Relationships, marriages, and various love affairs are always interesting topics in movies. We remember numerous love stories and their protagonists, but also female characters that will be remembered as the reasons for broken relationships. Not always, though. Sometimes they remain a secret but are never forgotten in the eyes of the viewers. We have gone through numerous movies dealing with love affairs and made a list of the 10 best movies about mistresses.
The Graduate (1967)
What it’s about: Dustin Hoffman plays Benjamin Braddock, a college graduate who doesn’t know what to do with the rest of his life. He gets seduced by Mrs. Robinson (played by brilliant Anne Bancroft), a beautiful older woman and the wife of his father’s partner, who doesn’t want Benjamin to have anything to do with her daughter Elaine. But when convinced by his father to take Elaine on a date, Benjamin is slowly getting entangled in a serious situation with his mistress and the girl he wants to date but who doesn’t want to have anything with him after she finds out about their affair.
Why you should watch it: This is definitely one of the most popular movies about mistresses and love affairs ever. It is a classic everyone should watch because of its story and excellent performance. It was an extremely brave movie at the time, and it remains a must-watch for every movie fan.
The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
What it’s about: This is the story of intrigue, romance, and betrayal, and it centers on two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, who compete for the love of the handsome King Henry VIII. Driven by their family’s blind ambition, these two beautiful women will forget about their sisterly bonds and do whatever it takes to get what they want.
Why you should watch it: This is an outstanding biographical drama that brings us closer to this interesting story. The performances by Natalie Portman and Scarlet Johansson are brilliant, and the whole movie gives us a very good insight into the lives of women in the Tudor age.
Casablanca (1942)
What it’s about: Rick Blaine is an ex-patriate who runs a nightclub in Casablanca, Morocco, during World War II. His club is a safe haven for refugees who want to escape to America and is constantly under pressure from local authorities. But when his ex-lover shows up with her husband, Rick will find himself in a situation that will include numerous complications and heartbreak.
Why you should watch it: One of the most beloved and famous movies of all time, this heartbreaking love story is, with reason, one of the greatest classics ever. An intriguing story full of interesting moments and characters, accompanied by unforgettable performances by Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart
Belle de Jour (1967)
What it’s about: Catherine Deneuve plays Severine, a beautiful young woman married to a doctor. She loves her husband very much but can’t make herself be physically intimate with him and has to find a way to indulge her sexual fantasies. At first, she enjoys her kinky and vivid fantasies but soon becomes a prostitute who works in a brothel in the afternoons and remains clean and chaste in her marriage.
Why you should watch it: This drama is one of Bunuel’s weirdest and most famous movies, with brilliant Catherine Deneuve as the unsatisfied Severine. It is one of the movies everyone should watch. It is interesting and funny, and tragic at the same time.
The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981)
What it’s about: Charles is a paleontologist who is about to be married but suddenly falls in love with the outcast Sarah, who leaves him abruptly after a short but passionate affair. Later we follow Anna and Mike, who play Charles and Sarah in a movie and are entangled in their own affair that runs parallel with the one in the movie.
Why you should watch it: This is a very interesting movie which goes from Victorian to Modern times and brilliantly depicts the way of life in both periods. The movie Anna and Mike star it takes place in 19th century England and the modern days are presented through their love affair, which makes this movie an ultimate love story.
The Ice Storm (1997)
What it’s about: It was Thanksgiving weekend in 1973, and we were following two families, the Hoods and the Carvers, whose members were pretty alienated from each other. Benjamin and Elena are the parents who are unsatisfied with their relationship, and their children, Paul and Wendy, are having problems of their own. When a strong ice storm hits their town, both families’ issues will get into the light of the day, and nothing will be as it was.
Why you should watch it: This drama is a brilliant portrayal of all the problems that can exist in a family. It deals with sexual promiscuity, affairs, greed, and lack of communication, and it is one of the best movies that tackle this topic. The cast is excellent, with great performances by Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline, and Joan Allen, and the directing by Ang Lee is impeccable.
Match Point (2005)
What it’s about: It is an intense drama-thriller about an Irish tennis player Chris Wilton who is still struggling financially even though he has recently become a retired tennis professional. When he accepts the job of a tennis coach at an elite London tennis club, he befriends one of his students, Tom Hewitt, and starts dating his sister Chloe. Everything seems to be going fine until Chris meets Nola, Tom’s girlfriend, and becomes obsessed with her, which will dramatically change the course of his life.
Why you should watch: This is one of the most intriguing movies that Woody Allen has ever made. It is a combination of drama and thriller, a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat until its end. It is a great portrayal of a love affair, and what infatuation and obsession can do to a person.
Anna Karenina (2012)
What it’s about: This is a well-known story about a young aristocratic woman who travels from Saint Petersburg to Moscow to save her brother’s marriage. Anna Karenina herself is in a loveless marriage with Count Alexei Karenin, and she is very soon attracted to a handsome cavalry officer Count Vronsky she meets at the train station. Anna manages to solve her brother’s marital issues but is involved in a love affair with Vronsky that will lead her into tragedy.
Why you should watch it: This is one of the most famous love stories of all time, a timeless classic written by Tolstoy, with numerous movie adaptations. It is a heartbreaking story about a woman who would do anything for love, but a love that came at the wrong time in her life.
The End of the Affair (1999)
What it’s about: This is a romantic drama about love obsession, set in 1940s London. We meet Maurice Bendrix, who, in 1946, runs into his old friend Henry Miles. Maurice met henry and his wife Sarah in 1939 when Maurice started a love affair with Sarah, who ended it abruptly after many years of hiding behind Henry’s back. But now Maurice needs to prove to himself that Sarah has kept her promise and stayed faithful to him as she promised many years ago.
Why you should watch it: Based on the novel by Graham Green and directed by Neil Jordan, this is an intense tale of love, jealousy, and obsession. It is one of the best examples of a love affair, brilliantly portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, Julianne Moore, and Stephen Rea, who find themselves in this disturbing and ill love triangle.
The Brides of Madison County (1995)
What it’s about: Francesca Johnson’s life changes completely when she finds herself in a love affair with a secretive photographer Robert Kincaid who accidentally wandered into her life for four days in 1960. While away from her husband and children, Francesca forgets about her family life and loses herself completely in the arms of another man.
Why you should watch it: Another classic among movies with the topic of a love affair and mistresses is this unforgettable drama about a woman who is not satisfied with her married life and ends up finding solace and passion in the arms of another man. The movie is directed by Clint Eastwood, who plays Robert, and Meryl Street gave one of her best performances ever as Francesca.
