The Way We Talk review – sensitive drama explores deafness via three friends' infectious warmth
An incisive film-maker with a keen eye for contemporary youth culture, Hong Kong director Adam Wong has returned with another sensitive ensemble drama. The film follows three twentysomething friends as they navigate various degrees of deafness. Alan, played by first-time deaf actor Marco Ng, is a cochlear implant (CI) user. He is also an ambassador for the surgery, which can help restore sound perception for those with hearing loss. Wolf (Neo Yau), his childhood friend, is a staunch user and supporter of sign language, which at one point was prohibited in local deaf schools; such institutions prioritised speech training, then believed to work better for hearing-impaired students. Sophie (Chung Suet Ying) is at a crossroads: she is a CI user who cannot sign, but yearns to learn.
It would, of course, be simplistic to portray these different forms of communication as inherently at odds with one another; instead, Wong's film emphasises that, whether it is CI surgery or sign language, deaf people must be granted the autonomy to make these decisions on their own. Besides posing these thought-provoking questions, Wong also constructs rich inner worlds for these characters, in which deafness is only one thread of a whole tapestry. Wolf's passion for the sea, for instance, is felt in the smallest of details, such as the ocean-themed trinkets that line his study desk. It's the kind of visual attention that renders his dismissal from a diving school due to a lack of sign language interpreters even more heartbreaking.
Like many films dealing with social issues, The Way We Talk is not without its moments of didacticism, but the easy chemistry between the three leads lends the film a natural, infectious warmth that engagingly foregrounds its message of community.
The Way We Talk is in UK cinemas from 13 June.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Tragedy as South Korean model Kim Jong Suk plunges to his death from apartment block aged 29 as family reveals he had lost life savings in an 'investment scam'
A prominent South Korean model and TV star died last week, sparking rumours over the circumstances of his passing. Kim Jong Suk, 29, passed away on June 4 amid reports that a man in his 20s plunged from atop a high-rise apartment block in the city of Hanam, Gyeonggi province, after an altercation with his girlfriend in which a glass bottle was smashed. Those reports triggered rumours the reality TV contestant took his own life after the bitter argument to avoid dealing with police. His family confirmed the model had passed away on June 6 when he was laid to rest, but gave no details of his death. However, his sister took to social media to condemn those sharing rumours that Suk had assaulted his girlfriend, writing: 'The false information spreading online is causing our family immense pain.' In a lengthy post three days later, she issued a rejection of the circulating rumours, instead declaring that her brother was left reeling after falling victim to an investment scam. 'The claims that he barged into his girlfriend's home drunk, caused a disturbance with a soju bottle, and jumped when the police arrived are not true. 'He was under extreme financial and emotional distress due to an investment scam committed by an acquaintance. 'Not only did he lose his entire fortune, but he also fell into debt from the fraud, making daily life difficult. He was exhausted from these circumstances and had been deep in thought for some time.' Suk began his career as a model for various fashion brands and garnered notoriety in South Korea after a promotional video he appeared in for men's cosmetic brand Dashu went viral. As his profile grew, he took part in a series of the popular South Korean reality TV show 'Skip Dating', which sees eight 'busy, modern young men and women' paired up for a single blind date to see if any sparks fly. In the days prior to his death, Suk reportedly shared regular updates on social media, but his family opted to make all of his accounts private in the wake of his passing. In her post on Monday, Suk's sister went on to clarify that an argument had indeed taken place between Suk and his girlfriend, but insisted that no assault took place. 'Jong Suk and his girlfriend were drinking separately with their own acquaintances. When he couldn't reach her, he became worried and went to her home with a friend. 'Later, when his girlfriend woke up, there was no unilateral assault or rampage — just a simple argument between the couple. 'As others tried to intervene and tensions seemed to rise, Jong Suk's friend broke a soju bottle in an attempt to stop the argument, which led to the police being called. 'Claims that he ran away or tried to avoid the police are also untrue. The sister said she would later release messages sent by Suk to his girlfriend and audio recordings of his discussion with police at a later date. She also said the family would pursue legal action against news sites and social media accounts spreading false rumours around his death.
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Race Across the World 'surreal' experience for brothers
Two brothers who competed in the TV series Race Across the World said the experience and associated public recognition still does not feel and Brian Mole, who are both in their 60s, formed one of five teams who raced more than 14,000km (8,700 miles) across China, Nepal and India to try to win £20, of Wednesday's final episode, Melvyn, a driving instructor who lives in Middlesbrough, said appearing on the show was "a surreal journey" which did not end with the pair, who admitted to not having been on holiday with each other since the 1970s, believed the experience brought them closer together. "From the minute we got the call, it's been a surreal journey and it still is," Melvyn told BBC Radio Tees."I've been on breakfast TV, Loose Women, it doesn't happen to me." Melvyn also said other driving instructors and even examiners have asked for photos with him."It's unbelievable isn't it, that people are asking for photographs of Melv," Brian confessed they have loved watching the show back because of how much of the scenery the contestants miss while racing."It's quite amazing to watch the footage," he said."It is quite nice for us because the pictures that we see on the screen, Melv and I don't actually see because normally our heads are down, we're in a taxi, we're in a train, we're on a bus and that's our life for eight, nine weeks." 'We're very lucky' Aside from the locations, appearing on the BBC show allowed the brothers to talk about their childhood. Brian was sent to boarding school while his older brother stayed at home and attended the local state school, which they said impacted their the race saw pair grow closer, even joking they want to end up in the same retiring home."We're very lucky to have got the experience that we had and we certainly enjoyed grasping every opportunity and seeing as much of the world as we can," Brian said."Tonight's going to be special one because obviously it's the final and we'll see what happens to us." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
West Sussex sisters in final of Race Across the World
One of the sisters competing for £20,000 in this year's Race Across the World has promised viewers a "very intense" finish to the Bafta-winning and Letitia, from Worthing and Lancing respectively, have been pitting their wits against four other teams as they aim to travel from China to India without smart phones or credit pair are in second place - just seven hours behind leaders Caroline and Tom - ahead of Wednesday's ahead of transmission, Elizabeth admitted the experience has been "exhausting" but worthwhile. She told BBC Radio Sussex: "Normally when you're travelling, if you're feeling tired you can just sit down and relax... but, one, we want to have a lovely experience and we're trying to make the most of it, but two, you're in a race so it is exhausting."Balancing the desire to win against enjoying the experience has tested their resolve, and while Elizabeth says the pair know each other "way better" now, there's still a lot to learn."I feel like I have understood how much there still is to know about each other," she can only spend the cash equivalent of an airfare between the start and finish points of their travels, which span more than 8,700 miles (14,000km).Though being well-travelled and individually skilled proved helpful, the 33-year-old says the reality is "so different"."You're tired, you're confused, you think you know something... but anything can happen," she of Wednesday's finale, Elizabeth refused to reveal spoilers but said the episode is "very intense" as the remaining contestants bid to reach the final she would repeat the experience in a heartbeat, Elizabeth was depleted when she got home."I think I slept for a week in bed," she finale of Race Across the World airs on BBC One at 21:00 BST.
