''Debosyon'' postpartum

Don't get me wrong. Hannah Espia's ''Transit'', the Best Film winner at the recent 2013 Cinemalaya Awards, is an admirable film. It is touching, funny, insightful and heartfelt. There can be no doubt in regards its winning the top prize of the festival. But somehow, this film junkie can't still shake off the feeling that it is a movie that was made with a large audience in mind. It is the kind of work that easily gets noticed by the Oscars:big themes with big emotions (think of Japan's ''Departures'', Denmark's ''In A Better World'', Italy's ''Life Is Beautiful'', and yes, even the last year's winner, France's ''Amour''). (Thus, it wouldn't be surprising if ''Transit'' would be the country's representative in the Best Foreign-Language Film category in next year's Academy Awards;and who knows, this might finally be our film that will land in the category's Top 5 nominees!) Films like this one have no difficulty in capturing the hearts of both moviegoers and jurors, in achieving a universal appeal and appreciation. There's nothing that tugs the heart more than seeing children face an uncertain situation (in ''Transit's'' case, the threat of deportation). That's why the children's films from Iran, no matter how tough and perilous the situation of the young protagonists might be, have such an undeniable charm. 

But eventually, I start to doubt the enduring quality of films that have such a wide degree of general consensus. I can't avoid taking it with a grain of salt whenever I encounter films that achieved such a popular appeal. And more often than not, after consuming such a ''product'' (once, twice or even for how many times), it turns out that there's still a lot to be desired (like ''Gone With the Wind'', ''Casablanca'' and ''The Godfather''). What catches the interest of this junkie more are those films that polarize, those that either leave the audience raptured in awe or flabbergasted in disgust. Films that may easily divide the audience and may not readily leave a room for general agreement. Isn't it more stimulating and, eventually, more rewarding to talk about works of cinema that invite debate and controversy?

It is for such reason that I was somewhat disappointed when Alvin Yapan's ''Debosyon'' went home empty-handed from the recently-concluded Cinemalaya Awards. Call me a sudden convert, but it is of my strong opinion that this majestic film should have won the major awards, most notably the Best Film and Best Director awards. I unabashedly declare that it is a beautiful work of art. Everything in the film appears to seamlessly and gracefully flow together, like a blessed religious icon that inspires and entrances upon first sight - the story, the visual and aural aesthetics, the performances. Here, we have a filmmaker who has a complete magisterial control of the medium, an artist molding his artwork with a breadth and depth of vision. It is perhaps not an overstatement to say that his discipline is no different from that of Bergman or of Antonioni. ''Debosyon'' is that one-of-a-kind Filipino film that has a strong and profound spiritual character, a work so rich and dense that a single viewing of the film might not be enough to justify it. It can be many things in one:a solemn prayer, an amorous poem, a mystifying painting, an enigmatic short story, a festive ritual. Not since Kubrick's ''2001:A Space Odyssey'' have I approximated film-watching to being an experience in itself. 

Its being close to us is the only thing preventing me from praising this film to high heavens. But only time can serve as a judge as to how long will ''Debosyon'' stay in my mind, from the moment the final scene dissolves into black and the end credits roll. And I feel that it will be for such a long time.