisher, ranking first among the most-viewed online content creators in the country and 32nd globally.