''The Mistress'' is a 2012 Filipino romantic

melodrama film A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

directed by

Olivia Lamasan Olivia M. Lamasan is a Filipino people, Filipina television and film director, writer, producer, and creative consultant, known for her works such as ''Sana Maulit Muli (film), Sana Maulit Muli'' and ''Madrasta (Film), Madrasta'' which were both ...

, starring

John Lloyd Cruz John Lloyd Espidol Cruz (born June 24, 1983) is a Filipino actor, model and occasional TV host. He was a member of ABS-CBN's Star Magic, where he is an alumnus of Batch 5. He starred in the teen drama ''Tabing Ilog'', and is best known for his ...

and

Bea Alonzo Phylbert Angelli Ranollo Fagestrom (born October 17, 1987), professionally known as Bea Alonzo (), is a Filipino actress. Alonzo first gained recognition for the 2002 teleserye ''Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay''. She is best known for her portrayals ...

with Ms.

Hilda Koronel Hilda Koronel (born Susan Reid; January 17, 1957) is a MMFF, FAMAS, Luna and Urian award-winning Filipino actress. Born to a Filipino mother and an American father who was a serviceman in Clark Air Base, she has starred in around 45 films, ma ...

and

Ronaldo Valdez Ronald James Gibbs (born November 27, 1947, in Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines), popularly known by his on-screen name Ronaldo Valdez, is a veteran Filipino film and television actor whose career spanned for almost five decades. Valdez is the f ...

. The film celebrates the 10th anniversary of John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo's partnership as a love team and also their comeback film after their hit 2010 film entitled ''

Miss You Like Crazy "Miss You Like Crazy" is a song by American singer Natalie Cole, released as a single on March 15, 1989, from her 11th solo studio album, ''Good to Be Back'' (1989). Chart performance "Miss You Like Crazy" was a hit for Cole, becoming her fifth ...

''. The film was well acclaimed and received mixed to positive reviews both from the critics and fans, and sets a box-office record in the Philippine Cinema. It grossed over ₱260 million, becoming the highest grossing non-MMFF film of 2012 and is currently the 16th highest grossing Filipino film of all time. It also won and received six several awards (including the cast and crew) in the 31st

Luna Awards The Luna Awards are awards given annually by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) to recognize the outstanding achievements of the Filipino film industry. The first awards were presented in 1983 in Pasay. It is considered to be the Philippine ...

and received nominations in

61st FAMAS Awards The 61st Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards Night was held at the AFP Theater in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on April 21, 2013. Golden Screen Awards, and Star Awards for Movies in 2013 respectively. Due to the film's success, it was screened internationally in selected countries. Alonzo and Cruz also had their TV series entitled ''

A Beautiful Affair ''A Beautiful Affair'' is a 2012 Philippine romantic melodrama television series starring John Lloyd Cruz & Bea Alonzo together with John Estrada.

'' that aired in

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast broadcast network, network tha ...

last October 29, 2012 and ended on January 18, 2013, is also part of their 10th anniversary as love team and the success of ''The Mistress''.

Plot

A young woman is torn between the affections of her two lovers. One is a young bachelor who brings passion into her life. The other is a married old man who has kept her as his mistress for years. Architect JD (

) has a chip on his shoulder about his businessman father Rico (

) never really accepting him as his son. Seamstress Sari (

) struggles to take care of her family. The two meet by chance, and JD aggressively pursues Sari's affections. Though the two are clearly a good match, there is a problem standing in the way of their bliss: Sari is the mistress of JD's father. Against his better judgment, JD continues to court Sari even after finding out this difficult fact. He hides his true identity as Rico's son, and fights to win Sari's heart. Upon their struggles, Rico's wife was angrily dismayed to see Sari, who happens to be his mistress, as both his son JD and himself had a rivalry for Sari's heart. When they travel to the province to deliver their client's Barong Tagalog, both Sari and JD finally show their true feelings for each other as they watch the wedding ceremony. Despite her relationship with JD's father, Sari finally gives in to JD's feelings and both become romantically involved as they make love. After their travel in the province, they were found by JD's father Rico, who is furious to see his son become close to his mistress. It made both Rico and JD argue, ended up having a fistfight as Sari tried to stop them until Rico suffers from a severe heart attack. At the hospital, JD finally apologizes to his father, Rico, who is bedridden and dying, and Rico appoints his son as the CEO and president, handing over their family business before he dies. The two part ways in Rico and Sari's house, their love nest, with heavy hearts because they both know they can only love each other when they pretend. At the end of the movie after JD delivers his speech to his father's employees about his father's life and his business, people applaud him. Then he comes to pass by the shop, stops and watches Sari as she fixes the formal suit she had sewn in the dress shop. The two see each other, make eye contact and flashback to the scene in

Tuguegarao Tuguegarao ( or ), officially the City of Tuguegarao ( ibg, Siyudad nat Tugegaraw; itv, Siyudad yo Tugegaraw; ilo, Siudad ti Tuguegarao; fil, Lungsod ng Tuguegarao ), is a 3rd class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component ci ...

where they pretended and thought about the “what ifs”. Sari saw JD before he drove his car away, smiling at each other.

Cast

Main cast

as Frederico "JD" / "Eric" Torres Jr. *

as Rosario "Sari" Alfonso *

as Frederico "Rico" Torres Sr. *

as Regina Torres

Supporting cast

Anita Linda Alice Bueñaflor Lake (November 23, 1924 – June 10, 2020), better known by her stage name Anita Linda, was a Filipino film actress. A romantic lead in her youth, she later gained critical acclaim for her portrayals in maternal or elderly r ...

as Lola Lina *

Carmi Martin Carmita Martin also known as Carmi Martin (born 9 August 1963) is a Filipina actress, model, and comedian. Career She first appeared in ''Dolphy's Angels'' with Liz Alindogan, Anna Marie Gutierrez, Yehlen Catral and the late comedy king Dolphy. ...

as Marrion Alfonso *

Clarence Delgado Clarence William Delgado (born December 15, 2004), is a Filipino teen actor. He was discovered by Star Circle Quest 2011 where he won as The Male Winner. He had appeared in ''Goin' Bulilit'' and '' Way Back Home''. He transferred to GMA Network ...

as Mamon *

Tony Mabesa Antonio Ocampo Mabesa (January 27, 1935 – October 4, 2019), known as Tony Mabesa, was a Filipino stage director, film and television actor, and professor. With a career spanning over 70 years, he was a founding father of Philippine university ...

as Maestro Emil *

K Brosas Maria Carmela Brosas (born 15 July 1975), better known by her screen name K Brosas, is a Filipina actress, comedian, singer and television host. She was born in the Philippines to an American father and a Filipina mother and was a band member ...

as Rosa * Minnie Aguilar as Olga * Gabe Mercado as Mr. Zarate * Nor Domingo as Brian

Extended cast

Carla Humphries Madeleine Lauren Humphries (born May 20, 1988), known professionally as Madeleine Humphries and formerly as Carla Humphries is an American-born Filipino actress and commercial model. Humphries is best known for her roles as Rita Arguelles in the ...

as Carly * Al Gaitmatan as Arnold * Marj Lorico as Julie * Eileen Gonzales as Abby * Patrick Moreno as Arvin * Nina Guirnaldo as Guia * Jessica Rose Ashton as Lexie * Dustin Guia as Joey * Karl Ernest Alano as Aljo * Joel Molina as Alex

Production

Background

The film was first announced by

Star Cinema ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. (doing business as Star Cinema or ABS-CBN Films) is a Philippines, Filipino film studio and film and television production company and film distributor headquartered in Quezon City. It is one of the major film ...

in April 2012 through the longest running flagship newscast in the Philippines,

TV Patrol ''TV Patrol'' is a Philippine television newscast produced by ABS-CBN News. It premiered on March 2, 1987, at the former ABS-CBN television network, replacing ''Balita Ngayon''. ''TV Patrol'' is the flagship national newscast of the network a ...

, now dubbed as "TV Patrol 25." The film was directed by Olivia Lamasan and will be a

and

comeback-movie after a two years hiatus. Their on-screen partnership, as in films like '' One More Chance'' (2007) and ''

'' (2010), resumes in "The Mistress". The film also celebrates their joint 10th Anniversary in show business. Described as an "imperfect love story," the film features a more daring and mature Alonzo and Cruz.

Filming

The film was shot on various locations. The

Callao Cave Callao Cave () is one of 300 limestone caves located in the Barangays of Magdalo and Quibal in the municipality of Peñablanca, about northeast of Tuguegarao City, the capital of Cagayan province within the Peñablanca Protected Landscape and ...

in Peñablanca, Cagayan was closed for two days on 8 and 9 June for the shooting of the movie. They also used various locations in the

Cagayan Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan ( ilo, Probinsia ti Cagayan; ibg, Provinsiya na Cagayan; itv, Provinsiya ya Cagayan; fil, Lalawigan ng Cagayan), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the C ...

province, especially in

Tuguegarao City Tuguegarao ( or ), officially the City of Tuguegarao ( ibg, Siyudad nat Tugegaraw; itv, Siyudad yo Tugegaraw; ilo, Siudad ti Tuguegarao; fil, Lungsod ng Tuguegarao ), is a 3rd class component city and capital of the province of Cagayan, Phili ...

and the Baua Bridge in

Gonzaga, Cagayan Gonzaga, officially the Municipality of Gonzaga ( ibg, Ili nat Gonzaga; ilo, Ili ti Gonzaga; tl, Bayan ng Gonzaga), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 41,680 ...

, while the beach scenes were at the Anguib Beach and "Boracay of the North" in

Santa Ana, Cagayan Santa Ana, officially the Municipality of Santa Ana ( ibg, Ili nat Santa Ana; ilo, Ili ti Santa Ana; tl, Bayan ng Santa Ana), is a 2nd class municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Cagayan, Philippi ...

. Release date is 12 September 2012 in theatres nationwide.

Music

The only song that is being played throughout the film is the hit single "

Chasing Cars "Chasing Cars" is a song by Northern Irish-Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. It was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, '' Eyes Open'' (2006). It was released on 6 June 2006, in the United States and 24 July ...

", written and performed by the Irish/Scottish

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band "

Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. They consist of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (musician), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, ...

Release

International screening

Here are some selected international screening dates and venues of ''The Mistress'': (''notes'': Please refer to the references links for the exact information for the International Screening of ''The Mistress'')

Reception

Critical response

''The Mistress'' received generally positive reviews. Philbert Ortiz Dy gave the film 3 out of 5 stars. He stated that ''The Mistress'' doesn't do a very good job of exploring what it is to be a mistress. It only depicts a few stolen moments from the adulterous relationship, focusing instead on the budding romance between the two younger characters. ..he movie isn't as complex as the premise makes it sound. Though it tackles mature subject matter and plays with Oedipal themes, the film is really much more about the love story than it is about the adultery. He also stated that ''The Mistress'' can still be quite affecting. Taken away from the larger narrative, the movie is able to build a compelling fantasy that's far more romantic than one would expect and It still makes a compelling case for itself every now and then. Phillip Cu-Unjieng of The

Philippine Star ''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, M ...

magazine also gave a positive feedback to ''The Mistress''. He states that

's ''The Mistress'' is a "superb acting vehicle for both

and

, proving that even when tackling more mature roles, their chemistry, after a full decade, remains intact." And ''The Mistress'' has its texture of the screenplay and the sympathetic depth of the characters that make it such an absorbing film. In a positive response by Maridol Rañoa-Bismark of Yahoo Philippines, ''The Mistress'' may be a serious film, but it can make moviegoers break into smiles with snippets of humor and “It’s a suspension of disbelief that will amaze even the most rabid mistress hater.” Mark Angelo Ching and Jocelyn Dimaculangan of PEP also gave a positive response to the film, they stated that, "This movie casts a sympathetic look at someone who agrees to be a kept woman in exchange for a huge debt. But far from glorifying the mistress, the film delves into the heartwrenching pain brought about by being caught in this four-sided love affair."

Box office

According to Star Cinema's Advertising and Promotions Manager Mico del Rosario, ''The Mistress'' earned PHP 25 Million on its first day, beating the box-office record set by the other

produced movie last year and currently the 3rd highest-grossing film of all time - ''

The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin ''The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin'' (also known as ''Praybeyt Benjamin'') is a 2011 Filipino action, comedy, andparody film directed by Wenn V. Deramas. It stars Vice Ganda in the title role, alongside Eddie Garcia, Nikki Valdez, Vandolph Quizon ...

'' starring

Vice Ganda Jose Marie Borja Viceral (born March 31, 1976), popularly known as Vice Ganda (; ), is a Filipino comedian, talk show host, television presenter, actor, entrepreneur, and singer. He is a regular host on ABS-CBN's noontime variety show '' It's ...

which only grossed PHP 23.9 Million on its opening day. On its first week, the film grosses in a range of PHP 120 Million Philippines Box Office September 12–16, 2012
''Box Office Mojo''. Retrieved 09-19-2012 - PHP 140 Million pesos. It became the fourth 2012 Filipino film to gross over 100 Million Pesos and ranked as the third local movie of 2012 in span of a week. As of September 23, the film grosses PHP 186,729,040, beating the 2012 top grosser, '' ÜnOfficially Yours'', (which stars

Angel Locsin Angelica Locsin Colmenares (born April 23, 1985) is a Filipino actress and humanitarian. She is known for her dramatic roles and portrayals of heroines and mythological characters in film and television. She is a recipient of various accolades ...

and

) that grosses PHP 157,254,200.Philippines Box Office September 19–23, 2012
''Box office Mojo''. Retrieved 09-27-2012 On its 2nd week of showing, it now holds the #1 spot in the list of top-grossing Filipino film of 2012. As of September 29, 2012 and on its third week, the film grosses over PHP 230 Million, being the third highest grossing Filipino film of all time. As of its third to fourth box-office successor week and October 2, 2012, The film grosses more than PHP 300 Million pesos worldwide (according to Star Cinema), beating with the same genre film ''

No Other Woman ''No Other Woman'' is a 2011 Filipino romantic drama film starring Anne Curtis, Derek Ramsay, and Cristine Reyes. The film is notable for breaking box office records in the Philippines. It currently holds the title of third highest grossing Fil ...

'' (whom stars

Anne Curtis Anne Curtis-Smith(; born 17 February 1985) is a Filipino-Australian actress, model, television host, entrepreneur and recording artist. She is dubbed as the "''Multimedia Superstar''" for her talent and influence. Curtis has received numerou ...

Derek Ramsay Derek Arthur Ramsay Jr. (born December 7, 1976) is a British-Filipino model, actor, and host. As of 2019, he is an exclusive talent of GMA Network. In 2021, he file for indefinite leave and is currently inactive in showbiz to attend personal li ...

, and

Cristine Reyes Ara Cristine Pascual Klenk (born February 5, 1989), known professionally as Cristine Reyes, is a Filipino actress, model, dancer and endorser. She is often called as the "Ultimate Star" by the local media for her acting prowess and popularity. ...

) as the second Filipino highest-grossing films of all time.''The Mistress'' is now the second highest grossing Filipino film of all time and the biggest local box-office hit this year after it remained the top-grossing movie in the Philippines for a second week in a row. In contrary to the reports by its own distributor, according to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed only PHP 254 Million only on October 7, 2012, still being the third highest-grossing film in the Philippines. As of its 5th and final week of run, the film's total gross is PHP 262,790,300 Million Pesos, almost surpassed ''No Other Woman'' with a box-office gross of PHP 278,418,883 Million pesos. As of 2016, ''The Mistress'' ranks 1st in highest-grossing film of 2012, and 16th place in all-time highest grossing local film.

Accolades

References

External links

* * *
''The Mistress''
at

Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray began ...

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