The Metro Manila Film Festival always creates a buzz during Christmas because Filipinos go with their families and flock to the cinemas, as part of their family holiday tradition. For MMFF 2025 (thanks to my sis for giving us these tickets), I got to be part of that Filipino culture as I got to watch three movie titles with my mom. And now I understand why most Filipinos have this annual ritual with their families.😊
Me and my mom had this routine pre-pandemic wherein we will watch movies during Mondays because that's when senior citizens in our city have a free pass in cinemas. I remember going out early from work and meeting up with her at the mall to catch whatever movie was playing in that cinema that time. For me, it's not really about the movie, but it's more of the experience of watching with my mom, that I liked.
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| movie dates with mom 🥰 |
Here are those movies that we got to watch, and our impressions with each of them:
UnMarry ( ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆)
The movie featured two couples undergoing the process of annulment. Divorce is still not legal in the Philippines so married couples who want to legally separate have no choice but to undergo this process.
And I thought relationships live happily ever after once married. 😅 Nah, there are still problems after. This really emphasizes the importance of choosing your partner wisely. That is the most important choice you will make in your life. It made me reflect on how I would approach my romantic relationships in the long run. I don't want to undergo processes like divorce, annulment, or separation; I want to have a harmonious life with my partner, with my husband. So, I really have to know the other person well before marriage and see how we are compatible, not just as a couple but as true partners in life.
Call Me Mother ( ★ ★ ★ ★ ★)
I already had certain expectations with this movie since I saw that it's a Vice Ganda movie, but no... I was not prepared at all for it. You should prepare some tissues. I really loved this movie, thus the 5/5 rating. 😁 The movie tackled a different side of motherhood. All the lines and scenes were superb. I truly appreciated the acting, and now I understand why Vice Ganda won the prestigious Best Actor award; he deserved it. Meanwhile, Nadine Lustre is stunning in this movie. I loved every scene she was in, and all the beautiful outfits she wore were worthy of a beauty queen. 👑
I think I used three sheets of tissues because of how much I was crying during the movie. Surprisingly, my mom didn't cry as much as I did. I was handing her tissues, expecting that she would need them, but she wasn't crying, at all. 😅 I also heard a lot of sobbing in the audience, and this is what I like about watching movies in the cinema: you get to have a collective experience with everyone else watching the film. I really enjoyed sharing that emotional energy with the other people in the theater.
I'MPERFECT ( ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆)
For the third movie, the main characters are people with Down Syndrome who fell in love with each other. Upon watching the film, I understood the wordplay that was in the movie title. 😁 It's my first time watching a movie with this kind of theme, which may be why this film was awarded Best Picture. It was a touching family story, especially for those with children with disabilities. I just felt some discomfort in watching some of the scenes, but overall it was a heartwarming movie. It gives you something to think about when you see people with disabilities and how they can prove that they are functioning parts of society. I'm glad that this movie showcased that. Though I have to warn you that it doesn't have a happy ending. 😔~o~
If you are watching movies with senior citizens (like my mom), here's what I learned to look out for when going to the cinemas:
- Choose a row that is not that high up (because stairs are their enemy) but still with a comfortable viewing distance from the screen.
- The seats should also be near the restroom (since they tend to go to the CR mid-movie).
- Have them eat something so their sugar level will not crash while watching the movie (especially if they are diabetic). Have Coke handy just in case.
Here are the sweet spot seats based on the cinemas we went to:
- SM BF: E12
Rows A-D are nearer the screen and it was not comfortable to look at the screen. - SM Sucat: E1
This is my favorite cinema amongst the three because the chairs can be reclined. - Alabang Town Center: Row J
Based on the layout, this is the winner amongst the three because most seats have a good screen viewing angle. Also, there's a restroom at the back of the cinema itself so my mom had easy access to the restroom during the movie. Also, it's a plus that there are no stairs at the aisles.
I really enjoyed these movie experiences. I hope we get to have complimentary movie passes again for this year's MMFF. 😁✨
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