Much is expected of Green Bones, the latest Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) offering from writer Angeli Atienza, director Zig Dulay, GMA Pictures and GMA Public Affairs.
It’s the same team behind Firefly, the delightful and heartwarming flick that won Best Picture and Best Screenplay at last year’s MMFF.
Firefly is a lightning in a bottle–a rare film that pleased both hardened critics and the general audience.
Aside from its MMFF accolades, the fantasy film also gained praises from film festivals abroad, in Beijing and Los Angeles.
Firefly also performed very well at the box office. It was ranked the top 4 among the 10 MMFF 2023 movies, all of which grossed more than a billion pesos.
And when the movie was released on Amazon Prime on April 30 this year, it became the number one movie on the local version of the streaming platform.
Thus it is obvious that Firefly set a high bar for Angeli, Zig and the Kapuso film production outfits. Can they meet those standards again with Green Bones?
Read: Green Bones, malakas ang laban sa MMFF 2024 best picture
GREEN BONES: TWO MEN AND THEIR QUEST FOR JUSTICE
Green Bones follows two men in their quest for justice.
There’s Xavier (Ruru Madrid), who bears the memory of his beloved sister that was killed when he was young. He becomes a policeman to mete out punishment to evildoers.
Then there’s Dom (Dennis Trillo), a decade-long inmate at various correctional facilities. He is suspected to have murdered his sister and her young daughter.
When Xavier meets Dom in an island full of prisoners that are due for release, he has to confront his own biases. Are all prisoners deserving of cruel punishment? Can they be rehabilitated? Is Dom guilty, and does he deserve freedom?
And once Xavier gets the answers to these questions, can he find the justice he seeks for his slain sibling?
Read: Iza Calzado grateful for GMA Pictures comeback via Green Bones
GREEN BONES: AN ACTING SHOWCASE
Green Bones is an acting showcase for both Ruru and Dennis. The on-screen tension is electric, and the movie shines when they are both on screen.
The two actors complement each other well. Ruru’s Xavier is a seemingly kind figure whose benevolence is undercut by dangerous glints of malice. His restrained menace, especially in a tense prison inspection scene, keeps the audience on edge.
Dennis excels more as Dom, a gruff inmate who reveals surprising tenderness. Moments of vulnerability, like his care for his fellow inmates, make his redemption arc deeply moving and believable.
Their contrasting performances—one embodying quiet malevolence, the other reluctant warmth—anchor the film, proving that appearances can be as deceptive as the characters themselves.
NOT A DRY EYE
Thanks to the effective performances of both actors, the audiences can easily get affected with their characters’ journeys. As both of their characters reach their respective resolutions, the audiences also get carried away to tears.
There’s no dry eye that will leave a theater that plays Green Bones, guaranteed.
Aside from feeling strong emotions, the story also lets audiences ask questions about their own sense of justice and equality.
In an interview with PEP.ph, Direk Zig said one of his goals with Green Bones is to impart a relevant lesson.
“Kung napansin mo yung bida namin, naghahanap siya ng hustisya, at sa kasagsagan ng paghahanap ng hustisya, may nahanap silang mas mahalagang bagay, which is yung pagpapakabuti. And maybe in this lifetime, hindi mo makuha yung hustisya, dahil sa usapin ng power, money. Pero kung pinili mong magpakabuti, baka yun na yung katapat ng hustisya,” said Direk Zig.
Green Bones successfully imparts this lesson to the audience.
GREEN BONES BETTER THAN FIREFLY?
Now the burning question: does it hold a candle to Firefly? Or is it even better?
The answer isn’t as simple.
If we consider its technical elements, like the production and set design, cinematography, lighting design and sound design, then yes, it is comparable to Firefly.
Green Bones is a visual treat, a cinematic experience that should be seen in cinemas.
The impact to the audience is also as comparable, as the story is memorable and it induces strong emotions to the viewer.
And yet, there’s something that seems to be missing from Green Bones. While Firefly tells a complete story, Green Bones feels incomplete. It tries to tell so many stories that it doesn’t get to resolve them all. One scene features Kylie Padilla as a frustrated lawyer, for example. We never see her again after that one scene.
The story isn’t also as airtight; many characters, for example, make actions that may be considered questionable by critical audiences.
Despite all of these, Green Bones is still a worthwhile watch this holiday season. It tells a deeply affecting story that will surely leave a mark to the MMFF viewers.
Green Bones will premiere on December 25. It also stars Iza Calzado, Michael de Mesa, Ronnie Lazaro, Kokoy de Santos, Royce Cabrera and Sofia Pablo.
