Hot Milk

Just putting this here to balance out the reviews.

Honestly, it's a very well made film. If you have had people like this in your life it'll feel very realistic and relatable. It was a slow burn and maybe not super tight but I would recommend it regardless. Lots of very flawed or traumatised humans trying to relate to each other and their everyday life.

This does come to quite an head in the last five minutes and there's a solid performance from Fiona Shaw at times too, but otherwise I struggled to see much point in this rather shallow drama. "Rose" (Shaw) hasn't been able to walk for almost twenty years so has mortgaged her house so she can attend a specialist clinic run by "Gomez" (Vincent Perez). She is accompanied by her daughter "Sophia" (Emma Mackey) who, whilst she obviously loves her mother, is clearly a bit fed up being her constant carer. I think that fairly swiftly we can deduce something of the nature of the older woman's problems, but that isn't really the crux of this story. That has more to do with "Sophia" and her relationship with "Ingrid" (Vicky Krieps) whose enigmatic personality and character entrance and infuriate her, even more so when her friend "Matty" (Yang Gael) shows up to muddy the already pretty confused waters. With this uninteresting scenario bubbling along lethargically and Shaw just complaining about the water the whole time, we are now largely left to furnish the story with our own interpretation of what we think is most likely going on and then, certainly in my case, ask just why I ought to care one way or the other. The raffia-mafia have had a hand in the characterisation of "Ingrid" and I'm afraid that even though it's filmed on a lovely Greek beach I just couldn't get into it. It's had some decent effort put into the production, but it will look fine on a winter's evening on the television. Not so much hot, more tepid.

This film hit a nerve.

It's not about explosive drama, it's about the quiet, suffocating violence of emotional entanglement: love laced with dependency, boundaries blurred. The daughter is stuck in a role she never chose, blamed for not doing enough, while slowly disappearing in the process.

The constant reaching for water feels symbolic, an effort to swallow discomfort, avoid truth, dilute tension. Conversations dissolve, emotions go undigested.

Visually stunning in its discomfort: blinding brightness clashes with sudden darkness. You're never quite at ease, and that's the point.

And then, unexpectedly, some moments are... funny? Not laugh-out-loud, but absurd in a way that's either painfully relatable or too surreal to take seriously. You're not always sure if the humor is intentional - which somehow makes it even better. Like dissociation in cinematic form.

Maybe too niche or emotionally raw for some. But if you know this kind of silence, the kind that weighs more than words, this film will find you.

I really don't understand the low ratings. This movie is so underrated that I am certain that it will be appreciated a lot more when it finds its audience very soon after the first weeks of its release.

The cinematography and music are very beautiful and emotionally captivating. The narrative is not linear, but, nevertheless, it keeps you interested until the very end.

I think everyone who deems himself to be a very attentive and introspective person will enjoy this movie very much.

There are some similarities to Sorrentino's Parthenope, for example, that the protagonist studies anthropology, but her interest in human behavior is not only limited to the theoretical aspects of said subject, but also to the practicalities of its application, which is directed very subtly, and, sometimes, also quite intense.

I don't want to spoil the plot, which is very minimalistic, but not in the least less interesting or dense, quite the contrary, there is a lot to unpack, especially psychologically.

If you like to watch movies in an open and experiential way (and for the vibes; I almost started smoking for that matter, lol), and you are also keen to, maybe, untie some of your own emotional inner knots, you will most definitely enjoy this innocently passionate and painfully life-affirming movie.

Hot Milk is a film that truly shines when it comes to its visual storytelling. The cinematography is one of its strongest assets, with a variety of creative shots and angles that draw the viewer in and create a unique atmosphere throughout. While the storyline can be a bit odd and at times even confusing, the film's visuals do a lot to clarify the emotions and themes at play. The director's use of imagery often speaks louder than the dialogue, making the film feel more like an experience than a straightforward narrative. Although the plot sometimes meanders and leaves questions unanswered, the strong visual direction keeps things interesting and engaging. The performances are solid, and the mood is consistently intriguing, even if the story doesn't always make perfect sense. Overall, Hot Milk is a film that's worth watching for its artistic approach and memorable style, earning a solid 7 out of 10 stars.