“My Mistress” is a 2014 Australian romantic melodrama that explores the concepts of grief, obsession and non-traditional methods of coping. The film is directed by Stephen Lance, providing a provocative account of a young man’s harrowing loss and coming-of-age self journey.
Synopsis:
Charlie Boyd’s (played by Harrison Gilbertson) world comes crashing down at 16 when he learns of his father’s suicide. On top of dealing with profound grief, Charlie feels immensely betrayed when he finds out that his mother is having an affair with his father’s best friend. On his quest for solace, he becomes infatuated with Maggie. Set in Sydney, “My Mistress” is a story about a struggling 16-year-old navigat1ng a deep emotional crisis, Maggie seemingly a monotone middle-aged woman, afflicted with despise for those around her. If Yukio Mishima was trying to make a film, it would have looked something like this. Unbeknown to many, Maggie (played by Emmanuelle Beaure) is a professional dominatrix. Out of infatuation, Charlie offers to come work as her gardener. Through Maggies enigmatic, calculated charm, a relationship blossoms. Maggie leads Charlie down the path of pain and healing and confronts him with the heavy burdens and desires of his existence.
Main Cast:
Emmanuelle Béart as Maggie: A struggling French ex-dominatrix trying to gain custody of her son while morally redeeming herself through her work.
Harrison Gilbertson as Charlie Boyd: A naïve teenager bewildered with his father’s demise and mother’s betrayal spiraling into an unexplained reality.
Rachael Blake as Kate Boyd: Charlie’s mum whose infidelity intensifies the complexities of the family’s dynamics that are unraveling.
Socrates Otto as Leon: A social worker caught up in Maggie’s life, crossing the lines of professional conduct.
Themes and Reception:
“My Mistress” delves into the foundational wounds of a person to show the pain interlaced with healing, exploring how unconventional relationships emerge from it. The film contrasts the innocence of adolescence with the burden of adult regrets and desires. Critics had contrasting views on the film; some appreciated its ambition and the performances of Béart and Gilbertson while others felt the film did not fully explore its provocative themes. The Guardian remarked that the film, intended as a coming-of-age story fused with sexual exploration, at times resembled a “sleazy take on a boy meets girl movie.”
Set in a suburb of Queensland, Australia, the film’s lush cinematography depicts the serene setting as troubled and turbulent. The use of light and shadow reflects the elements at odds within the narrative – duality of innocence and experience, the pleasure and pain intertwined.
“My Mistress” presents a meditative exploration on the collision of loss, longing, and our deeply engrained need to bond with other people. This work makes us confront the limits of familiar relationships and the routes taken to achieve comfort.