Review of MONDAY FIRST SCREENING: Senior Sweetness

September 4, 2023

Since the annulment of her marriage, Prof. Lydia Bercacio (Gina Alajar) had been living alone in her own house with a big garden, with her household helpers, Clark (David Shouder) and Lea (Joy Cerro). Her grand-daughter Sofia (Reign Parani) also stayed in Lydia's house because her mother was always very busy. When Lydia turned 60 years old, regulations dictated that she had to retire from teaching at the university. 

One Monday at the mall, Lydia saw a group of senior citizens lining up to watch a free movie. Her friendly neighbors Deborah (Ruby Ruiz) and Norman (Soliman Cruz) invited her to join them and their group. Later, they were joined by a retired architect, Bobby de Guzman (Ricky Davao) who got the seat beside Lydia in the theater. While the movie was going on, Lydia would constantly be grabbing from Bobby's box of popcorn.

This charming rom-com written and directed by Benedict Mique ("ML", "Momol Nights") tells of a friendship between a couple of senior citizens which eventually develops into love. Ok, the story may not be completely new, and the comedy can be somewhat awkward or corny. However, while the story did dip into some melodramatic twists and turns, Mique and his cast was able to mine something refreshingly wholesome and positive.

Veteran award-winning film actors, Gina Alajar and Ricky Davao were both radiant, raising this film up another level with their winsome sincerity. Their romantic chemistry as Lydia and Bobby felt very real and thrilling, so delightful to watch in their carefree scenes. The references to various classic romantic films fit right in the movie-watching theme. The cinematography or editing may not have been that special, but these two lead performances definitely were. 

Mique did not make it smooth-sailing all the way for the couple, with hurdles set by Lydia's former student and now professorial colleague David (Ian Ignacio) and an 11th hour one by Lydia's daughter Eleanor (Che Ramos). However despite these uncertainties, audiences will likely still root for this cute couple to end up together. Alajar and Davao absolutely hit the mark in that one dramatic scene, for which there surely will be no dry eye in the theater. 

Mique also took the opportunity to address issues concerning the senior citizens. Deborah (Ruby Ruiz) had children want her to watch her grandchildren for them. Norman (Soliman Cruz) was forced to retire at 60, rendering him without any income. There was also the very real fear of sudden unexpected death that loomed over them, especially when they see friends of theirs pass away. The older demographic will surely identify with these real problems. 7/10.