At first glance, the film seems to be influenced by "The Sixth Sense of Spirituality", which is a bit mysterious, but when the audience watches it with similar expectations, they will find that there is no mysterious hidden behind the peaceful life. What is shown is just how a woman overcomes this sudden spiritual crisis and slowly and painfully accepts the fact of bereavement.
The director categorically rejected the use of sensational and dramatic ways to present Mary's mental journey, but used a bland and restrained style to truly reproduce the pain of her soul. He captures seemingly unconnected snippets of Mary's daily life and keenly captures how these trifles remind her of her husband and sink into melancholy. Although the film tries to downplay the intense contradictions and conflicts, the director's nuanced psychological analysis and sympathetic narration still impress the audience. Through that kind of life-like presentation, the audience can easily think of themselves. The rich details in the film not only successfully rendered the atmosphere and portrayed the emotions, but also, under the director's handling, were perfectly integrated into the development of the plot without being tedious and complicated.
Ou Rong looks mature and atmospheric in this film. The flamboyant and rough personality and subversive power in his previous works have been replaced by a quiet, simple and restrained style, which is more refined and subtle, but it seems less than before. Some impact and sharpness.
The Legend's performance is the focal point of the entire film. It's almost a one-man show, and she appears in almost every scene of the film and becomes the key to supporting the film. Rampling's acting skills are superb. She was completely immersed in Mary's grief, and showed every trace of Mary's emotional fluctuations through body language and expressions, vividly portraying the woman's repressed pain, spiritual trauma and hard work to heal the trauma. When she reads Virginia Woolf's "The Wave" aloud, her voiceless intonation and sad expression reveal that her fragile heart is tormented by associations with her husband. One scene is particularly moving
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