Review by Eric Hillis
Directed by: Bing Liu
Starring: Sebiye Behtiyar, Fred Hechinger
Having won acclaim for his Oscar-nominated documentary Mind the Gap, director Bing Liu makes his narrative feature debut with an adaptation of Atticus Lish's 2014 novel Preparation for the Next Life. Scripted by the Pulitzer-winning playwright Martyna Majok, it's a story of cross-cultural romance. But though the star-crossed lovers here are from very different worlds, none of their cultural differences matter. They're simply two humans, and what threatens to destroy their relationship are their very human flaws.
Fleeing China's persecution of the Uyghur people, Aishe (Sebiye Behtiyar) arrives in America, secreted in the back of a truck, and ends up in New York City. There she toils in menial jobs where she is exploited by employers who know they can pay her below minimum wage; shares a cramped apartment with other Chinese immigrants; and dreams of opening a food stand in the city. As an immigrant, she's an outsider in the US, and as a Muslim, she's an outsider in Chinatown.
One day another outsider comes into Aishe's life in the form of Skinner (Fred Hechinger), a recently discharged soldier. Wandering Times Square with a massive pack on his back, Skinner strikes up an awkward conversation with Aishe in the manner of a young man who has spent most of his life around other young men. An American girl would likely roll their eyes at such a lame attempt at a pickup, but Aishe's limited English means she sees beyond his messy words. The pair end up on an impromptu evening of drinking and dancing, leading to a passionate night in a hotel, and love blossoms.
Movies about men falling for unstable women are two a penny, but Liu's film is something of a gender-swapped Betty Blue. It emerges that Skinner is suffering from PTSD. Feeling his numerous meds aren't working, he often goes on drinking benders, disappearing for hours and days. This drives a wedge between himself and Aishe, who was hoping Skinner might provide her with the stability she desires.
Preparation... is brutally blunt in its depiction of the messiness of a love so intense it will inevitably burn out rather than fade away. It's achingly romantic, and the early scenes of Aishe and Skinner sussing each other out as they dash through the streets of NYC are infectious, fuelled by the adrenalin burst of instant attraction. But like the recent Materialists, it's also painfully realistic about the practicalities of the challenges facing young couples in this volatile era. Given her undocumented status, Aishe's career dreams are just that. Skinner offers to take care of Aishe, but he's so unstable that it's difficult to see a future for him once his army benefits (and scarily, his meds) run out. The tragedy is that two people who should be together have been broken so much that despite their intense feelings, they can't put each other back together.
Aishe and Skinner are both self-centred in their own ways, and neither fully grasps the other's problems. Aishe doesn't understand Skinner's PTSD, naively believing it can be dispensed with by drinking a traditional Chinese herbal remedy. Similarly, Skinner can't relate to Aishe's life as an illegal alien forced to constantly keep looking over her shoulder. Newcomer Behtiyar and rising star Hechinger excel in their portrayals of two inexperienced youngsters who both believe love can cure what ails them. Watching reality slowly wrench them apart will break your heart.
Preparation for the Next Life is in UK/ROI cinemas from December 12th.
