Cherie Gil and Atom Araullo in Baguio —Cesar Hernando
No matter how “complex” the process is, actress Cherie Gil is determined to engage in a return bout with filmmaker Mike de Leon.
She recently reunited with De Leon in the acclaimed director’s comeback movie, “Citizen Jake.” Their last collaboration was the pioneering video production, “Bilanggo sa Dilim,” in 1986.
“I am proud to be part of Mike’s return to film,” Gil told the Inquirer. “He guided me every step of the way.”
She found his hands-on approach quite refreshing. These days, she explained, most directors would leave actors to their own devices.
She missed the good old days when the director was truly the captain of the ship, taking full creative control of the production—including the actors’ performances.
“Mike really directed me,” she recalled. “It was a five-page scene, and we shot from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. I truly yearn for those days … the second Golden Age of Philippine cinema, when we would do only two scenes a day.”
Welcome change of pace
On the set of “Citizen Jake,” they took their time and were not in a rush—a welcome change of pace from her usual grind in today’s high-pressure, breakneck teleserye landscape.
“Mike knew what he wanted. He carefully studied the scene,” she related. “He really took care of us in that sequence. Babad talaga. We were fully immersed in the story. ”
Weeks before the shoot in Baguio, she had a script-reading session with the film’s lead actor, Atom Araullo, and later a sultry pictorial with photographer Mark Nicdao.
Her portrait (by Nicdao) was prominently displayed in her scene with Araullo, the film’s titular “Citizen.” (Between takes, the two let off steam by shooting videos that recreated the actress’ legendary water-dousing scene in “Bituing Walang Ningning.”)
Speaking of the “famous/infamous” portrait.
De Leon related that the portrait had caused a “major production upheaval.” “Knowing my emotional outbursts, I almost threw the whole film away.”
He volunteered that the actress had calmed him down during that stormy episode.
She looked back: “At the end of the day, I was just too happy we managed to pull through the scene that I had been waiting to do for so long. And he pulled through till the end. It made it even more memorable. Now, I can say my bond with the Mike de Leon is even tighter—as a filmmaker and as a friend.”
She pointed out: “We are both Geminis. I get him.”
As for the portrait, De Leon had promised to give it to Gil “once it’s ready.”
High-class madam
In the movie, she portrays a high-class madam who procures nubile companions for filthy rich clients. “I play the leader of an escort service.”
Since it’s such an interestingly complicated character, she feels a tad “bitin” (unsatisfied), wanting to do more for the director.
She playfully made not-so-subtle suggestions during filming. “I made parinig to Mike,” she recounted. “I told him that my character needs a flashback scene! We should know her backstory! He just smiled at me.”
De Leon described the scene on the film’s Facebook page as “tension-filled.” “I call it cerebral melodrama, surreal yet fascinating.”
Should De Leon decide to make another film, she insisted she’d be the first one in line to try out for a part.
“I really hope he makes more movies,” she asserted.
In any case, her reunion with De Leon, no matter how brief, would suffice for now.
“We produced an amazing scene,” she enthused.