The constant loud nagging of Fely caused her daughter-in-law Angie to fall very ill. This forced her only son Ramon to request his mother to temporarily move into a senior's home while his wife recovered. One day, while waiting for the bus, the distraught Fely was drawn to enter the Forever Young photo studio because it displayed a photo of her favorite actress, Audrey Hepburn, in its window. Before he took her photo, the photographer promised Fely that he would make her look younger by 50 years. By some miracle, she literally did.

The full trailer of "Miss Granny" practically tells us the whole story already. From cantankerous senior Fely Malabaño, she becomes lovely miss Odrey de Leon. In her rejuvenated form, Odrey possessed a passionate singing style which caught the attention of three men: her own grandson Jeboy (who wanted her to sing for his band), a TV producer Lorenz (who wanted her to be the next big TV star), and her friend and former ward Bert (who loved Fely and suspected Odrey's real identity).

Because of a video compilation on YouTube that I accidentally clicked, I already knew beforehand that the story "Miss Granny" was first made into a film in Korea in 2014. It surprised me then that it had already been remade in China and Vietnam (2015), Japan and Thailand (2016), and Indonesia (2107). There are also plans to remake it for India, Germany and the US (in English and Spanish). That only means that the story has wide appeal and was already a sure-fire formula for a hit all over Asia and probably beyond. Proper casting could make or break this local remake.

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For the demanding role of Odrey, the actress cast should be able to have good comic timing, dramatic chops as well as a heavenly singing voice that could make everyone stop and listen. I thought Sarah Geronimo was the perfect choice to play Odrey. Odrey was supposed to have been 20 years old only, but even at 30 this year, Sarah had the verve and jauntiness of youth. Importantly, she was able to balance it with the maturity that she already had inside as Fely. It did not feel awkward for Sarah to act older than her age.

All of Sarah's singing scenes in this film were showstoppers. The first three songs were covers of local hits from the early 1970s. The haunting "Rain" (by Boy Mondragon, 1970) which she sang at the senior home talent show certainly turned everyone's head to look and listen to her sing on that stage. The delightful "Kiss Me, Kiss Me" (by Efren Montes, 1971) accompanied a montage of scenes of Odrey joining Jeboy's band in various small gigs.

The magnificent torch song "Forbidden" (by Norma Ledesma, 1969) made sure their TV debut was a big success. The dramatic new original song "Isa Pang Araw" was sang at the Summer Festival under severe emotional duress, and the resulting rendition makes you want to rise from your seat and give her a standing ovation.

For veteran actress Nova Villa, playing Fely was a tight balance between her character's ill-temper and argumentative nature (for which you want to avoid her), with her inner loneliness and depression (for which you want to comfort her). Nonie Buencamino's shining moment as Ramon came towards the end when he spoke with his mother heart to heart. Surely there would be no dry eye in the theater in that scene.

James Reid generously downplayed his own matinee idol stardom to play the supportive guitarist Jeboy. Xian Lim's role as Lorenz was practically an extended guest spot, more memorable for his being attacked with raw fish than its dramatic moments. The casting of Boboy Garrovillo to play Bert was a very inspired choice. Garovillo was funny and charming as Fely's loyal secret admirer Bert.

Director Joyce Bernal told her story at a fine pace, just right for the material. There were some plot holes (like how come Bert and Ramon never immediately recognized Odrey as the young Fely?), but these were already part of the original plot that was just adapted in our language and culture. Sarah's dresses (and umbrellas), retro hairstyles and makeup were all so winsome.

Some quibbles may be about the ear-piercing loudness of the shouting scenes, particularly those of Nova Villa (Fely was really a crabby grouch) and Kim Molina (as Bert's possessive daughter Minnie). Of course, some medical details about cranial surgery and blood donation were glossed over, but this was understandable. Also, you also cannot buy Valium over the counter (yellow prescription is strictly required) at only P289 for the whole "banig" of 10.

Many films had been made about an older person becoming young again, like "Freaky Friday", "18 Again", "Big" or "Peggy Sue Got Married." "Miss Granny" adds Asian sensibilities and wonderful retro songs into the mix. It has all the proven ingredients for a hit film, which explains why it had been remade in many countries with success.

With Sarah Geronimo making the Filipino version of Odrey so lovely and lovable, this film will surely warm and win your heart. 9/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."