Lilting (2014)
8/10
The art of language. Body language.....
12 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
A mother tries to come to terms with sudden loss, and attempt to understand who her son was, after his untimely death.

Her world is suddenly changed in more ways than one by the presence of his (unknown to her) lover.

Together, they attempt to overcome their grief whilst struggling against not having a shared language........

Although it's not the most cinematic experience you'll ever come across, Lilting is one of those movies where we have just a few characters in the film, but they hold you in awe for the duration.

If I were to some up the film in one word, it would simply be, Natural. There are times when you feel like your not watching a drama, you feel like you are there with Whishaw and Cheng, almost like some chaperone, but not knowing who for, as each are as equally grief stricken and strong at the same time.

There performances here are brilliant, and even though they communicate through a third party, the emotional connection is evident, and gets stronger and stronger as the film progresses.

Peter Bowles adds some much needed Comic Relief to the movie, but it's only subtle, and doesn't deter you away from the main narrative. Flashbacks flesh out the emotional depth of the characters, and there's one scene involving chopsticks and bacon, that had tears streaming down my face.

It's beautifully written, touching, romantic, funny, and heart-warming, but the clever thing is that it holds this air of tension as to how Cheng will react to the films fundamental revelation.

A hidden gem from 2014, really worth seeing.
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