Hot Milk movie review: Fiona Shaw excels in psychodrama on maternal discord

HOt milk river pic reviewCast: Emma Mackey, Fiona artie shaw, Vicky KreipsDirector: rebekah LenkiewiczRating: ★★★.5One of the greatest mysteries of life is to compartmentalise- how we are sons and daughters, as well as lovers and, in some cases, misguided ones. Our survival depends on these separate feelings and how neatly some impulses are kept aside. Rebecca Lenkiewicz dissects some of these truths in her striking directorial debut, Hot Milk. Adapted from Deborah Levy’s acclaimed 2016 novel, this is a striking, atmospheric work that is perhaps a little too caught up in its own complexities to let it settle on its own.The premiseHot Milk chronicles a young woman named Sofia (Emma Mackey) whose life is leading nowhere. She accompanies her mother, Rose (Fiona Shaw), to Spain in search of a cure for her mysterious illness. Rose is wheelchair-bound, but there is no physical ailment that can underlie it. As Doctor Gomez (Vincent Perez) begins her treatment, the arrival of the mysterious Ingrid (Vicky Krieps) upends Sofia's need to be seen in a different light. They embark on an affair that threatens to unravel a lot of Sofia's anxieties and extremes of co-dependence.Hot Milk is shifty, restless, and altogether intoxicating in its visual landscape. The feverish close-ups align well with the distant frames through which cinematographer Chris Blauvelt shoots these women. Sofia has a perpetual scowl on her face, and it's not difficult to wonder why. Her relationship with her mother is suffocatingly resting on co-dependence, where Rose's agony and bluntness hide a strong undercurrent of past traumas. This occasional irritability is richly portrayed, heightened by an evocative soundtrack by Matthew Herbert.What worksWhen Lenkiewicz contributes to the visual cacophony of sounds and images with these two master technicians, Hot Milk shows flashes of brilliance. However, the film tends to overdraw its characters and their feelings in the rest of its runtime. Even if there is so much interiority and tension that emerges from the relationships that pull Sofia in different directions, there seems to be a lack of focus saddled with unnecessary exposition. Things that were already communicated within the frame are spelt out in a directness that takes away from the film's abandon.The cast is in top form here and helps the film expand in its shakiest bits. Vicky Kreips makes the most of her scenes and, as Ingrid, finds a way to channel the uncommunicated grief with just a stare. Emma Mackey, who was so wonderful in her breakthrough role in Sex Education, is a total revelation here, anchoring the film ably on her shoulders. However, it is Fiona Shaw who steals the show here. So gripping and unflinching is her turn as Rose that it casts a spell over the film even in scenes when she is not present. She is arresting to watch. Hot Milk is a stirring and controlled work, i that presents Lenkiewicz as a promising directorial voice to watch out for.Hot Milk is available to watch on Mubi India.