Movie Review/ Reaction: 'Green Bones,' an intriguing film that makes one rethink about how to perceive goodness

Photo: GMA Pictures

Yesterday I went to SM Rosales, Pangasinan to watch Green Bones. I left Anda at 4 AM to see the film on the big screen. My five-hour-and-a-half travel going there is worth it. Last time, I failed to make a movie review or reaction on “Firefly”. I do not want to miss the opportunity to write one for this great film.

GMA Pictures, the film outfit that produced last year’s MMFF Best Picture ‘Firefly’, submitted the prison drama “Green Bones” on the 50th year of the most famous film festival in the country. It is top-billed by Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid. Alessandra De Rossi, Iza Calzado, and Ronnie Lazaro are some of the notable actors in the movie helmed by brilliant director Zig Dulay.

Xavier Gonzaga (Ruru Madrid) had his first assignment as a criminology graduate at San Fabian Penal Colony as a jail guard. The morbid death of his sister shaped his mind that all criminals should be punished which made him no sympathy for the inmates. He met Domingo Zamora aka Dom Saltik who was convicted for killing his sister Joanna (Iza Calzado) and Ruth (Sienna Stevens). Zamora is eligible for parole because of his clean record in his ten-year stay in the island penal colony. The freedom he has been waiting for becomes uncertain as Gonzaga is alarmed by the suspicious actions of Zamora and his fellow inmates.

Photo: GMA Pictures

The film is based on an original story by JC Rubio. It adopts the Tree of Hope featured in I- Witness documentary by Atom Araullo. It has a premise about the belief that if green bones are found in the cremated remains of individuals, it means they were kind during their lifetime. The movie tackles who are good and who are evil in the society.

I commend the strong storytelling of National Artist Ricky Lee and two-time MMFF best screenplay awardee Anj Atienza. I love how they were able to utilize unreliable narrator device. Madrid effectively established Gonzaga’s point of view that a viewer would understand the character’s motives and biases and empathize with him as he fulfills his duties and responsibilities as uniformed personnel.

Moreover, the shifting of narration of the story was chef’s kiss. You will find yourself retracting your prejudice against Dom Saltik when he tells his painful story—his truth. His point of view is a slap of reality that will wake you up and realize that he is a human being who is imperfect but has goodness in his heart despite being a menace.

The Lee- Atienza tandem excellently woven the lives of Gonzaga and Zamora leading to a resolution that makes the audience reflect on justice and humanity.  The last part of the film is liberating for both the major characters as one of them had served his imprisonment sentence and the other one freed himself from drawing misconceptions.

There was a time when I became impatient with where the film was heading. However, the shifting of point of view was like a roller coaster dragging me to different emotions and leaving me stunned at the end of the plot pyramid.

Dennis portrayed Domingo Zamora so well. The MMFF Best Actor made the character mysterious and creepy especially in the scene when he was bathing with the blood of his sister, and tenderhearted and lovable particularly when he was with his deaf-mute niece Ruth played by Sienna Stevens who bagged this year’s Best Child Performer. What made him outstanding despite having few lines, is the way he used his eyes, facial expressions, and body movements that you can only see Domingo Zamora with no trace of Dennis Trillo. The Kapuso Drama King deserves the Best Actor award.

Ruru Madrid’s stellar performance in the film cemented his place in the entertainment industry as an actor. He was convincing in making Gonzaga an idealistic newbie in penology. The best part he had in the movie is when he found out the rotten system in the penal colony in the hands of his former professor and his superintendent played by veteran actor Michael De Mesa. That part made moviegoers and I gasped. We wanted to blame him for that wrong decision. Anyways, Ruru also deserves the Best Supporting Actor award. He and Dennis had a strong rapport throughout the film.

Alessandra De Rossi is a great actress. She made Betty a character you will root for until the end of the movie. Her eyes are expressive. I still cannot move on to her performance in “Firefly”. She is consistent and she knows what project matches her passion and talent. On the other hand, Stevens left a remarkable performance. She nailed the role as a deaf-mute kid.

Photo by: GMA Pictures

I laud Ronnie Lazaro’s acting as Mang Gardo. He managed to show a cat owner who thinks of his pet as his world and is willing to die for the cute feline. This is the character I can relate to as I also have a cat. I hope his wish hanging from the Tree of Hope is granted.  

Green Bones is a masterpiece because of its beautiful cinematography. The aerial shots and close-up shots effectively showed the mundane life of the inmates and the limited freedom they have. The use of natural light is evident and effective. My favorite regarding this aspect of filming is the latter part of the movie. There is a Filipino phrase that I can associate with how nighttime was used by the production to add meaning to the film. It is ‘piping saksi’. The night is the witness of the tearjerking secret conversation of the characters through sign language. Lastly, the ending of the film was aesthetically shot. It was breathtaking and hopeful.

Green Bones deserves the Best Picture Award. The film outfit outperformed itself and created history as they clinched back-to-back wins for Best Picture.

In a world full of lies and injustice, what we can do is strive to be good people just like Domingo and Xavier. As we are about to end the year, this film gives us a chance to have a fresh start. We have flaws, we make mistakes. Everyone deserves a chance to redeem himself/ herself.

Do not miss the chance to watch this golden movie on the big screen.