Movie Review: Hot Milk

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

An engrossing art film. 

In this film a young woman is watching after her ill and wheelchair ridden mother and falls in love with another young woman who has a boyfriend. 

As this movie starts it feels like nice summertime fluff. Little seems to be happening, there is absolutely beautiful location shooting (in Greece), a clam and leisurely pace and a charming and beautiful young actress as the lead (Emma Mackey). As this kind of fluff, these early scenes are very charming and effective. However, as the film goes on the layers peel back and what was at first charming and relaxing is now darker and more complex. Director/Writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz (this marks her feature length directorial debut though she has worked as a screenwriter (including on the Academy Award winning Polish film, Ida (2013)) and playwright) is not afraid to make audiences uncomfortable. There are quite a few scenes here which create a real unease. She is also not afraid to take the story in unexpected directions or make the audience do much of the work themselves (both of these are on display in the film's powerful ending). The relationship between the mother and daughter remains the heart of this film and it is quite complex and well written.

My complaint about this film though is that the romance scenes often lack the depth and complexity of the mother and daughter scenes. This is due to some pretentious dialogue and the main character's love interest being quite bland and underdeveloped.   

Despite some flaws, this is a very well-made art film.