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The Illegitimate Artist
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Cinemalaya 2013: Debosyon by Alvin Yapan
Debosyon's official poster looks intriguing. The reason behind it is revealed in the film. |
We, Filipinos, are naturally devoted to what we believe in. It is naturally part of our culture to be like that. May it be to a religious idol or mythical creatures, passionate devotion could be observed from us. Debosyon, a film directed by Alvin Yapan, gives the viewers the perfect glimpse on how devoted we may be even if it might cost our limbs or even lives.
Set in the present-day Bicol, Mando (Paulo Avelino) devotes himself to the Virgin of Penafrancia. He devotes himself for the sake of good harvest. As harvest season hasn't come yet, Mando makes a living through
collecting orchids from a forest and sells them in town. One day, he sees a beautiful orchid. When he tries to get it, he falls from the tree. Saling (Mara Lopez), a kind yet mysterious lady living alone in the forest, helps
him. With their love for music, they found themselves in the pits of love. Although Mando is sincerely in love with Saling, Saling remained mysterious. Later on, she reveals the mystery that wraps her, which gave distance between her and Mando. Will Mando get rid of her? Or will he still love her? Debosyon is not story of “falling in love many times and getting hurt each time”, but it gives the viewer an in-depth observation of Filipino culture and devotion.
Debosyon is a story that we may hear from the people dwelling at the countryside. It is something that we read from our childhood days with some kind of depth and maturity behind it. The story was told chronologically. Though after viewing it I almost said, "tapos na" and decided that it should not be told that
way, I later realized that it is a good ending because of the emphasis and the weight of words exchanged by Mando and Saling. It pierces through the heart, but at the same time, it will make you really think. In the end, Saling asks Mando why he came back to her. Mando answers that he saw her eyes in the eyes of Virgin
of Penafancia. That exchange of words poses a great question for me. Does it mean that he denounces his devotion to the Virgin because of her? Or does that mean that he finds the sincerity of Saling’s love through the eyes of the Virgin? I shall choose the latter.
Paulo Avelino reaching for the Virgin of Penafrancia. |
The
actors are really superb. Paulo Avelino and Mara Lopez both speak in Bicolano on
the film. I believe that they don’t really know how to speak it because of the
limited lines, but it does not matter. The limited lines that came out from
their mouths keep the film mysterious. Paulo speaks without words and acts
really good. If you've seen the trailer, you may recall the scene where he
tries to reach the Virgin. In the movie, you'll see how expressive his eyes are that
you may hear it talking. Mara Lopez also gave justice to the character. She is
able to be very mysterious that you would not even guess the mystery behind
her. However, the mystery may be observed through dialogues in the film. I see
in Mara that she really is passionate in acting. She even had some scenes where
she exposed her torso, but it is really artistic and not erotic or “bastos”. Even
their love scene is more on the artistic side rather than the erotic side.
Moreover, both of them, Paulo and Mara, are good actors. Both of them give life
to the characters.
Aside from the good acting, I'd love to commend the music. I believe that most, if not all, are original. It is in Bicolano, but you'll hear the intensity and feel the emotions. In fact, I would love to hear it on the radio. The music is superb. When it comes to the cinematography, I love how the beauty and mystery of the location are revealed. The colors attract the eye, but the scenery feeds the mind some delicious dinner. The cinematography,
direction, and music all together gives the viewer a complete meal for the soul. It keeps the location serene and mysterious.
The
plot development, as I mentioned a while ago, is linear. What I like about it
is that the intensity is in the end. The answer to the question, which poses
more questions, is also there. Although I think a nonlinear development is also
good, I guess the linear development works best because it will not exploit the
mystery that the film offers. My initial reaction when the film ended is, “Is
that it?” In fact, my level of engagement is almost up there but all of a
sudden it fell. Anyway, the ending is for us to think about. It does not spoon
feed its audience, but it gives you the chance to think especially in the end. I
still see it as the best because the conclusion is in the hands of the
audience. The credits actually gave me the chance to think it over and say that
the ending really fits it. The credits will also give you time to conclude and
decipher the symbolism in the film. For now, the only problem I see is that it develops slowly. But then, I think the reason behind it is to build the
relationship between the protagonists better.
Catch Debosyon on those dates. |
Watch Debosyon's trailer:
*ALL PHOTOS ARE TAKEN FROM GOOGLE IMAGES.
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