Author: Ambrož Pivk
An older woman living alone starts getting weird phone calls and gets the feeling that someone is constantly following her. What might sound like either a classic thriller or a classic portrait of dementia is actually a surprisingly effective combination of both. The film never clearly separates reality from fantasy, using the surrealist elements only to underline the film’s strong thematic focus of portraying generational differences, never spelling them out but rather expressing them through small motifs, such as a brilliantly genuine moment of the mother’s quiet reaction to the reveal of her son’s homosexuality.
At some point, the suspense becomes a little heavy-handed but that misstep is quickly repaired by a reveal which gives the story a completely fresh perspective and offers great reflection on the build-up. Keeping the film captivating at all times is Lü Zhong’s compelling lead performance, the film’s strongest driving force. She was deservedly the big frontrunner to win the Volpi Cup at the festival and her loss was received with great displeasure. The ending’s slight shift in tone caused by the change in setting is very effective and the story is wrapped up while still keeping some doubt, making the film not only a study of a generation and the difference of perspective between the young and the old, but also a fascinating psychological study.
