I loved every minute of this very rare jewel. It works so well on each degree of perception, from the base camp and practicality of needing a translator, to the use of fine photography in capturing the stillness and stultifying grief of both Jun and Richard, and on to the more complex tones and notes of dealing Kai's 'coming out' posthumously.The notion of aged care homes being decorated in retro style is charming and works well with the contrasted scenes in Richard's flat. I note that Jun hates the wallpaper ~ the ghost of Oscar Wilde whispering in the hallway? It is great to see the Mandarin language use in an English film ~ another rarity?, along with the gorgeous use of the song 'Sway' and Jun's longing to hear it, the repeated promise from her son broken until Richard delivers the goods.Warning: this film contains dancing.

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.

Hong Khaou's debut film Lilting offers a very interesting 'lost in translation' dynamic. What do you get when you put a homophobic elderly Chinese woman in the same room as her deceased son's boyfriend who feels a responsibility to her? Ben Whisaw and Pei-pei Cheng are terrific as the pair. Unfortunately the film is littered with flaws in its lack of restraint despite the limitation. It's very stilted in delivery, it makes an unwise decision to try to include the translator character into the drama without fully committing to her and it's tonally awkward with the comedic relief of the elderly woman's new boyfriend. Ghost characters reek of student film. Nevertheless the aesthetics are lovely with beautiful saturated wide angle cinematography and although it's slight in its runtime it's powerful in its tragedies, frustrations and ultimately the bonds forged. I'm sure Hong Khaou will continue to deliver poignant work and hopefully shred the inconsistencies.7/10

This film tells the story of a white male meeting his late boyfriend's mother for the first time. This is complicated by the fact that the boyfriend's mother is Cambodian Chinese, and does not speak any English. With the help of a translator, they get through the language barrier - but not the cultural barrier."Lilting" is an ambitious attempt to portray the cultural differences at play in a modern relationship. The story places a lot of emphasis on the filial duties of a Chinese child, and the anger of the mother whose son does not fulfill the supposed filial duties. This is surely mystifying to Western viewers, and the film does not really explain it that clearly. As I do understand this cultural context, I empathise with the story.Two things that bug me though, is that Kai looks so Caucasian. I have huge trouble in believing that he is only a quarter English. The second thing is that the mother says he feels lonely during Christmas, which is clearly a line aimed at Western viewers because she would the most likely not be celebrating Christmas. She would be way more likely to feel lonely during Chinese New Year.Overall, "Lilting" is not for everyone. The pacing is slow, but if you understand the cultural subtext then you will empathise with the story a lot.