‘Green Bones’ REVIEW: Finding redemption through hope
‘Green Bones’ REVIEW: Finding redemption through hope
The official poster of Green Bones
Directed by Zig Dulay (Firefly, Black Rainbow) under GMA Pictures, Green Bones follows Xavier Gonzaga (Ruru Madrid), a corrections officer still grieving his sister’s death. Meanwhile, a notorious criminal, Domingo “Dom” Zamora (Dennis Trillo), who is incarcerated for the murder of his sister and niece, awaits his release. Gonzaga is determined to ensure Zamora rots in prison.
The heart of every film is the story and Green Bones embraces a narrative that amplifies universal themes of justice and redemption in their many forms. As the film ticks the right boxes in capturing the emotions and feelings of Filipino moviegoers during the festival season, it manages to make the film feel personal and relatable through the magic of storytelling, characterization, and well… the performances.
Dom (Dennis Trillo) bloodied in Green Bones | Still taken from the film’s official trailer
Dennis Trillo, in a performance that earned him the Best Actor award at the 2024 MMFF Gabi ng Parangal, as “Dom” Zamora, showcases his ability to depart from the roles he’s used to playing and completely elevate his range as a performer. Trillo, who learned Filipino Sign Language (FSL) for his character, uses “mata-mata” acting to further convey his character's mystery. What the story presents him from when we first meet him and what other characters are saying about him truly masks his true intentions and motive.
Not all actors can deliver a "great" performance without dialogue. However, Trillo shines in his interactions with other characters, such as Betty (Alessandra De Rossi), a social worker helping him with his release, allowing us to better understand his character. Perhaps, no one is better suited to portray Dom, a character we are presented as someone to despise and strip of humanity, but gradually understand how a person like him deserves to be seen and heard.
Xavier (Ruru Madrid) in Green Bones | Still taken from the film’s official trailer
Ruru Madrid, on the other hand, takes on his first major film role as Xavier Gonzaga, a newly hired prison guard driven by the wrongful death of his sister during his childhood, seeking justice by harboring anger towards the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in San Fabian Prison and Penal Farm.
Right from the start we understand his motivations and the reason why he chose to serve. It’s a common story of a protagonist who hopes to move on from past trauma and find meaning as an officer of the law.
It feels strange to have Madrid as a supporting character, especially with his win as Best Supporting Actor. It’s Xavier’s character that the audience connects with from the very start. As we learn more about the prison inmates, the environment, and the overall heart and soul of what San Fabian means in the story, we turn to Xavier, who, like us, is also new to the place.
Xavier Gonzaga (Ruru Madrid) and Domingo “Dom” Zamora (Dennis Trillo) in Green Bones | Still taken from the film’s official trailer
The performances aside, the writing carries the overall film, as it manages to give us the best of both worlds with these two characters. Writers Ricky Lee and Anj Atienza make us care for characters who, if written poorly, could have ultimately fallen flat. Stories that explore what it truly means to be good and the complexities of morality that come with it aren’t entirely new. However, Green Bones capitalizes on these types of stories that pull on the heartstrings of the audience and make them resonate.
How can we ever say that one is truly good, without judgment and prejudice? Green Bones allows the PDLs in San Fabian to be human, showcased through their livelihood inside the penal colony, where they remind themselves what it's like to be human. The Tree of Hope, a project by Sergeant Jorge Delos Santos (Nonie Buencamino), gives the PDLs a reason to hope for the future, as they write about their small wishes when they leave.
Audiences can also get behind characters close to Zamora in San Fabian 一 lovers Minyong (Mikoy Morales) and Luis (Royce Cabrera), Ador (Raul Morit), Pol (Gerard Acao), and Edgardo Sevilla (Ronnie Lazaro) and his lovable cat Kuting. Each has their own story to tell.
On the other hand, the film portrays certain officers of the law as corrupted by their hold on power, illustrating that even those tasked with maintaining order can make questionable moral decisions.
Xavier (Ruru Madrid) stands by the Tree of Hope during sunset in Green Bones | Still taken from the film’s official trailer
The predictability of the story and the “twist,” if we can even call it that, might be a nitpick for some. Personally, even though I saw it coming early on in the film, I still felt there was more to the story than meets the eye. The magic of the screenplay pulls you in despite this, and it makes sense for the narrative to present different sides of the story.
Some moments may have been engineered to evoke emotion, which can feel a bit lazy, especially with the needle drop of SB19’s “Nyebe” sprinkled in. However, this didn’t take me out of the experience of spending 90 minutes in the cinema, allowing the film to borrow my time and introduce me to people who aren’t so different from me — or from us. We fail but we can always do better. It’s how we rise from the challenges and obstacles that shape our humanity. There is always hope and light at the end of the tunnel.
At the end of the day, Green Bones reminds us to never lose hope, even in the face of uncertainty, to strive to be good people, and to ultimately live a good life whenever we can.
‘Green Bones’ is now showing in Philippine cinemas as part of the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival.
