FIREFLY (2023) Review
Directed by Zig Dulay
When was the last time you got out of the cinema with your heart feeling full? Or at least after watching a Filipino movie.
Zig Dulay’s love letter to our first storytellers embraces its audience through its heartwarming story about a boy and his mother. Told through impressive visuals and storytelling, Firefly is an unforgettable movie experience for the whole family. You’ll leave the cinema with your heart full.
Our first storytellers – may it be our parents, our siblings or guardians, Firefly takes us back to when bedtime stories give us wonder, joy and warmth of a better tomorrow, when we see things literally even the fantasies of what we dream to be in the future. It’s the kind of the story that feels like a hug from someone special.
Told in the beautiful backdrop of Bicol and some better pictured locations in Manila, Firefly can also be seen as an adventure film. Trailing the clues from the map painted by his mom, the film takes us on a road trip with Tonton and the friends he gets to meet along the way, and the learnings they can get from each other. Cinematographer Neil Daza knows how to frame every scene not just because of how it should look but how it should feel.
What’s also frustratingly good about Firefly is how every scene feels like a build up to something emotional. So that when that cry-worthy scene comes, you already have your guard down and just sniff and cry like you’re part of Tonton’s emotional journey.
What should be also mentioned is the film’s CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery). The film boasts one of the best CGI in a Filipino movie. As seen just from the trailer, the imageries in the film look real if not, like something out of a bedtime story book. But everything, the CGI and live works were perfectly blended and made the look of the film just beautiful.
Euwenn Mikaell portrays Tonton perfectly. The innocence and how a kid process and cope with struggles were perfectly demonstrated in Tonton. It may not be Alessandra de Rossi’s first time playing a single mother but how she play Elay feels different from her other mother roles. Whenever the two are on screen, you can just see and feel the undeniable and strong mother and son love from them that will either make you cry or make you want to hug your parent.
The premise of the film may seem simple from afar. A boy trying to fulfill a promise for his mother. These stories tell more stories and they represent different struggles of Tonton. Using this adventure as a form of coping for Tonton tells a lot about how pure our children are. And substituting stories to overcome fears and trauma is an astonishing touch that’s beautifully presented in the film.
There are a lot of movies I can say that isn’t for everybody but this isn’t that movie. Firefly is as magical as it is profound. A rare Filipino film that can be both enjoyed by casual film goers and committed film enthusiasts. Zig Dulay didn’t disappoint and this is a testament that good storytelling can touch the hearts of its audience.
4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
‘Firefly’ opens in cinemas December 25, 2023 from GMA Pictures and GMA Public Affairs. Rated PG by the MTRCB. An official entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival 2023.