‘Green Bones’: Dennis Trillo delivers high-wire act in must-see MMFF thriller

December 29, 2024 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — It would take a similarly prodigious turn to edge out Dennis Trillo’s portrayal in the Best Actor race at this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), which launched on Dec. 25.

In “Green Bones,” the edgy must-see thriller fielded by GMA Pictures, GMA Public Affairs and Brightburn Entertainment for the film event’s superstar-studded 10-entry race, Dennis’ appetite for more adventurous work puts him through his paces — a complex task that compels him to provide crucial insight into his deeply flawed character’s dastardly deed.

The film, with a script that was written by National Artist Ricky Lee and Anj Atienza, from a concept by writer-documentarist JC Rubio, is inspired by the Chinese belief that green bones after cremation are a sign of a departed person’s kindness and life well-lived.

In the movie, the actor plays Domingo Zamora, a petty thief and self-confessed former drug addict incarcerated for the double murder of his sister Joanna (Iza Calzado, effective as always) and her deaf-mute young daughter, Ruth (Sienna Stevens in a career-boosting turn).

With 10 years’ worth of “good behavior” at a penal facility on a secluded island, however, Dom suddenly gets his rare shot at redemption when he finds himself eligible for parole. But just when freedom is already within his reach, the arrival of new prison guard Xavier Gonzaga (Ruru Madrid, now evincing growth and maturity as an actor) sets alarm bells ringing, exposing a web of lies that puts Dom’s impending release in jeopardy.

Does Dom deserve the freedom he’s long been yearning for? Well, not if Xavier — who comes to the prison facility armed with an ax to grind and a mission to settle a score — can help it.

Playing out as a deep rumination on crime and punishment, “Green Bones” generates sustained suspense by moving the story smoothly through its carefully calibrated twists and turns.

But what this gorgeously photographed and astutely paced film does even better is in the manner that it tackles relevant themes without getting didactic — about “radical love,” police corruption and the culture of impunity in our country, the toxic intimations of revenge, man’s perpetual quest for salvation, and the polarizing aspects of restorative justice.

It’s a storytelling style that imbues the movie with a disarmingly compassionate glow as it challenges its viewers’ sense of morality, raising a provocative question for them to mull over: Do hardened criminals and unrepentant sinners deserve second chances?

Dennis is known for putting his seasoned skill set and dramatic stamina to good use by treating complex or bizarre characters (“On the Job 2: The Missing 8,” “Aishite Imasu: Mahal Kita,” “The Janitor”) with pathos, fetching clarity and gravitas — and his high-wire act in “Green Bones” is no exception.

The actor is served well by his palpable screen presence and a quiet confidence that leaps off the screen. He can be intense and subtle at the same time, managing to vivify his character’s intentions without much dialogue or by way of sign language — inventively utilized in significant scenes as a potent alternative to get a pertinent emotion, message or action across.

The fine ensemble — including Nonie Buencamino, Michael de Mesa, Wendell Ramos, Ronnie Lazaro, Victor Neri and the perpetually sublime Alessandra de Rossi — further enhances the impact of this remarkable cinematic feat. Even with limited screentime, each of them delivers flashes of brilliance that help amplify the production’s sense of urgency and a heightened sense of place.

As for direk Zig Dulay, we have been following his cinematic oeuvre (“Bambanti,” “M: Mother’s Maiden Name,” “Bagahe,” “Paglipay,” and the riveting short film “Black Rainbow”) long before he was embraced by mainstream audiences via the acclaimed TV series, “Maria Clara at Ibarra,” and last year’s MMFF Best Picture winner, “Firefly.” But “Green Bones,” without a doubt one of the year’s finest films, proves why the triumph of “Firefly” last year was no fluke.

By now, we’re pretty familiar with the director’s resilient skill at creating peculiarly ornate tales. And we know only too well that the young filmmaker’s partnership with GMA Network can only expand and extend not just his crowd-drawing reach, but also his knack for idiosyncratic storytelling — a win-win situation for everyone involved.

In relation to the production’s overarching themes, what was direk Zig’s takeaway from the movie?

“There’s quite a few, actually,” he told this writer during a quick chat after a special screening last week. “A good film doesn’t just entertain — it should also encourage viewers to think about what happens to its embattled characters after the movie ends.”

Explaining his answer further, he asserted, “First, ‘Green Bones’ talks about moral ambiguity. It’s hard to know who’s right or wrong these days. Who is good and who’s bad? That really depends on whose perspective it is. So, the concept of truth depends on a person’s perception of things — and that’s what drives the movie as a whole.

“Sir Ricky (Lee) couldn’t have said it better when he talked about the film’s beleaguered characters recently. They both seek justice. At sa kasagsagan ng paghahanap nila ng hustisya, they eventually realize there’s something even more important than their search for elusive justice: ang pagpapakabuti (becoming a good person).”

“Sometimes, you might not find justice quickly dahil kasama din sa usaping ito ang pera at kapangyarihan (it also involves money and power). But if you choose kindness, you just might end up getting justice when you least expect it.”