In this review of the film ‘Firefly’, Princess Kinoc writes about Zig Dulay’s adaptation of Anj Atienza’s short story, of the same name. An entry in this year’s MMFF 2023.
Firefly, to me, is undoubtedly one of the best films I have seen so far in this year’s MMFF line-up.
I will be writing a separate essay on my initial thoughts of this year’s festival, but perhaps like most of us who are deeply affected by inflation, I honestly had no hopes for any of the films that are featured in this year’s list. However, I was indeed surprised to find that there are 10 instead of the usual 6 and with only two I’ve seen in advance, I think our money’s worth is well spent this time around. I say this with no bias whatsoever in any of the people who took the time to invite me.
I came in with no idea, no expectations on what Firefly is (I did read the press materials after the screening instead). Zig Dulay’s latest film is a melodramatic nostalgic adventure film that expands its adaptation of a short story by GMA’s Anj Atienza of the same name.
The film opens with an adult Tonton (Dingdong Dantes) winning the National Book Award for his picture-perfect storybook of the same name. A doubtful reporter played by Max Collins interviews him but not in the way that Oprah would have probably done for her book club, she rather puts him in a position to question whether the book is really based on a true story or just lies. Soon the adult Tonton reels us in to tell the story of how he came up with Alitaptap (Firefly in Filipino).
Tonton’s a fear of street dogs stems from a fearful past that will be unraveled towards the third act of the film. He is often bullied for being fearful and creative, and he usually has a world of his own in a corner, bringing to life his mom’s stories through his drawings. One might find this a bit of a cliché in Filipino dramas but I understand the creative choice in showing these, but rest assured that there is more drama to come for Tonton. For comfort, Elay (Alessandra de Rossi) informs her son that he is one of the bravest people she has ever met. Soon, she introduces us to the story of the Firefly that saved the butterfly from a sinister dog.
It’s interesting that whenever Tonton feels like he is cornered by his fears, a strange black dog with red eyes appears. If you’ve been at this point of my review, I just wanted to commend Mothership Inc., a VFX studio that has done work for films like ‘On the Job’ and ‘Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles’. The amount of VFX work they’ve made in this film deserves some kind of award for the way they interpret Elay’s stories onscreen: from Diwata’s that transform into magnificent mountains, to sleeping giants that become hills, to gaping old kings that become the openings to a cave. Each scene that they’ve miraculously incorporated from storybook to screen is so beautiful to look at on the big screen. That black dog has never looked more realistic than most of the stray dogs in my neighborhood. These are the few instances when VFX make so much sense rather than just a nuisance or a lazy excuse for a scene.
The film understands how to depict Tonton’s feelings by means of showing it in an innocent and child-like manner, without ever being overrated and overly done. Each scenes are sewn together just right to unfold the next page into Tonton’s journey.
In one of Elay’s stories, she encourages Tonton to be braver than ever, and that if ever he feels sad and lonely all he must think of is how the firefly, in its little own ways, was able to save the butterfly. She tells a particular story about a cave that opens to a thousand fireflies, aptly called The Isle of the Fireflies, and that whatever wish he has will come true. Soon, the film sets off in a different tone and Tonton and Elay get separated from one another due to an unfortunate incident. Everyone in the cinema begins to worry about the young Tonton as well, for he now finds himself alone despite being in the custody of his aunt (Cherrypie Picache), he is merely ten years old at. Imagine grasping all that emotion at a young age, Euwenn Mikaell’s depiction of an astute, creative young boy is raw and definitive that you cannot take your eyes away from him, he is able to draw you in and care for him so much.
Packed with a storybook of his own that becomes a map to the Isle, he sets off on his journey to be with his mother again. Soon he finds himself in the company of some unaware co-passengers who are also headed to some parts of the same region.
Firefly brilliantly takes note of what MMFF viewers might look for: adventure, family, and warmth. Something that we have not seen before in previous iterations. It’s brimmed with that warmth from start to finish, and even if you’re unfamiliar with some of its cast much like Euwann, and of GMA’s Miguel Tanfelix and Ysabel Ortega, their pairing with veteran actors on both big and small screens like Epy Quizon, Alessandra de Rossi, Cherrypie Picache, and Yayo Aguila effectively compliments their almost naïve-like performances. I agree with what most of my co-audiences have mentioned during the screenings, it’s structured like a storybook in ways that feature different stories from each character. I would like to add that with ensemble performances like these, it’s refreshing to see them all bounce off one another, never overlapping and at most times always giving the child the effective praise of all: letting him tell this story the way children see them first. It seems that Euwenn has learned so well that this kind of story in families may not only affect him, but other children like him too.
Neil Daza’s effective use of natural light collides well with the story’s simplicity. There are scenes in which the camera angles highlight not only the actors’ profiles well but also the brevity of the beauty of its surroundings such as the Mayon, and the rest of the region. His collaboration with Dulay here is nothing short of excellent. There is a scene in which he chooses to showcase a mother’s love by means of showing us her back, with her face facing the sun that suddenly sets. In her profile we see her tears rolling down highlighting that there is probably a storm that Tonton might face soon. It is always an astonishing talent when cinematographers care so much about the story that they don’t just point and shoot — they look at the surrounding elements: from the actors to the production and story, which make their roles as pivotal as ever to indulge the audience in with different kinds of observations and interactions with each scene.
I disagree that Firefly is a copycat film. There are some instances that one might compare it with other films. I for one can compare its magic-appeal to the way that Peque Gallaga’s 1998 film ‘Puso ng Pasko’ appealed to me and how my family were when I was eight. I agree with some criticisms that this is not for the eagerly critical eye, it’s really a simple story with so much heart and sincerity.
Perhaps Dulay understands that these typical film devices are pivotal for him to adapt these on a simple story. These are merely visual hints that help us to not overlook the heart of the film: it’s ability to tell the story of love with sincere gratitude, of a mother’s endearing love for her son, and in turn her son who could share love back to a world that might seem unfair. Tonton showed us that it is we who choose our family, the kind we take in this adventure we call life.
Again, ‘Firefly’ is undoubtedly one of the best films in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival. It reminds me of the kind of magic that Filipino films offer during Christmas: that love, after all, is the greatest gift of all time.
*****
From John Tawasil’s Present Confusion:
Tonton (Euwenn Mikaell) is a bright young boy who loves drawing and listening to stories from his mother (Alessandra de Rossi.) But one day, his mother suffers from a short illness and dies, promising to meet him again in an island of fireflies. Spurred by the notion of possibly seeing his mother again, he escapes and takes a road trip to that location, meeting various people along the way.
Zig Dulay’s Firefly is bookended and interspersed with scenes featuring an adult Tonton (Dingdong Dantes), who recalls his experience to an editorial assistant (Max Collins) whose boss believes that Tonton’s stories don’t belong to him or were otherwise lifted from somewhere else. There’s no indication why that person would think that way and it eventually becomes a non issue, so I am not sure why it needs to be here. It’s not necessarily detrimental, merely unnecessary.
We all love a good story, and we all love listening to good storytellers. Good stories help the heart heal, help us confront our traumas, and help soothe painful pasts. Tonton’s companions, who help him in his journey, all have their own individual tales to tell – they are people reeling from betrayal, holding dark secrets, wanderlust brought about by a hesitation to return home. Perhaps most importantly, stories help uplift others, and through a mother’s love as expressed through one particular story, Tonton and his companions all find something – not necessarily the thing they want, but definitely the thing they need.
The idea of a quality family friendly film in a post-Vice, post-Enteng MMFF has been floated for many years now, and in my opinion this movie embodies that. If this film represents the future of the MMFF, then it looks pretty good from here on in.
