Two people from different cultures find common ground in debut director Hong Khaou's delicate chamber drama. In the wake of tragedy, Richard (Ben Whishaw), a young Londoner, seeks out Junn (Pei-pei Cheng), a Cambodian-Chinese widow. Richard has lost his partner and Junn has lost her son, but the two have never met, and Junn fails to make the connection—possibly because she can't accept the fact that her only son was gay. Flashbacks reveal that Kai (Andrew Leung), who died in a traffic accident, never came out to his mother (she knew about Richard, but Kai told her he was just a friend). Furthermore, Junn doesn't speak English, so Richard hires Vann (Naomi Christie), a translator, to help him bridge the gap. Initially, Vann accompanies Richard to the retirement home to facilitate a potential romance between Junn and Alan (Peter Bowles), a British widower who doesn't speak Chinese, but the end goal is to really talk to Junn about her son. Although Richard presents himself as selfless, his relentless drive for connection feels more like an attempt to deal with his own loss than to comfort a grieving mother. Still, it's hard to argue with Khaou's message that it's better to know the truth about our loved ones and that mourning alone can be a very lonely business. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include an interview with director Hong Khaou (10 min.), Khaou's 2006 short film “Summer” (9 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a moving character drama.] (K. Fennessy)
Lilting
Strand, 86 min., not rated, DVD: $27.99, Feb. 10 Volume 30, Issue 1
Lilting
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