Following the quite circulated but not exactly great “Still Human”, Oliver Siu Kuen Chan has definitely moved up a level as both a director and a writer, with “Montages of a Modern Motherhood” being another testament to the excellent year Chinese diaspora films had this year, especially in the family drama genre.
Montage of a Modern Motherhood is screening at Black Movie
Suk-jing is living what is perceived as a regular mother’s life, in the New Territories in Hong Kong. As her day begins, she pumps breast milk, leaves her daughter with her mother-in-law, and heads to the bakery where she works. All would have been peachy, except for one small detail, reality. The baby never stops crying, annoying both her in-laws and her neighbours, to the point that, at nights, Suk-jing is forced to take walks in a nearby park until the baby falls asleep. Furthermore, her growth is subpar, and this seems to have something to do with the fact that she does not produce as much milk as she ‘should’, something her mother-in-law never fails to point out.
Her efforts to improve her production are not met with success, while her husband, Wai, seems to think he is there to help her with a task that actually belongs to her, with the fact that he cannot or is willing to understand how she feels, adding another weight in her burdens. Expectedly, and despite help from an older lady who takes care of the baby, and her own mother, Suk-jing’s situation deteriorates when she is eventually fired following a streak of errors. Furthemore, her effort to get a new job also seems to stumble on the fact she has a baby, as no one wants to hire her in her circumstances. As time passes, the pressure piles up.
Oliver Siu Kuen Chan shoots a painfully realistic movie about exactly what the title describes, about all the problems working mothers, particularly in patriarchal settings, seem to face nowadays. Living with her in-laws for example, is not exactly ideal, particularly since her mother-in-law has her own ideas about how to raise a baby, mostly including various types of ‘rituals’, and does not seem to appreciate her daughter-in-law’s ways in particular.
Furthemore, her presence results in Wai feeling even more pampered and safe (essentially in a setting he has nothing to lose), which makes his behaviour rather self-centered and spoiled. Some fault with Suk-jing’s attitude does exist, since she does not ever fully explain her feelings, but considering how little time she has and how tired she is, that is to be expected. The whole concept actually finds its zenith in a discussion about more children, which clearly shows the husband’s ignorance, with the ending, however, highlighting quite clearly that ‘this is a man’s world’.
Apart from the psychological, the more practical issues are equally highlighted here. The problems with breastfeeding, which many mothers actually face, and the issues those who want to keep working face are portrayed in all their glory, cementing the rather thorough portrait of modern motherhood here.
Chan manages to exact a truly imposing performance from Hedwig Tam in the role Suk-jing, with her presenting the many layers of her characters with realism and gusto. Particularly the monologue with her babysitter and a discussion with her mother will definitely stay in mind, with the two scenes additionally highlighting the character’s mentality as a mother, wife and woman, to the fullest. Janis Pank as her mother-in-law is also excellent in her snarkiness, with the subtle antagonism between the two women being among the best traits of the movie.
Wai Kin So’s cinematography focuses extensively on Tam, in an approach that works quite well for the film, with the rest of his approach focusing on realism. At the same time, his close ups and the overall presentation of the various settings Suk-jing moves in, highlight the despair she feels even more. Emily Leung’s editing results in a mid-tempo that fits the aesthetics of the movie, although some repetition and some scenes that are at least partially unnecessary do exist. Not to a point, though, to harm the overall sense the movie leaves, significantly.
“Montages of a Modern Motherhood” is an excellent drama that presents the issues mother’s face nowadays with utter realism, through an approach that is both cinematically sound and entertaining.
