December 18, 2024
Criminology graduate Xavier Gonzaga (Ruru Madrid) was a new jail guard at the San Felipe Penal Colony, where his former professor Marquez (Michael de Mesa) is the superintendent . His choice of profession had been spurred by the murder of his elder sister Elise (Pauline Mendoza) when he was a boy. Even from the start, he clashed with senior guard Cruz (Wendell Ramos) who did not like the way Gonzaga worked.
The inmate that Gonzaga was most suspicious of was Domingo Zamora (Dennis Trillo), a mute man who used in sign language. He was convicted of murdering his sister Joanna (Iza Calzado) and his niece Ruth (Sienna Stevens) in cold blood, which made Gonzaga's blood boil against him. Gonzaga noted that Zamora was receiving regular visits from an NGO worker Betty (Alessandra da Rossi) and items were being passed between them.
This new film is a reunion of the primary creatives behind "Firefly" (2023) -- director Zig Dulay, writer Anj Atienza (this time co-writing with none other than National Artist Ricky Lee), producer Nessa Valdellon, and actress Alessandra da Rossi. The cryptic title "Green Bones" was derived from a legend that if you see green bones after a dead body was cremated, it meant that this person had been good during his lifetime.
The role of Dom Saltik gave Dennis Trillo yet another showcase to portray a whole range of emotions as he explored the psyche of a convicted murderer. His being mute and resorting to sign language gave this mysterious character a dimension of sinister unpredictability. He was able to convincingly project how a man pushed to the edge could turn to the dark side Being nominated for, and even actually winning, the Best Actor award is very likely.
Ruru Madrid's face reflected the idealistic drive of Gonzaga. Alessandra da Rossi's Betty was steadfast even as things went from bad to worse. Royce Cabrera, Mikoy Morales, Gerard Acao, Raul Morit and Ronnie Lazaro played Dom's co-conspirators in prison. Wendell Ramos and Victor Neri looked absolutely creepy even with no dialogue. Like "Firefly," a cute child was the heart of the film. Here, Sienna Stevens is a top contender for Best Child Performer.
Lee and Atienza told this crime story from two perspectives -- Gonzaga's first, then Dom's. Director Zig Dulay's knack for visual storytelling was topnotch as he riveted our attention from beginning to end. The scenic island location for the penal colony, complete with stately lighthouse and an old tree with a dramatic crown of leaves, was surely a dream come true for cinematographer Neil Daza. Nominations are forthcoming for all of them. 9/10.
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