Green Bones

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Rookie criminology graduate Xavier Gonzaga (Ruru Madrid) is assigned to the penal colony of San Fabian. His sister was murdered when they were young and he is still trying, in vain, to get justice 10 years down the line. His first impression of his new workplace comes as a surprise, seeing murderers and criminals living a rather peaceful life of rehabilitation in a gated community with a gorgeous view of a cliff overlooking the sea. There he meets a deaf/mute inmate everyone calls Crazy Dom (Dennis Trillo). Once notorious for petty street crimes, Domingo Zamora has been in prison for a decade now after being charged with his sister’s murder. He also admits to killing his own niece and claims to have dumped the body in a river, the remains never to be recovered. Xavier’s acquired hate of murderers automatically spills over to Dom, who he discovers later not to be deaf/mute at all and with an escape plan despite his name being on a list of potential parole grants.

In last year’s Firefly, director Zig Dulay showed us the process of grief as seen through the innocent eyes of a child. This year, he resurrects an age-old debate. When a human being violates the social contract by committing a crime, does he deserve punishment or rehabilitation? Of course, this discussion is not complete without ruminating over the very concept of good and evil. Are men born with an inherent inclination for either side? If so, does that mean people can’t and won’t change? This is what Green Bones explores through the perspective of a prison officer who has already made up his mind about the matter. Or so he thought.

The plot is non-linear and unfolds in medias res, with a man wearing a bloody shirt running away from authorities, reaching a bridge where he says “I’ll be back” in sign language over and over again before finally surrendering to the police. The point of view then shifts to that of the newbie officer seeing the same guy now at the penal colony. Much of the first half’s exposition is narrated by Xavier and buoyed by the mystery surrounding Dom. Why did he kill his sister and niece? What drives a person to commit such an atrocity? Why is he pretending to be deaf/mute? Why does his fellow inmates seem so beholden to him?

We get the other side of the story as the film shifts from one narrator to another during the second half, where Dom finally narrates the events leading up to his incarceration. Once all the info intentionally withheld in the beginning are revealed, the picture clears up and the mystery that once shrouded the narrative totally evaporates. At this point, everything becomes a tad predictable and if you pay attention to the very title of the movie and what it implies, then you’d even know how the movie will end. When this ends up on streaming, you can experiment watching the second half first for a more chronological order of events.

Trillo is undeniably the best actor of his generation, which sometimes makes you wonder how things would’ve turned out if he became the superstar he was meant to be. On the contrary, perhaps that’s a blessing in disguise because it paved the way for him to get cast in such roles which, while maybe not as popular in the mainstream, tend to leave an impact on his viewers and hone his craft as an actor at the same time. As for Madrid, the kid has promise and is able to hold his own against his more seasoned acting partner. Add a strong ensemble that includes Iza Calzado and Alessandra de Rossi and you get a formidable cast.

Zig Dulay also has a penchant for sweeping panoramic views of local destinations. Most of the time, such awesome locations are usually chosen as backdrops to make up for the lack of story or boring plot. Green Bones seems to be among a small exception where the setting is beautiful and steals the spotlight sometimes, but ends up being complementary to the scenes, meaning the scenes are just as solid without them. At this point, I guess we should just OBLIGE both Zig Dulay and Pepe Diokno to have a mandatory entry every year at the MMFF. Their films remind you that there is assured quality to be expected each year.