Goodbye Mother

Trịnh Đình Lê Minh's 2019 Vietnamese film follows Văn, back from the United States. He brings his boyfriend Ian; his family expects him to marry and does not know. The tension comes from not saying. His grandmother, who has Alzheimer's, takes Ian for her grandson and becomes attached to him; the narrative holds that confusion between comedy and sadness and delays the disclosure. Hồng Đào as the mother carries the film's weight. The tone is warm and the narrative does not enlarge its conflict; the question of acceptance is given through everyday behaviour rather than large scenes. The country house and a family rite are shown in detail. Who it's for: those who like Vietnamese cinema and queer family narratives. Who it's not for: viewers expecting sharp conflict; the film settles in a conciliatory place.