Mistresses go mano-a-mano in murder mystery comedy

Feb. 14 is a red-hot day for the “official Valentine,” while Feb.15 is a red-alert day because it’s reserved for the “insignificant other” aka “mistress in distress.” So, it’s only fitting that “Ten Little Mistresses,” (TLM), the first-ever Filipino film to be streamed on Prime Video in 240 countries and territories, will premiere on the 15th (“Araw ng mga Querida”).

The murder mystery comedy is yet another masterpiece of the dynamic duo, Jun Robles Lana (director) and Perci Intalan (producer). It is topbilled by Eugene Domingo and John Arcilla; what a formidable combo.

It’s about a widowed billionaire whose mistresses fight for the right to become his new legal wife. But when he suddenly dies, the mistresses are all suspects and mayhem ensues.

TLM is one solid laugh trip, but it is also thought-provoking. The movie deals with powerplay in relationships. Women must not be overwhelmed by a man’s full financial investment if he is not emotionally invested in her as well.

At the gala, I teased John, “Are you willing to have a mistress in real life?” He shot back, “Depende (laughs).” Then, I chided him about his “butt exposure” in the film. “I was game to do that scene, but due to time constraints, they got a double for me,” he explained. “But I made sure that his butt looks OK to pass off as mine. Although I think mine looks a lot better (laughs).”

After winning the prestigious Volpi Cup, John remains grounded. So if there was no “stand-in” for him, John would have had no qualms of going “from Volpi to semiboldie.”

Meanwhile, Eugene’s character in TLM, Lilith, is the heart of the story. Her superb portrayal makes all the pieces fit. And while there are scenes where Uge totally cracks you up, there are also moments in the film where she will make you sit up and listen. My amiga (that’s how we fondly call each other) ought to have this moniker in the biz, EuGenius. Moreover, in the friendship department, she’s Miss EuGentle Soul.

Here’s my chat with amiga Uge:

After shooting TLM, how did your perception of mistresses change?

I’ve always been honest with you, amiga. At a very young age, I already knew my mom was a mistress. Growing up in a broken family, there were many unpleasant moments. So I know that being a mistress isn’t a good idea.

But as I got older, I realized that sometimes women don’t choose to be a mistress. It’s just a natural tendency to fall for a man who showers you with love and attention.

Our movie widened my perception about mistresses. It’s part of our reality. We must not judge them … just accept them. Women fighting over one man is part of Pinoy pop culture. In TLM, we summarized all the querida power hugot lines. What I like about our script is having mistresses apologizing to each other for the hurt they unintentionally caused.

How will you handle it if you find out that your partner has a mistress?

It depends on what stage their relationship or our relationship is in. Dishonesty can ruin a relationship. You can’t stay together if you are unhappy and the trust is broken.

With all due respect to your partner Danilo, what if you fall for a married man?

From the start of our relationship, we were very clear about our status. I’m single, he’s separated, and we are working on the legal papers. We have no secrets between us, so the flow of things is smooth.

Honesty must be the first thing to be committed to, then love will grow from there. But hypothetically, if that happens to me, I don’t have a sure answer because I’m only human. All I know is women deserve 100 percent love. So ideally, dapat wala tayong kahati.

What did you discover about John while doing TLM?

I’ve been John’s fan since his theater days. When he won the Volpi Cup in Venice, I was so happy he claimed what has been rightfully his. He’s really something else. During our shoot, I found out that he’s like a little boy. He never aged. He did not let fame get to his head. He is still the same John I’ve known since my college days in UP. He’s serious on cam, but loves to play around off cam. He’s easy to run to for advice.

Seduction and manipulation in ‘Boso Dos’

It feels good having someone to watch over you. But it’s creepy if there’s somebody watching you and your every move. Just like the stalking that happens in “Boso Dos” (streaming on Vivamax).

The sexy thriller-cum-action movie directed by Jon Red is topbilled by Micaella Raz, Gold Aceron, Chloe Jenna and Vince Rillon.

In it, suspected drug trafficker Badong (Vince) is under surveillance by an agent, Mario (Gold). A new recruit, Ara (Micaella), gets sexually involved with Mario. She becomes an asset who infiltrates Badong’s drug den, then uses her charms to seduce and manipulate him. C’est la femme fatale, Pinay style.

Here are quotes from Micaella (M), Gold (G), Chloe (C) and Vince (V):

M: My character has many layers of emotions … hatred, fear and love. For a change, I have more action scenes than love scenes.

G: I watched the first “Boso” movie, starring Epy Quizon. He played the usual peeping Tom who makes “boso” through a keyhole, while my character Mario is a high-tech voyeur who uses CCTV. But in terms of acting, it’s tough to come close to Epy.

C: Direk Jon has a way of making everything light. He adjusts when any of us is having a hard time shooting a scene. During love scenes, s’ya pa ang medyo shy sa amin. He was surprised that we were all game to go sexy.

V: Direk Jon has an unusual sense of humor. ‘Di mo agad ma-gets ang punchline. He’s that deep. ‘Di mo akalain na nagpapatawa na pala siya.

M: If I catch someone making “boso,” I will tell him to subscribe to Vivamax instead, so he can watch me up close to satisfy his fantasies.

V: The part of my life that I don’t want the public to make “boso” at is my family. I’m ready for any intriga, but please spare my family.

Time for Shayne to shine

In every Kapuso show that Shayne Sava starred in, the morena beauty has lived up to her being the Ultimate Female Survivor of “StarStruck” (Season 7).

From playing Jamilah in “Legal Wives” to portraying Abigail opposite Ai-Ai delas Alas in “Raising Mamay,” she’s now all-set to be Ara in the upcoming drama series, “Arabella,” with Althea Ablan. Shine on, Shayne.

Here’s my chat with Shayne:

What did you learn from Ai-Ai?

The importance of pakikisama.

How will Althea and you avoid upstaging each other?

Since we’re like sisters, we applaud each other’s success. It’s give and take … walang lamangan.

Would you prefer to be in a love team or go solo?

I will follow whatever career path GMA wants me to take.

How do you balance things so social media won’t rule your life?By finding new hobbies. By putting my phone away when I’m with family. That way, we can really bond.