De Leon says he is disappointed because he thought he and Atom have the same confictions about the movie but he now feels he’s on his own in defending their film. It seems he’s asking Atom to reaffirm his commitment to the film’s controversial content but he didn’t get it so he’s now ranting against his own lead star.
He even wrote: “Atom’s journalism was not exactly the kind of journalism I had in mind. It’s not the gritty kind but more of the celebrity-centered schlock that sometimes verges on entertainment, even showbiz. Looking back, I can see why he wanted to become a movie actor. Perhaps the journalist was really a closet movie star. Perfect for the role of Jake, the self-absorbed millennial. I think Atom and I are both relieved to close the book on this collaboration and finally get out of each other’s lives.”
Through it all, Atom wisely chose to just keep quiet and promote the movie on his own in his social media accounts. This is a good decision because if he’d answer back, it will work against him since he’ll be fighting an icon in the industry who undoubtedly has an admirable body of work.
Also, someone told him “huwag pumatol sa matatanda” since De Leon is a septuagenarian and answering back means he doesn’t know how to respect his elders. Instead, he chose to post meaningful message like “How beautiful it is to stay silent when someone expects you to be enraged” and “Often, your most powerful statement is your dignified silence.”
How sad that this all happened at a time when the movie is suffering from lack of attendance and support from the viewers. For us, it is the best local film shown this year and what a big regret and a big shame that moviegoers are not at all in a mood to watch something that delivers a very relevant message about today’s state of our nation.
