Ignazio di Loyola

Rich guys "leaving" their riches to "become poor" are all frauds: their self-inflicted poverty is a show they put on to get powet using the misery of the actual poor, who, unlike them, cannot switch off their poverty at will and return to a life of confort, freedom and influence.

What they should rather do is actually give away money and then use their power to enable others to be self-sufficient in business and politics, to find their voice and the strength to do something of value.

But, from Buddha to Loyola and to Bush, the fraud has been consistent and consistently told by corrupt prophets, media and film people. Don't be fooled you too.

If you're expecting a documentary that explains the life of St. Ignatius in detail, complete with direct quotes, references, and biblical passages, you will be disappointed. If you're expecting a film on how to be a perfect and holy Christian, you will be disappointed. Just as the filmmakers took many risks to create this film, watching it will be a risk to you... You risk crying a little, laughing a little... You risk asking questions you might not have asked in a long time... You risk remembering painful memories -- losing a job, a heartbreak, a serious illness, a humiliating moment, the death of a loved one... You risk spending time discussing and arguing with your friends afterwards over coffee... You might even risk putting down your phone and praying again. I strongly encourage everyone to see this film. At the very least, you risk having a good day. At best, you just might figure out how to live a good life.

"Ignacio de Loyola" traces the life of St. Ignatius from childhood up to his exoneration at the Inquisition at Salamanca in 1537, and subsequent departure for a university in Paris to further his studies. In between he experiences a transformation from a soldier of the king to a soldier of Christ.

It is an intense transformation, having pledged his life to a princess then switching allegiance during his recuperation from a battle wound to a life in the service of God. His wound left him with a limp, a mark of dishonor since he could no longer soldier. It is here that the narrative acquires interest, as the earlier battle scenes had an artificial quality, as though filmed on a sound stage. It takes off as he finds his true calling and is accompanied by some excellent, well written dialogue, especially in some admirable speechifying instances. The overall quality of the script sets 'Ignacio de Loyola" apart from most other films made nowadays and accounts for my rating.

This movie will probably get a bad rap from critics due to its religious nature, but "Ignacio de Loyola" is about much more than that. It is about change, a change of mind and of lifestyle, a change of values and the discovery of what was front and center all the while, what really counts in life. Ignatius Loyola is a saint, but came by it the hard way - steeped in the temporary and ignoring the spiritual. We can all relate to that.

The most earnest moment in Ignacio De Loyola comes from a scene where the eponymous saint asks a prostitute to visualize God sat on an empty chair and think of the things that He would say to her. She replies with:, "He doesn't care who I was or where I've been, He only cares where I'm going." And in those words, the essence of the film is captured – no one is too far gone in God's eyes. Just like a sword forged in fire, St. Ignatius is hammered with blows of misfortunes that disguise as a trajectory towards his greatest achievement – The Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Paolo Dy's Ignacio De Loyola humanizes a saint's life beyond a piece of a holy statue. It works as an invitation to examine oneself, a challenge to "set the world on fire" with God's fervor.

Born into a regal and wealthy family, Iñigo López de Loyola (Andreas Muñoz) is a proud Spanish knight who draws chief delight in his military profession, a young man who pursuits a life of fame and vanity. Instead of earning his desire for a hero's death during a battle in Pamplona, he ends up crippled when a French cannonball shatters his right leg. Boredom and frustration starts to seep through his soul in a way pain does to one's body so he forces himself to read the books he has at hand: The Life of the Christ and The Lives of the Saints. After a spiritual calling compels him to live a life bound by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, he is faced with allegations of blasphemy, and plagued by his inner demons, which he has to conquest as he tries to listen to the voice of God.

Dy and his wife Cathy Azanza's script exudes some flashes of brilliant poetry. It even surprises with a handful moments of humor and some lines which I hope are inspired by Sun Tzu's Art of War. (one of which is "If your enemy is angry, then you have already won.") However, it has the tendency to oversell its message that at times the dialogues seem to be mere discussions of theology. The excessive third person narrations are also occasionally distracting. Narrations like "Iñigo dons his new armor, he opens the door…" assumes that the audience is blind to acknowledge what is happening on-screen. It is squandering Muñoz, who is already an excellent actor, for the script to spell out his every single emotion.

While it is a smart choice to focus on a certain phase in Iñigo's life – his conversion from being a sinner to a saint – the film is yearning for a more solid story. The first half has a slow pace and you can tell it as the days are evidently passing by. As the story trudges along Iñigo's early life as a soldier, his conversion, his Spiritual Exercises and his encounter with The Inquisition, the plot structure suddenly looks strange when it gets to the blood-curling climax which actually happens on a flashback (or is it a dream sequence? I'm confused up till now). The story doesn't really need to be that linear, however, the over-reliance on flashbacks breaks the emotional momentum when it gets back to the present.

While Dy's efforts to handle such a gargantuan religious biopic occasionally fall apart, Ignacio De Loyola manages to deliver its greatest gift to its audience – the deep understanding for discernment. Our souls are continually drawn into two directions: towards goodness and towards sinfulness but if we peel away the many layers of our desires, fears and ambitions, we'll find God there. Hence, every word and every action should be done for His greater glory. The analogy of the Ignatian spirituality and watching a movie is really not that hard to follow. In the cinemas, you will be faced to choose between the two: a mainstream film or a religious film full of philosophical and theological substance.

Full review: http://www.filmpolicereviews.com/reviews/ignacio-de- loyola

This movie was touching especially to those who follow the same faith or better yet, those who are already familiar with the saint. For a 2-hour film, story line was smooth, although it was dragging at some parts. They could have added more of his past life into the movie, and not just 30 second flashbacks. In my opinion there were a lot of important things that happened in his past that could have been squeezed in. The cinematography isn't that great either; it felt chopped up most of the time and the camera angles were sometimes off. The message of the movie was clear and simple. The acting was great, although their accents were heavy so I suggest watching it with subtitles.

All-in-all it was a good film! Would recommend to everyone interested in the life of St. Iggy 😊