LILTING

Hong Khaou 2014 United Kingdom 86min english

Synopsis:
Hong Khaou’s must-see film is an intimate look at the triangle of complex deceptions, broken connections, and valiant attempts between a Cambodian-Chinese mother, Junn (an all-around stunning Pei-pei Cheng), her departed son (Andrew Leung), and the man who loved him (Ben Whishaw in a career high). Out of synch with one another, they try to cross boundaries of language and culture as Khaou’s unobtrusive directorial composing conflates past and present, speech and gesture. Stubborn and raw, at odds with her assimilation in contemporary London, the unspoken fact of her son’s homosexuality, and the Englishman (Peter Bowles) who tries to convey his affections without the bridge of a common tongue, Junn is faced with a choice: either dissipate into her memories and loneliness at the retirement home she despises or try, piece by seemingly untranslatable piece, to find a new home. An utter original and masterfully poignant, with the grace of the titular cadence Lilting grabs the heart and the mind, putting the viewer in the role of translator for a multifaceted situation that extends far beyond words. This is a film that should not be missed. – Michael Belcher