Of Sinners and Saints (2015) User Reviews

Touching film, good cast

[germanotalamare · 7/10 · 27 October 2015]

This independent film is really worth watching. I catched it in a small film festival in Italy in the city of Siena. Good cinematography for a low budget indie film, great scores. Maybe, sometimes, the score is too much "Hans Zimmer like" but it overall add value to the story which, telling the truth, it is not so original. But it is the way the story is told. It starts rather slow. In the first 30 minutes of the film nothing seems to happen. Not to bad anyway, because the director get us close to the main character, Father Leonardo, an Italian missionary in the Philippines, and the shots are nice. The film builds nicely as it reach the mid part and from there it's a crescendo till the final dramatic scene which is really impressive, with "Sergio Leone style" close ups and pointed guns you hope won't fire. It is sad to know that in the Philippines children are exploited this way and that authorities don't do their best to make these things stop.

A good plot

[acabjunior · 7/10 · 2 June 2017]

Acting is great mostly the performance of the lead Ruben Soriquez who played the Italian missionary. Plot is good, I appreciated it a lot. It's a film that's about relevant social issues such as poverty, violence against women and children. It makes you think a lot. I think the indie scene needs films like this. In the first half of the film there are scenes which are not really needed, and they make the flow a bit too slow, but the last 20 minutes and mostly the finale, makes you forget all the downs of this film and makes you love it. Thumbs up.

From a woman point of view

[lmgumarang · 7/10 · 21 March 2016]

Well crafted independent film. Usually in the Philippines low budget indie are shaky camera, bad photography, not enough character development. This film is different. The camera is steady, sometimes almost too steady where I could have appreciated a good hand held one. The music is exceptional even though sometimes is too "Hans Zimmer like". I would have appreciated a much more minimalist score in some introspective scenes. As far as the content is concerned, I was really touched, as a woman, by how it deals with violence against women. It really makes you hate the"contrabida" (the tagalog word for "antagonist") Polo Ravales for how he treats women. Usually he plays macho and gwapo roles in pinoy movies and TV and I was really impressed seeing him as the bad guy. Regarding Soriquez, director and lead actor, what to say...good job! But if he wants to direct and act as a lead he has to make sure he has really good camera operator and DOP backing him. Just my thoughts....

Great Music

[lunaventure · 8/10 · 13 June 2018]

This movie was made on a low budget in Mandaluyong which is a very poor area in Manila. So the filming cost was low. The acting was very good with great shots. However Raymond Bagatsing was very hard to understand . It was like he was mumbling his lines. To bad as he is a very good actor and speaks American English. Ruben Maria Soriquez directed and stared in this which is not east to do, but he pulled off a great performance. The one thing that was excellent was the music! In general in the Philippines they skimp on the music, but not on this film. Great job!

Worth watching

[junjunfuruc · 8/10 · 31 May 2016]

This courageous Filipino indie film puts on the spot light the violence against the weakest members of our society, and just for this reason should be appreciated. Even though sometimes the directing suffers for the director being also the lead actor (and in a low budget film is really a lot of work) this film delivers solid storytelling, beautiful cinematography, great score and powerful acting. And it's a travel into the human soul. The only negative aspect, in my humble opinion, is that the women are too passive in this film and the film is told by a male point of view. I can't wait to watch the next work of this director, since the three films of his I had the pleasure to watch are all of different style and touch.

Finally an engaging film from the Philippines

[johnugomessina · 8/10 · 10 December 2020]

Yes. Finally. After watching Brillante's Mendoza films ( I liked a couple of them though) and the tedious work of Lav Diaz i bumped into this little gem on TubiTv. It was free and I gave it a try. After the first 15 minutes I was tempted to pass but I told myself to just wait 10 minutes more. And I did the right thing. It turned out to be, in my opinion, a well crafted and well directed film with good acting and a great interpretation of the lead actor which is also the director of this film. I can say that he has a great eye and can frame the scenes in a very engaging way. It's a religious film. I don't really watch that sort of film but I was attracted by the art work. A priest with a gun? Let's check it out. It's a surprising film with a surprising end, something you don't really expect and makes your blood freeze. I watch a few more film from this director Soriquez but this, is by far, his best work. Great musical score. If you are interested in the dilemma between human and celestial, this is a film not to be missed.

ENGAGING

[colindavis-25676 · 8/10 · 31 December 2019]

I came across this film on Amazon and since I travel yearly to the Philippines I decided to start watching. 100 minutes of my time well spent. Well shot by the good eyes of the director, this film is quite engaging even for those who are neither religious nor catholic. Faith is one of the major "character" of this film. Faith with its issues and difficulties. This film has a great deal of depth and social issues are dealt with great sensitivity. All the actors gave justice to their roles, mostly the lead actor who is the director himself. Good cinematography and production design, great music. I recommend it.

From 7 to 8. It deserved one more star.

[zecchinimarkleo · 8/10 · 18 April 2022]

I've just finished watching this film again, and I've decided to review my 7 star rating to give it generous 8 star. This little gem film deserves it. There so much passion in it. It's heart warming and eye-opening at the same time, and even if the start, somehow, could you tempt you to stop watching it, I can assure you that watching it till the end it's going to be highly rewarding. The lead actor is truly astonishing and portrays the Italian missionary in an honest and genuine way. The whole story is a crescendo till the shocking ending that leaves you literally speechless. I've watched other Philippine made films, but so far this is the one that I enjoyed and that inspired me the most.

Hidden Gem

[nickcarter-21636 · 9/10 · 8 July 2021]

I've just watched this exceptional film on TubiTv for free (at the cost of a few ads breaks) and I got overwhelmed with emotions. Mostly for the powerful fast heart pounding unexpected ending that I'm not going to spoil.

It's an exceptional film with very good actors in it. Best of which is the lead actor and director Soriquez. I don't know how he managed to deliver a stunning performance while directing it. It's kind of a religious film that promotes its not so religious and rather controversial belief. Just an example. Father Leonardo (Soriquez) confessing a fellow priest who has been banned from doing ministry (having had a relationship with a woman) says: " Maybe God wanted you to lead another family for him in this world". This film is full of such inspiring lines and situations and wants to show us that God's Will goes far beyond of what we can only imaging\e if we stick to the rules written in the "supposedly Holy' Bible and the Roman Catholic Church dogma. On the tech side: great cinematography, great musical score and a fast paced action ending that alone makes this film worth watching. All the respect for this filmmaker.

Powerful Film

[aucklanddude · 8/10 · 14 December 2020]

The story is not that original but the way it was shot, directed and acted out made this film a good one. The camera work is excellent, the look enhances the story, the music brings the soul of this film out. A notable cast of good Filipino actors and actresses and an impressive characterisation of the lead actor that gave justice to the Italian priest fighting against a syndicate in the poor Manila.

Could have been a great film

[perdiana · 7/10 · 2 June 2017]

I think this film could have been a better film if the director, who is also the lead actor, had left directing to someone else. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Soriquez is not a good director, but I feel I put more energy in acting than in directing this film. I loved his performance as Leonardo Rossellini, but I cannot say the same directing wise. Maybe the film is too slow, maybe it could have been trimmed out a little bit more. But ending though is lovely and the final scene reminds me of the great Sergio Leone. Those close ups while the tensions builds up helped by a good score, is simply great. I am waiting for his next film to be released.

Inspiring and entertaining

[ivanovichkrustov · 8/10 · 9 July 2022]

This hidden gem is both inspiring and entertaining. The story is not that original but the way it is treated is really good also thanks to the good cinematic sensibility and good eye of the director. The film starts slow and ends fast paced and exciting with an excellent orchestral music the scores a unexpected ending. The acting is excellent as well. It's an inspiring film about faith, sacrifice and redemption without the intention of indoctrination.

Starts slow ends great

[theodorewilliams-40680 · 8/10 · 2 July 2019]

I watched another title from the same director and I decided to watch this one as well. This film did not disappoint me, rather, I found it inspiring. It starts slow, it lingers in the first part but then it takes off and the ending is just great, heart-pounding . The acting is A-list. A good film indeed.

A rare pearl from Philippine cinema

[luigibecco · 10/10 · 24 October 2022]

I love this film, in my humble opinion the best of actor/director Ruben Maria Soriquez. Shot in a very fashionable way that shows the director's good eye and taste, it's a crescendo of tension and emotions. From its calm and slow beginning to the fast paced and shocking end Of Sinners and Saints is a rare pearl from Philippine cinema. Crafted at its best this film boasts a full orchestra score by Italian composer Franco Eco, a wise editing by director Soriquez, a pretty good cinematography and great acting. Raymond Bagatsing, Polo Ravales, Richard Quan, Althea Vega, Chanel Latorre, well known actors in the Philippines, support an outstanding leading performance delivered by Ruben Maria Soriquez. Its religious content is never bigot but indeed give interesting ideas to meditate upon, which appealing to non-religious audience. Maybe 10/10 is too much for this film, but I want to give it from my emotional perspective.

Thumbs up for this film

[avvrossiemanuele · 7/10 · 9 October 2015]

This film is a very rare example of a Filipino Independent film done with less than 200,000 USD but with an International appeal and standard of execution. The plot is well engineered and fills the gaps of a screenplay that could have been better. There is great acting in this film, starting from the actor/director Ruben Maria Soriquez that delivers a very good performance and ending with Raymond Bagatsing that gives prove of an uncommon intensity portraying Father Carlos, the head priest of a poor area in Manila. The music is superb, composed by the talented Italian musician Franco Eco as well as the cinematography by the upcoming cinematographer Apollo Anao. The film is full of pathos but not the cheap one found in tons of soap opera in the Philippine TV. It's not declared with tears and screams but subtle and whispered. Thumbs up for this film.