Shadows on the Wall

Hot Milk

dir-scr Rebecca Lenkiewicz
prd Kate Glover, Christine Langan, Giorgos Karnavas
with Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw, Vicky Krieps, Vincent Perez, Patsy Ferran, Yann Gael, Paris Thomopoulos, Dimitris Oikonomidis, Korina Gougouli, Vasilis Tsigristaris, Yorgos Tsiantoulas, Electra Sarri
release US Apr.25 mff,
UK 30.May.25
25/UK Film4 1h32

BERLIN FILM FEST

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Beautifully shot on the Mediterranean seaside, this introspective drama is tightly contained within the perspective of a young woman frustrated that she doesn't have control of her own life. The film is packed with intriguing relationships, but writer-director Rebecca Lenkiewicz never quite allows the audience in, which makes it difficult to sympathise with anyone on-screen. Still, the big themes hold the interest, and the location comes vividly to life.

Travelling to Almeria in Spain, Sofia (Mackey) accompanies her wheelchair-bound mother Rose (Shaw), who is seeking unorthodox medical treatment with Dr Gomez (Perez) and his nurse daughter Julieta (Ferran) for a degenerative bone disease. Feeling trapped as her mother's carer, Sofia spots Ingrid (Krieps) on the beach and begins a friendship that turns into a romance. But Ingrid is a free spirit with various boyfriends (including Gael and Thomopoulos), which only fuels Sofia's feelings of insecurity. So she takes a trip to Greece to see her estranged father. And that doesn't help much either.

It's very difficult to buy into a romantic connection when Sofia and Rose never seem to say anything substantial to each other. If they do, it's lost in whispers and mumbles. As a result, scenes become random moments caught between people who are perhaps interested but not enough to actually learn anything about each other. That said, the film's tactile visual style is immersive, offering a strong sense of the sunshine, wind, sand, water and human touch.

Performances are committed, hinting at a larger story off-screen. Mackey reveals terrific emotionality as Sofia grapples with identity in complex ways, turning from her mother to Ingrid and then to her distant father. None of these give her much to work with, but we understand what she's thinking and feeling. As usual, Shaw is a powerhouse who plays Rose from the inside out, such a fully formed character that we understand why Sofia is such a mess. And Krieps' matter-of-fact Ingrid is more tantalising and enigmatic.

The underlying ideas are powerful even if they're not particularly original. Yes, our parents can't help but screw us up, but they're only doing their best, and we will ultimately have to take responsibility for who we become. This is the point where Sofia seems to be, hoping to find an identity in Ingrid when she doesn't even know who she is yet. Engaging with these kinds of themes helps us find meaning in the film, even if it kind of drifts along without much direction.

themes, language 22.Mar.25 flare

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