10/17/14

Lilting

The United Kingdom submitted this tender drama for the 2014 Seattle International Film Festival. (This review was first published in May, 2014.) Recipient of the Cinematography Award at Sundance 2014, we expect excellence...and we get it!

Our central character has been moved to a nursing home by her son.  The "best friend" of her now deceased son hires an interpreter to help her communicate, both with him and with a gentleman who also lives in that retirement home and wants to court her.

Director Hong Khaou brings us:
  • Pei-pei Cheng ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") is Junn, unable to bridge the language barrier without the assistance of an excellent interpreter. She wants her son's ashes!
  • Andrew Leung (some TV) is Kai, the deceased son, whom we meet in numerous flashbacks.
  • Ben Whitshaw ("Cloud Atlas") as Richard, who wants to fulfill the wishes of his dead lover, come out of the closet and make peace with Richard's mother about it.
  • Peter Bowles ("The Bank Job") his Alan needs just a teeny smile and he comes a'courting.
  • Morven Christie (Lots of TV - BBC) is Margaret, the woman who serves as a most welcome interpreter for Junn, Richard and Alan.
We learn many things over the course of this insightful character study: 1) Some things are better left unspoken. 2) Some things are better out in the open. 3) Good and decent folks deserve to be happy.

Although personally I didn't appreciate her style of mothering, I was happy for Junn with that pleasant ending.
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Here is a preview:
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