Though the title teases at religious allegory, Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr.'s Pieta (Alternative Vision Cinema, Noble Wolf, 2023) is far from your average scripture. With no room for hackneyed preaching or politics, the film's faith system is wrapped in a verité-style drama, in which sacrifice and persecution are indistinguishable. Characters find redemption through punishment and seek truth through manipulation. Alix prefers his characters to speak more through deed than word. Often delving into deeply transgressive corners of the human psyche, Pieta never goes where we expect it to. And it has some important things to say about revenge and sacrifice. Alfred Vargas as Isaac is a marvel to watch. His transformation is almost impossible to tear away from. Isaac's problems turn out to be of a more internal and existential origin than in any outward pressures weighing him down. Vargas’ intensity is well matched by Nora Aunor, bringing a sense of disturbing mystery to Rebecca whose relationship with her son takes a surprise twist as Isaac suddenly remembers an incident from his youth. Every so often, bursts of affectionate spontaneity erupt between Rebecca and Isaac, demonstrating the genuine love and bond that they share – and yet, the connection remains fragile, derailed so quickly whenever either one of them slips through the emotional cracks that ennui has eroded into their core personalities.
Aunor says so much with silence, creating a cinematic language from the emotions on her face alone; mysterious but complex. Rebecca proves to be something else entirely. Isaac's attempts to get back into some semblance of the life he almost permanently left behind prove to be much more difficult than anyone might have imagined. And the escalating enmeshment with his son Jonil (Tommy Alejandrino) add new layers of confusion to the mess he’s trying to make sense of. Further retreats into isolation don’t necessarily offer comfort, but the withdrawal does reduce much of the friction, a welcome relief in its own terms. It’s a detour, a reliable means to an ambiguous end. Powerful changes come with a price paid in the devastating final frames. Much to Alix’s credit as a filmmaker, he resists the temptation to amplify Isaac’s turmoil or make him an object of pity. There’s a humane core to Pieta that saves it from despair. Rather than making everyone other than Isaac a fool, Alix extends enormous sympathy to a fascinating cast of supporting characters, all of them outcasts in their own way, including Gina Alajar, beautifully understated as Beth. Her subtle performance does much to take the edge off the film’s twists and turns. Long after we have its destination in plain sight, Pieta still penetrates our assumptions. It starts out dry and minimalist, with widescreen compositions that suggest its mode will be naturalistic, then the ironies multiply. Alix crafts a quietly powerful, character-driven tale that even amid its melodrama and violence, Pieta's emotional complexities remain haunting.
Directed By; Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr.
Screenplay: Jerry B. Gracio
Director of Photography: Nelson Macababat, Jr., LFS
Production Designer: Jhon Paul Sapitula
Editing: Xila Ofloda
Music: Mikoy Morales
Sound Design: Immanuel Verona
