If The Mistress was fetched out to Hollywood cinema, it would assume the DNA of melancholic films so schmaltzy and tear-jerking. Its bloodline should be B-grade dramas usually gained by novel-based film adapts; Nicholas Sparks novel-movies should be an easy example. Truth is, The Mistress didn't trekked from novel to screen, but it possesses that soul of such types where eye-tearing formulas are eagerly worked on with characterization and mindful plotting is fated to be sacrificed. The Mistress, sadly, is exactly like it.
When JD (John Lloyd Cruz, One More Chance) eyes on the undeniable beauty Sari (Bea Alonzo, Sa'yo Lamang), he immediately takes initiative. He thinks he could score it with her, after all, what perks should good looks and charisma get you? But Sari declines, dubbing out a line that must be heard in entirety of the movie: Hindi dahil gusto mo, makukuha mo. Poor JD was left caught up in the drizzling rain, after Sari dismisses his offer of a coffee talk.
Soon enough, the two find each other once more. JD plots better things to say, while Sari loosely opens her pages. But Sari is, without a choice, calling the idea of her and JD together off. Funny thing is, he is the hidden mistress of a known elder businessman Rico (Ronaldo Valdez), so she says "no" every time, claiming that she's taken already. Her secret shall soon be uncovered, with lives maneuvered to completely bent directions: Rico's wife, Regina (Hilda Koronel), drawn in deeper to her only sensible companion--alcoholism; and their son, JD. If you have a feeling that everyone must be in deep trouble and everyone is soooo screwed, then you're right. That is, if you take out "deep" and "soooo" in the prior clause.
In support to my very previous sentence(s), the movie is too promising but wanes in elaboration. Thing is, you are drawn in to a premise that automatically promotes a darker course, the type which would command characters to do mad things. Well, partly in here, them characters did. Most especially JD, who tries to stick with Sari with the awareness of her being his father's mistress. Perhaps to give her a shot, or maybe plot revenge, I won't say. But from the minute JD took that action, I instantly thought: that's crazy. But the kind of 'mad' I was saying were measures that would better conflict the lives of other characters. Like when the first wife would slap the hell out of the mistress or the cheating husband would beat the hell out of his rebellious heir's ass.
Characters are exceedingly convoluted to understand them as characters, let alone real people. Their intentions are awfully contrasted with the actions they take, the exact opposites of what they truthfully desired in the first place. Sari "gives back" to what Rico gave her, but she's too naive to learn that her doings were not right, and still get mad at her mother whose fate seemed to resemble hers. Director Olivia Lamasan and screenwriter Vanessa Valdez crafts the story finding many rooms for tear-jerkers, and entirely go for it. But what they forget is the importance of characterization. Weak characters plus syrupy rom-drama is equivalent to YOU'RE SCREWED. That's lessons learned.
The only compensation was Cruz's and Alonzo's chemistry, tested to be one of the best and most striking. They have this, palpable or not, rapport at each other that you understand, that ultimately flights them to what chemistry they're having now. The ending was the most glorious event in the film, greatly highlighted of how dull the remainder of the film was. In general, The Mistress should get you teary-eyed, but forgetting perhaps hours after viewing the film.
B-
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