Movie ReviewFireflyDirected by Zig DulayMTRCB Rating: PG
THE WINNER for Best Picture at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival’s Gabi ng Parangal, Firefly, truly deserved it, and then some more.
At the core of the story is the relationship between a boy (Tonton, played by Euwenn Mikael Aleta, who grows up to be Anthony Alvaro, played by Dingdong Dantes) and his mother (Elay, played by Alessandra de Rossi). The two bond over Elay’s tales of an island of fireflies, where one can make a wish. Anthony Alvaro has become a successful children’s book author, and recounts the stories behind his books in a series of flashbacks.
(Spoilers ahead!)
Elay dies early on in the film, and Tonton sets off to find the island to bring his mother back to life. He rides a bus and meets his own merry band: Billy, a teenage grump (Miguel Tanfelix); ex-con Louie (Jeffrey Quizon), and teenage con artist Erika (Ysabel Ortega). After getting kicked off the bus, the three have to get Tonton to where he needs to be.
The film is lovingly shot mostly in natural light, and the effect is almost curative against the seasonal blues. Each scene, bathed — even saturated — in such light, almost reaches out from the screen, allowing the audience an immersive experience. The film discusses a lot about light (as in the fireflies, and then some), so it makes sense for sunlight itself to appear almost as another character. The film shows stunning views of Bicol, as well as a stunning view of Manila Bay, so a Filipino viewer can suddenly begin to have more affection for this land. Not only does the film show the country in such sun-kissed glory; it shows these islands almost in a magical light, and one suddenly feels that fantastic stories can happen, right here.
Young Mr. Aleta took home the Best Child Performer award this year; deservedly so. The boy has an air of both innocence and adventure that draws one in and makes one want to know what happens to him. Alessandra de Rossi, meanwhile, stole the screen in the 20 or so minutes that she appears. While she appears only in flashbacks and narrations after her death, her presence has a pull that makes one understand and love her as much as her son in the film does. Another standout performance was Jeffrey Quizon’s, playing a remorseful ex-con returning to his family. It was a delight watching him, with a face so much like his father’s (the late “Comedy King” Dolphy), and the same sad air of a tragic clown (we noticed that he furrowed his brow just like his dad).
We think that everybody of all ages should see this movie. The movie feels like kids’ adventure movies of yore, where children could change their lives with a bike and a dream. It would remind children that there is wonder in the world still; and other worlds to explore, right here at home. For adults, it’s a nice-enough movie to think about our whys, and a way to restore some hope and innocence. — Joseph L. Garcia