By: Iman Mensenares

A May-December love story is becoming a trend amongst films nowadays. In fact, in this year’s Cinemalaya two full-length entries have this kind of theme, Belle Douleur, and Malamaya. Starring Mylene Dizon and Kit Thompson, Belle Douleur which means ‘beautiful pain’, brought some hotness in the annual independent film festival.

Mylene played the role of Liz, a 45-year old single clinical psychologist who lived with her mother, retired anthropology professor. After her mom died, Liz’s friends urged her to sell their antiques online which is when she met Josh, portrayed by Kit, a young handsome man who runs his ancestors’ antique shop. Their simple text messages led them to a deeper and romantic relationship.

The conflict of the story arose when Josh deprecated how Liz takes care of him. But, definitely, it was the unexpected ending that left everyone in awe.

Mylene’s glamor and unfading beauty were highlighted in the movie. She really gave the character justice with her great acting skills which deserve the nomination for, or better yet, the Best Actress Award. Fresh from his ‘Momol Nights’, Kit Thompson still managed to show a different image of sexiness that livens up the whole cinema especially with their sexy scenes. Undoubtedly, you won’t see any awkwardness between the two and the chemistry just came out naturally.

Marlon Rivera and Jenny Zamora who both played Liz’s friends balanced the story with their humorous punches and personal dramas. The director, Atty. Joji Alonso mentioned during the gala night that she took inspiration from a viral video of a French woman having an affair with a younger man in creating the plot of Belle Douleur. However, there were some dull scenes in the mid-part of the movie that were not directly relevant to the main story.

Overall, it is still recommendable and you will surely love to share it with your friends who are still on the lookout for true love.