Review: Isang Himala is Technically Impressive, Wonderfully Acted

(SPOT.ph) Isang Himala adapts the 2018 stage musical of the same name, which in turn was a musical adaptation of Ishmael Bernal's Himala. This is a lineage that sets up some pretty tough expectations: Himala is generally considered one of the best Filipino films of all time, and the musical, written by Ricky Lee and Vincent de Jesus, and directed by Ed Lacson Jr., set up a bravura in-the-round production that immersed audiences in the life of the town of Cupang, letting them literally feel the rain as it fell.

Does Isang Himala live up to that lineage? It feels like it falls a little short. It isn't quite as engaging as its predecessors, losing something in its staging of these familiar elements. That said, it's still pretty good: it is a technically impressive, wonderfully performed version of an all-time great stage musical. It just doesn't quite capture what made it so special.

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Isang Himala's Incredible performances

The issue is one of flow. There are just times when the movie transitions out of a scene, and it feels like the rhythm of the story is starting over. It messes with the pacing and makes one feel the length a lot more. The remarkable story remains intact, but it is delivered in fits and starts, and can't quite achieve the sweep of either of the previous versions. It starts to feel like a chain of performances rather than a full, cohesive movie.

Granted, these are incredible performances: Aicelle Santos is just as amazing as she was six years ago in this role, with a clear emotive voice that makes the rapture and struggle of her character palpable. Neomi Gonzalez, Kakki Teodoro and Bituin Escalante are all unassailable as singers and actors, and to see them on screen fully unleashing their powers may in itself be worth the price of admission.

Cupang as a strange little diorama

The movie is also visually stunning, with great lensing once again from Carlo Mendoza. The light shifts in dramatic fashion as emotions shift for these characters, as though the very sky itself is moved by the travails of this town. The movie doesn't attempt to hide the artifice of the world, making Cupang feel like a strange little diorama depicting the very small lives of people desperately clinging to faith.

I don't want to undersell it: Isang Himala is a strong piece of work. It is just that one can't help but compare it to its predecessors, which are both unequivocal masterpieces. This just doesn't hit quite as hard, but given that, it's still Himala. It is still one of the greatest Filipino stories told on screen. It's still Ricky Lee's words, and Vince de Jesus’ best musical work. It is still a very powerful meditation on faith, and how it is exploited.

Rating: 4 stars. 

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