amyrourke56 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.

Sergeant_Tibbs 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

Armand more than a film, a gem. touching, seductive, poetic, delicate, a kind of spring morning. a film about fundamental small things. but not only the script is special but the rare and impressive art to use the right measure. because it is a gentle job, splendid for music and for the nuances of acting, for image and for the translation of clash between worlds, the form of memories, the silk touch, the great job of Pei+Pei Cheng.a film who has an unique delicacy , maybe not great but useful for each scene. a kind of dance with a spectacular choreography. it is difficult to define more than a happy discover. so, see it. it could be one from expected films.

akash_sebastian A British guy trying to make a connection with the conservative Chinese mother of his deceased partner; the theme and the gloomy cinematography make you sad even before the story begins to unfold. Communication is the main problem over here. They somehow manage with the help of a translator, and I like how they sometimes say things and then tell the translator not to translate it (because they realise how it would sound). This leads to few funny moments occasionally.The movie has a really good start, but after halfway through, the Director/Writer loses his way; it seemed as if he's not sure as to where to take the story. By the time it ended, I felt dissatisfied; the story should have been longer or the characters should have been explored and developed a little more.The two leads, Ben Whishaw and Pei-pei Cheng, give quite strong and incredible performances; they have a few immensely moving scenes. And it doesn't hurt that Andrew Leung, the actor playing the deceased partner, is quite handsome; he and Ben looked quite good together, which makes his death even more painful.The conversations the two lead characters share are quite moving and thought-provoking, and the monologue Junn has towards the end on the essence of grief and crying is really beautiful. Let me quote the most effective lines from it: "These memories are all I have; I need to keep them vivid, or they'll fade like the face of my husband. I want to dwell on these memories and cry over them because they comfort me. Through plenty of crying, I've learnt to be content that I won't always be happy, secure in my loneliness, hopeful that I'll be able to cope."The movie is depressing, yet uplifting, but somehow I feel, it failed to reach its true potential.