So how will I start writing a
review for the local movie The Mistress? Let me just say it’s so corny I’m
gonna die! I’d say so in reference to that children’s film Despicable Me with
one of the children saying “it’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!”
But why would I say so? First, I’m
not a fan of cheesy movie flicks. But despite this movie being corny all in all
for someone like me, I actually love it. Just like that kid in the animated
movie I just mentioned, I’m enthralled after watching this film that I am
smiling from ear to ear.
Summary
For those who have not seen the
movie yet, I can summarize it this way. JD meets Sari and wanted to know her
better. It turns out that she is actually his father’s mistress. But despite
his desire to hate her, he persistently chased after her in the hope that he will
become her everyday man knowing that his dad, Rico Torres Sr. is with her every
Thursday for the past five years. JD’s mom suffers from her husband’s
womanizing but continues to stay with him, drinking her misery away. JD learned
that he was not his father’s son during one of the instances when his mom was
drunk. He thought that this explained why his father paid more attention to his
older and deceased brother. He took the name JD after leaving their family’s
company. JD stands for Juancho Diego, a poet and his real father’s name.
Cast and Characters
Bea
Alonzo as Sari or Rosario Alfonso
John
Lloyd Cruz as Eric "JD" Torres
Ronaldo
Valdez as Rico Torres
Hilda
Koronel as Regina Torres
Anita Linda
as Sari’s grandmother
Carmi
Martin as Sari’s stepmom
K Brosas
as fellow wardrobe mistress
Minne
Aguilar as fellow wardrobe mistress
Tony
Mabesa as tailor shop owner
Gabe
Mercado as one of the regular clients of the shop
Nor
Domingo as JD’s fellow architect
Clarence
Delgado as Mamon, kid who fell in love with Sari
What Makes The Mistress Different?
Unlike other romantic films, The
Mistress doesn’t follow the usual recipe for romance. This is after all a movie
about a mistress. If that isn’t enough conflict already, the mistress in this
film is torn between her lovers - a married man and his son. She honestly loves
the old man but has also fallen in love with the younger guy. Additional
conflict such as the matriarch bearing a child (the younger lover) with someone
else and that child growing up unloved are just added spice to the already
controversial topic about mistresses.
What makes this movie different
also is that it attempts to depict mistresses beyond the norm. The film
attempts to understand the motive behind being involved in this type of
relationship. In this movie, the mistress explains why she is having an illicit
affair with a married man. The old man believed in her talent, had paid for her
grandmother’s medical operation, supposedly didn’t ask for anything in return of
all favors, but asked for her Thursdays. She simply gave in. But she does love
him and he loves her too. She also believes that the old man is actually a good
man despite all.
The younger lover on the other
hand is a picture of a persistent lover who continues to love despite issues.
He understands and yet accepts. He believes that there is more to life even for
mistresses and they are not cursed to such a fate for life. But unlike other
films, this isn’t any fairy tale with a happy ending.
Societal Issues
Mentioning about a mistress alone
is already a reality in our society today. We normally look at them with
judging eyes without knowing about the story behind falling into the trap of
being a mistress. Society also normally jumps into conclusion about married
couples no longer loving each other because they are having an affair with
someone else. That’s not always the case. In this film, although the husband
was first to cheat, it’s the wife who remains unforgiven despite the years gone
by. That’s because unlike the husband who normally doesn’t fall in love with
his lovers, the wife fell in love and even had a son. As always, cheating husbands
are more tolerable than cheating wives in society.
Quotable Quotes
In relation to Thursdays
exclusively shared by the married older man and his younger mistress as
mentioned earlier, the legal wife said something worthy to be quoted. She said
that her husband is with her every f*ck*ng Thursday, f*ck*ng every Thursday. J
But what’s probably most memorable are the lines, “di dahil gusto mo, makukuha
mo…”
Philosopher’s Love Song
In relation to that quote, one of
the old poems I wrote before came into mind again especially that last line
which goes like, “if lovers are not meant to be, they can simply love and not
be.” The rest of the lines of the poem can be found in this collection - Collection of Love Poems PART II: Love in Bliss and in Pain.
It’s not a happy ending like
most feel good films. The father died but at least he was reconciled with his
wife and his son before his death. But despite that, the expected ending is
unexpectedly different from what most of us thought it will be like. JD didn’t
end up with Sari. She broke up with him and went on a business venture with her
old boss. JD on the other hand became his father’s business successor.
The wedding scene is
phenomenal and echoes that poem’s lines. JD drove Sari all the way to
Tuguegarao to send off a client’s last minute wardrobe request change. With closed
eyes, JD asked Sari what can possibly happen if he and she were both not associated with his
father. Of course, there's already an answer to that. So what she saw in a vision of him waiting for her in the altar while him on
other hand saw her walking towards him towards the altar didn't happen simply because of the answer to the previous question. The culmination of
their love is of course consummated with lovemaking. It isn’t as daring as other
Pinoy flicks at least. My friend said that Aga Muhlach and Angel Locsin offered
something worse in a different movie.
But anyway, going back to
The Mistress, the forlorn lovers didn’t up together. She was looking over the
newly renovated shop’s window while he passed by with his driver driving his
car. They seemed to have exchanged subtle smiles, so for a moment, I thought
they would meet. But then again, they didn’t and the movie ended. I waited till
the end of the credits but there was no post-movie teaser as I normally see in
most Hollywood movies. It really ends there and it’s sad. But that’s life. In
reality, the movie’s line holds true, “di dahil gusto mo, makukuha mo…”
Am I the only one wondering about him looking at his lap top with the same date & time that she met his father. Is she then going to meet him every Thur. at 7
ReplyDeleteHmm... that's interesting. I didn't notice it before. Good catch!
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