--- title: "Lilting" year: 2014 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/lilting" fi1m_id: "lilting" imdb_id: "tt2560102" tmdb_id: 248212 wikidata_id: "Q6548422" fi1m_score: 73 critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 15 published: "2026-10-01T23:10:23.659211+00:00" updated: "2026-10-01T23:10:24.232446+00:00" region: "UA" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Lilting (2014) Directed by Hong Khaou · 1h 31m · Drama ## Identity Lilting - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/lilting - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** lilting - **IMDb ID:** tt2560102 - **TMDB ID:** 248212 - **Wikidata ID:** Q6548422 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2560102/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/248212, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6548422 **Fi1m score: 73** · Critics 66 from 15 reviews *In a sentence:* Ben Whishaw makes finishing a sentence look harder than most films make saving the world > Hong Khaou’s *Lilting* is worth seeing for Ben Whishaw and Cheng Pei-pei, whose performances make its quiet study of grief affecting. The contrived conversations and slow stretches are harder to forgive. ## Synopsis In London, Richard (Ben Whishaw) and Junn (Cheng Pei-pei) are grieving Kai (Andrew Leung). Richard wants to find a way to connect with Junn, but a language barrier complicates their conversations. Their shared loss does not mean they understand each other, and memories of Kai sit alongside their attempts to speak in the present. Junn also has a relationship with Alan (Peter Bowles), bringing another set of difficulties in communication. As Richard tries to get closer, both struggle to explain what the person they have lost means to them. ## Review *Lilting* is a small drama about grief that earns our attention through its actors, even when its conversations feel arranged. Hong Khaou, who writes and directs, asks how people can begin to understand one another when language is already an obstacle. Richard and Junn have sorrow in common, but that gives them no easy way to speak. The film is good at allowing each to be difficult without treating either as a problem to be solved. Ben Whishaw gives Richard a vulnerability that makes even the more direct dialogue bearable. We were moved by Richard’s attempts to speak to Junn: the effort seems exhausting, and getting the words out offers little immediate relief. Cheng Pei-pei gives Junn enough resistance to prevent these exchanges becoming a series of invitations to feel sorry for Richard. Her reserve requires us to pay attention to her separately, and helps keep their scenes from belonging entirely to him. Urszula Pontikos’s cinematography gives the film a softness that suits its returns to memory. Miren Marañón’s production design helps keep the surroundings as carefully considered as the performances, without demanding that we admire them separately. The beauty works when it encourages us to stay with a hesitant exchange and notice what is going unsaid. It becomes less helpful when the scene has already communicated its feeling and the director seems reluctant to let it end. Mark Towns’s editing gives the flashbacks an unforced rhythm, allowing recollection to interrupt the present without making every interruption feel like an explanation. That is a useful choice for a film concerned with people who cannot simply put their loss behind them. Stuart Earl’s music is sympathetic, though the performances need little help making the sadness felt. Between the images, the cutting and the score, the film sometimes settles into a gentleness that makes different scenes feel too much alike. Junn’s relationship with Alan, played by Peter Bowles, is the clearest example of the writing trying too hard. It offers another way of considering intimacy and misunderstanding, but the connection feels contrived and receives more attention than it can sustain. Hong Khaou also lets some dialogue state feelings that the actors have already made apparent. We can still believe in the characters, though we become conscious of how carefully their conversations have been arranged. What keeps *Lilting* above the dutiful grief drama is its willingness to let communication remain awkward. A language barrier is an obvious dramatic device, and there are stretches when its use here feels mechanical. Yet the actors find enough embarrassment, hurt and stubbornness in the exchanges to keep the subject from becoming an illustrated lesson in understanding. Their performances make the difficulty of reaching another person worth watching in itself. At 91 minutes, it still has passages that feel prolonged, so this is not the choice for an evening that needs much pace. We would see it for the two leads, who make the conversations matter even when the writing is too deliberate. Allow for a little impatience with the film’s insistence on being gentle. *Fi1m score 73, published 1 October 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews lean towards a qualified welcome for Lilting, with praise clustering around its sensitive treatment of grief, loneliness and connection across a language divide. Ben Whishaw’s performance draws the most consistent admiration for its vulnerability and emotional force, while several critics also praise Cheng Pei-pei and the rapport between them. The cinematography and fluid movement through memory receive favourable notices, giving the film’s quiet approach much of its appeal. The spread is wide, however: what some find moving and delicately handled, others find emotionally remote or dramatically slow. Reservations centre on contrived relationships, stilted or overly direct dialogue, and a tendency to let mood weaken momentum. The performances also divide opinion. Slant Magazine praises Whishaw but finds Cheng’s expressiveness limited; HeyUGuys, among the least persuaded by the film, singles out Cheng and the portrayal of Junn’s isolation as its strongest elements. ## Straight answers **Is Lilting worth watching?** *Lilting* is worth watching for Ben Whishaw and Cheng Pei-pei’s affecting performances, and we score it 73 out of 100. We are moved by the effort of their characters’ conversations across a language barrier, though the writing sometimes feels contrived. It suits an evening for quiet drama about grief, provided slow stretches are not a deal-breaker. **How long is Lilting, and what is it rated?** *Lilting* runs 1h 31m. It is a drama film. **Where can I watch Lilting in Ukraine?** *Lilting* is not on any streaming or rental service in Ukraine at the moment. It is available in 9 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How does Lilting compare to Ordinary People?** *Lilting* and [*Ordinary People*](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people) both make awkward family affection affecting, with performances we find more persuasive than some of the writing. We favour *Lilting* for its close attention to grief complicated by a language barrier, and *Ordinary People* for Mary Tyler Moore’s difficult, compelling mother. Both sometimes explain feelings their actors have already made clear. **What should I watch after Lilting?** After *Lilting*, try [*Ordinary People*](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people) (1980, Fi1m 81): For another grief drama that allows family affection to be awkward. Then [*The Wedding Banquet*](https://film.one/film/the-wedding-banquet) (1993, Fi1m 81): For family expectations and queer love handled with more comic bustle; and [*A Single Man*](https://film.one/film/a-single-man) (2009, Fi1m 72): Another closely observed performance of bereavement, with a much more polished surface. ### Reviews we read (15) - **IndieWire**, Mary Sollosi (A-): The review finds the film moving and lyrical, with Ben Whishaw’s sensitive performance providing much of its emotional intensity. It praises Hong Khaou’s rhythmic, memory-like flashbacks, though it feels Junn’s relationship with Alan goes on too long. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/sundance-review-lilting-delicately-explores-grief-and-cultural-divides-with-the-help-of-ben-whishaw-and-cheng-pei-pei-31146/) - **Sight and Sound**, Ashley Clark (85/100, inferred): Clark finds the film a tender, confident study of grief and loneliness, despite some acting imbalance and a potentially manipulative delay in revealing how Kai died. He particularly praises Ben Whishaw’s extraordinarily moving portrayal of grief. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-lilting) - **Empire**, Patrick Peters (80/100, inferred): Peters finds the film intimate, delicate and delightful. He particularly praises the strong performances by Ben Whishaw and Cheng Pei-Pei. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/lilting-review/) - **Evening Standard**, Guy Lodge (75/100, inferred): Lodge finds the drama compassionate and emotionally delicate, with Whishaw giving his strongest showcase role in years. He singles out the palpable chemistry between Whishaw and Cheng Pei-pei, while noting that some dialogue is too direct. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/lilting-film-review-ben-whishaw-articulates-the-rotating-stages-of-grief-with-unaffected-grace-9656001.html) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (75/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the film heartfelt, intelligent and affecting. He praises its emotional story, while noting that Junn and Alan’s relationship feels slightly contrived. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/07/lilting-review) - **Variety**, Justin Chang (75/100, inferred): Chang finds the film a quietly resonant, delicately handled drama, though its modest scale and restrained ending may limit its impact. He especially praises the performances and the film’s sensitive portrayal of grief across a language and cultural divide. [Read](https://variety.com/2014/film/markets-festivals/sundance-film-review-lilting-1201061892/) - **Screen Daily**, Mark Adams, chief film critic (64/100, inferred): The review’s verdict is not visible in the accessible page text. No praise or complaint can be identified from the available content. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/lilting/5065458.article) - **Little White Lies**, Sophie Ivan (3/3/4): The critic calls it a promising, lovingly composed debut, though its focus on mood sometimes weakens its dramatic momentum. She praises the film’s fragile beauty, especially its production design and cinematography. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/lilting) - **Radio Times**, Sophie Ivan (3/5): The critic finds it a gentle, lyrical drama about grief and connection. The performances of Ben Whishaw and Cheng Pei Pei are singled out in its sensitive portrayal of loss. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-nahh3w/lilting/) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (3/5): The review describes the film as a quiet, thoughtful study of love, grief and cultural difference. It singles out its London setting and exploration of those themes. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/lilting) - **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (2/4): Bowen finds the film dramatically inert despite its emotionally resonant premise. He praises Ben Whishaw’s vulnerable performance, while criticizing the contrast with Pei-pei Cheng’s limited expressiveness. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/lilting/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Betsy Sharkey (40/100, inferred): Sharkey finds the film captivating at first but ultimately undone by its uncertain direction. She praises its ethereal cinematography and the moments when its exploration of language and understanding comes alive. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-lilting-review-20141003-column.html) - **Eye for Film**, Owen Van Spall (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it a confident, graceful and sensitive debut, despite some contrived plot elements. They praise the way its fluid structure and cinematography create an atmosphere of sorrow and warmth. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/lilting-2014-film-review-by-owen-van-spall) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (C-): Goldberg finds the film emotionally flat and overwrought despite its humane intentions. He praises a quiet moment of kindness from Richard, but says the film’s stilted conversations and restrained performance keep it from creating a meaningful connection. [Read](https://collider.com/lilting-review/) - **HeyUGuys**, Nia Childs (35/100, inferred): Childs finds the film emotionally underdeveloped and overlong, despite its genuine intentions. She singles out Pei-pei Cheng’s performance and the portrayal of Junn’s isolation as its strongest elements. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/lilting-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Hong Khaou - **Director:** Hong Khaou - **Writer:** Hong Khaou - **Cinematography:** Urszula Pontikos - **Editor:** Mark Towns - **Music:** Stuart Earl - **Production design:** Miren Marañón - **Costume design:** Camille Benda - **Producer:** Dominic Buchanan - **Cast:** Ben Whishaw as Richard; Cheng Pei-pei as Junn; Andrew Leung as Kai; Morven Christie as Margaret; Naomi Yang as Vann; Peter Bowles as Alan; Shane Salter as Café Customer; Leila Wong as Café Customer - **Runtime:** 1h 31m - **First release (the US):** 16 January 2014 - **Genres:** Drama - **Budget:** $120,000 - **Box office:** $247,377 - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8HhLd07fYY ## Where to watch in Ukraine Not streaming, renting or buying in Ukraine at the last check. Also available in: AT, BE, CA, DE, FR, GB, IE, NL, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Ordinary People* (1980), Fi1m 81: For another grief drama that allows family affection to be awkward. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people.md) - *Still Walking* (2008): A family gathering where grief persists in ordinary talk and small irritations. - *The Wedding Banquet* (1993), Fi1m 81: For family expectations and queer love handled with more comic bustle. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-wedding-banquet.md) - *A Single Man* (2009), Fi1m 72: Another closely observed performance of bereavement, with a much more polished surface. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-single-man.md) - *The Farewell* (2019), Fi1m 84: For the uneasy work of translating love across languages and generations. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-farewell.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/lilting