Sean Baker returns triumphantly to Cannes following his Palme d'Or win last year with Anora. This time, he is here in support of his friend and long-time collaborator Shih-Ching Tsou's Left-Handed Girl, which has taken the Semaine des Critiques section of the film festival by storm. Baker may once again be multi-tasking, performing the roles of producer, co-writer, and editor, but it is all in service of Tsou's story and vision. A vision so infectious that it is impossible not to fall for its charms.
In this multi-generational tale of womanhood, a single mother and her two daughters return to Taipei to open a noodle stand in the night market. Each one is navigating the challenges of adapting to their new environment while striving to maintain family unity. Every frame of this wonderful film is simply bursting with life. There is an infectious energy, and vibrancy, to the world of Taipei's street markets. One that propels the story forward as fast as I-Anne's moped.
Powered by three incredible central performances from Shi-Yuan Ma, Janeu Tsai, and Nina-Ye. When interacting together, their familial bond is real and authentic, but equally engaging when navigating their individual journeys. Each of them is filled with obstacles and opportunities.
Special praise must go to nine-year-old Nina-Ye as I-Jing, often shot at a low level to put the audience in her shoes (The Florida Project effect if you will). She is the eponymous Left-Handed Girl. Scolded by her grandfather for eating with her left hand, she is told that it is responsible for the devil's work. In a self-fulfilling prophecy, her hand leads her into all sorts of trouble, including shoplifting and situations that end in tragic circumstances.
The multiple storylines converge and culminate, as the best things do, with chaos at a big family event. The Grandmother and Matriarch of the family's 60th birthday is upstaged by the revelation of one or two hard-hitting family truths.
It is sometimes awkward and hilarious, but never tips into farce. That is down to the empathetic bond that the audience has built with these women. You truly feel for them as the life they have built for themselves potentially comes crashing down.
A life-affirming testament to resilience and the strength of the human spirit. Left-Handed Girl will make you laugh, cry, and gasp. The entire spectrum of human emotions basically. What more can you want from cinema?
Left-Handed Girl screened at Cannes Film Festival
Podcast
