Lilting

Released Sep 26, 2014

1 hr. 31 min.

Drama

LGBTQ+

List

82%

57 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In London, a Cambodian mother mourns her son as she struggles to connect with someone.

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Premiered Jul 02

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Critics Consensus

Skillfully weaving multiple delicate tonal strands into a quietly affecting whole, Lilting serves as a thoroughly compelling calling card for writer-director Hong Khaou.

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Mike P

One of my all-time top favorites, an emotive piece with lots of heart! Ben Whishaw is actually my personal favorite actor. He has quite a range and always leaves me feeling. The tale is handled in such a way that I just love. Go watch this movie!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/04/23

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Audience Member

Touching film about relationships not often portrayed in film - links to partners' families.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Impressive for a debut film. An interesting subject matter and a great 'romance' you don't normally see - man trying to connect with (essentially) his mother-in-law. Excellent acting all around, great use of languages, and emotionally affecting. Perhaps a little too narrow, a little too platitudinal by the end... but worth the watch if the subject matter interests you.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Absolutely beautiful!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Audience Member

you wanna cry? then watch lilting. lovely story that is precious, heartbreaking, subtle and sensitive. the characters are easy on the eyes and live a quiet peaceful existence that will have you feeling connected in the softest of ways.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It's not often movies are able to handle such sensitive issues in a delicate way, with the narrative often polarizing either towards the lukewarm or the provocative. This film manages to stay poignant throughout, brimming with thematic respect and the three main characters excelling at their respective roles. There were some continuity issues detracting from the otherwise beautiful flow but if you can forgive the very few flaws, you will enjoy this unadorned fable of banding together the unlikely in a bid to cope and absolve.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

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Hong Khaou

Director

Ben Whishaw

Actor

Morven Christie

Actor

Peter Bowles

Actor

Cheng Pei-pei

Actor

Andrew Leung

Actor

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Peter Keough

Boston Globe

A more fitting title for the film would be "Limping."

Rated: 2/4

Oct 16, 2014

Full Review

Stephanie Merry

Washington Post

It is, as the title suggests, sweet - but also slight.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 16, 2014

Full Review

Thomas Lee

San Francisco Chronicle

Guilt hangs over "Lilting," a suffocating haze so thick that it permeates every unspoken, non-understood word between characters trying to traverse a frustrating gulf of language and grief.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 16, 2014

Full Review

Steve Cruz

OUT FRONT Magazine (Denver)

Lilting is simple, tender, and touching.

May 9, 2023

Full Review

Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

'Lilting' is a very polite conversation, and like most polite conversations, adds little to anything.

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 29, 2021

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Lilting is a celebratory piece, a rare film that manages to strike the right notes concerning the difficulty we experience interacting and understanding one another.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 5, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

In London, a Cambodian mother mourns her son as she struggles to connect with someone.

Director: Hong Khaou
Executive Producer: Bob Benton, Andy Brunskill, Daniel Bergmann, Robert Herman
Screenwriter: Hong Khaou
Distributor: Strand Releasing
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 26, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 12, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.7K

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