Review of Lilting (2014) by Nathan M — 23 Feb 2015

Using the construct of a language barrier, director Hong Khaou is able to create a film about people in two separate worlds, from two separate times learning to love one another. With fantastic performances from Ben Whishaw, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, and Pei-pei Chung, Lilting is a beautiful journey towards acceptance of the truth, the past, and one another. Both of these leads are rather fantastic in their own rights. Chung has an anger in her eyes that is masked by her cultural and generational bent towards politeness and formality. She never is completely rude to Whishaw's character, but she certainly is radiating a hurt and an anger that is palpable in every scene.

On the other hand, Whishaw is also portraying a tenderness and a kindness that is masking another deep anger. His guilt and his resentment towards Chung is so clear in every scene, but he's able to still portray a wounded person who just wants to do one last kindness for the man he loved. These two performances carry the film, and force audience members, no matter who you better relate to in this story, to see another perspective other than their own. This is something film can do that sets it apart from other mediums.

Coming in under 90 minutes, Lilting is a rather economic film. No scene is wasted, everything matters. Every character matters. Even a character like Whishaw's translator, portrayed by Naomi Christie, who in other films would be treated as a throwaway character, director Hong Khaou gives her own development. It's such a beautiful and sweet-hearted film that never falls into contrivances or syrupy-sweet moments, it earns every emotional movement. It works because Khaou cares about the characters and cares about telling a story built for cinema.