Magdalena, the Unholy Saint  (2005)

Theatrical Release Information:
Magdalena, the Unholy Saint

A wayward young woman makes a stunning discovery about her faith and her desires in this drama from the Philippines. Chayong (Hilda Koronel) is a middle-aged woman living in Manila who supports herself as a magdadasal or a "prayer woman," who will pray on behalf of others in exchange for a "contribution." Despite her trade, Chayong is a woman of faith who is deeply worried about her teenage daughter Malen (Angelica Panganiban), a sensualist who prefers to live for the moment and has taken up with Mike (Jericho Rosales), a charming ne'er-do-well who makes ends meet guiding tourists around the city (and sometimes sleeping with them for the right price). Chayong's stress over Malen sends the mother to an early grave. So with no practical job skills, Malen takes over her mother's spot as a magdadasal, but to her great surprise, the prayers she's been paid to recite start coming true on a regular basis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide