Though only 14 years old, May is selected to be the third wife of a wealthy landowner. Her new home seems idyllic, her husband favours her, and she quickly becomes pregnant with what she is certain will be the desired male progeny. But trouble is quietly brewing: she witnesses a forbidden tryst that will spark a chain reaction of misfortunes — and stir in May urges that until now had been dormant.
In the wrong hands, a film about a pregnant 14-year-old bride could have gone very wrong very quickly. However, Mayfair knocks it out of the park; she presents May’s story with such grace and delicacy that it could only come from a Vietnamese woman. There is a respect for the subject matter observed, all while exposing the horror of the situation at hand. It’s intoxicating, heart-wrenching, and an experience I can’t wait to take in again.
- Ashley Teresa
Read Ashley's full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-the-third-wife-artistic-painful-and-beautiful
Head to https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/sff for more Sydney Film Festival reviews.