A technical glitch marred the invitational VIP premiere of “Ignacio de Loyola” at the Gateway Mall Sunday. The screen went black for about three minutes even as the audio went on playing, house lights were turned on and the showing briefly stopped.

Director Paolo Dy stood up, apologized, and told the audience that the the movie was not yet over. He joked that he had asked lead star Andreas Muñoz to perform live.

Gabe Mercado, who hosted the short program before the movie was shown, explained that there had been a brownout in the area. The screen worked after that, but it went black once again before the film rewinded to an earlier scene then went on smoothly till the end.

But glitches aside, “Ignacio de Loyola” is a film that can keep viewers hooked from start to finish, mainly because of its portrayal of the main character.

“Ignacio de Loyola” follows the story of Iñigo, a brash young man whose dreams of knighthood are shattered after he seriously injured his leg in battle.

As he finds Christ during his recovery, Ignacio (he changes his name after his conversion) yearns to share God’s word throughout the world, only to find his preaching soon questioned by the Church hierarchy.

We all know St. Ignatius of Loyola as the founder of the Society of Jesus, one of the most influential religious orders in the world. The film, however, focuses on his humanity—his conversion, his short temper, his frustrations, his yearning for God.

Unlike most saint films that depict the apostolic work of the saints until their peaceful deaths, “Ignacio de Loyola” chose to cover only a short part of Ignacio’s life, specifically, the portion before the Society of Jesus came to be.

“On the one hand, in 2 hours, you can’t really tell the whole thing,” Dy told reporters after the premiere. But he adds, he and his team wanted to talk about Ignacio’s transformation from sinner to saint.

“You know the fairytale version is always he got hit by a cannonball, and while he was recuperating he read the book and suddenly, he’s transformed already,” Dy said. “That will work if you’re five years old, seven years old. But for an adult, mature audience, we need something deeper.”

“It’s real and you can see yourself in that attempt to transform yourself,” he explained.

The film’s opening scene is gripping. More gripping still are the moments of frustration as Iñigo wrestles with despair and faces a life where dreams are shattered.

Towards the end of the film, Ignacio is shown fighting his inner demons as he tries to listen to the voice of God. This dramatic sequence could well be the best one in the film, especially as it ends with Ignacio reciting his prayer of surrender: “Take and receive, O Lord, my liberty, my mind, my memory.”

Theologically, the film was spot on. The statement of the First Principle and Foundation of Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises (SpEx)—that man was born to praise, revere, and serve God—was accurate. So were the explanations of other key parts of the SpEx.

The part where St. Ignatius “meets” St. Francis of Assisi is likewise a nod to Simple Contemplation, an Ignatian prayer method where one imagines himself in the scene of the gospels with Jesus. Ignacio’s conversation with the prostitute Ana was likewise another accurate depiction of an Ignatian prayer method.

The cast gave a solid performance. Muñoz was excellent and totally owned the role, portraying every nuance of Iñigo’s character perfectly well.

The rest of the all-Spanish cast—which included Javier Godino, Julio Perillan, Pepe Ocio, and Mario de la Rosa—also performed their roles well, portraying their characters with depth.

It’s worth noting, however, that although all the actors were Spanish and all scenes were shot in Spain, “Ignacio de Loyola” is still a Filipino film. Jesuit Communications (JesCom), the media arm of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, produced the film. Lee Briones Meily, who received several awards for her work on Laurice Guillen’s “Tanging Yaman,” was the movie’s director of photography.

The musical scoring was provided by renowned Filipino composer Ryan Cayabyab and performed by the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. The Ateneo Chamber singers also lent their voices to the production, and the music as a whole was perfect for Ignacio’s high and low moments. The jazzy-classical music, however, may not be appealing to younger audiences who have a fondness for pop or rock tunes.

PANOORIN: Pasilip sa pelikulang 'Ignacio de Loyola'

Some scenes in the film that didn’t have scoring are borderline draggy, though the actors can convince you to stay. Be ready to see some blood in the film, too. It is, after all, a medieval war movie, and some scenes may be too gory for the queasy.

Overall, however, the film is intense with a good depiction of man’s deepest frustrations, desires, and hopes.

Some may not be drawn to “Ignacio de Loyola” as the title can connote a striving for divinity that may seem unachievable for some. But “Ignacio de Loyola” is more human than holy, more relatable than preachy.

Looking to reflect on your spiritual life? Come see this film.

Just hitting the cinemas to unwind? Come anyway and see how transformation is possible—and how life can take on a whole new meaning in the face of despair.