A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Taste of Mango” (2023) (from the London Film Festival).
Again, I saw this at the Film Critic screenings prior to the opening of the London Film Festival. This is the first of two documentaries that I’m seeing this week. “The Taste of Mango”, by the way, refers to the memory the filmmaker has whenever she thinks of her mother.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
The documentary follows Chloe Abrahams, a 26 year old as she interviews her mother Rozana and her ‘Nana’ visiting from Sri Lanka. As the story progresses we peel back layers of unspoken trauma that have sent ripples through time into Chloe’s present.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (This has not yet been rated by the BBFC or the MPA. Given the adult nature of the subject matter I would have expected it to be a ’12’).
Talent:
Starring: Chloe Abrahams, Rozana Abrahams.
Directed by: Chloe Abrahams.
Written by: Chloe Abrahams.
Twitter Handle: #TheTasteofMango.
Some unsubtle editing of photos in the family album.
“The Taste of Mango” Review:
Positives:
- It’s intriguing the way that the film peels away the unspoken layers in the relationship. At times we are eavesdropping on conversations between Rozana and her mother (which feels a bit sneaky).
- There’s a neat twist in the end of the documentary that is both surprising and quite uplifting.
Negatives:
- This is a story that feels like it could have been told in 45 minutes. But we have a lot of artistic imagery and hypnotic music as ‘fillers’ (not advised for a dark screening room, post-lunch!). Now, I’m sure a lot of cinephiles will lap this up. But this one kept thinking “Come the fuck on Bridget”!
- The film revolves around a protagonist in the story called Ivor. I was waiting for Ivor to appear. To be challenged and quizzed by Chloe. But the documentary was not only Ivor-lite… it was Ivor-free. This felt frustrating and a story left unchallenged (not that for one second I didn’t believe the narrative presented).
Triggers
The film covers topics of marital abuse, rape and paedophilia so may be triggering for some viewers.
Summary Thoughts on “The Taste of Mango”
I personally like my documentaries meatier than this. This is clearly a very personal work for Ms. Abrahams, and I respect her for it. But, whilst appreciating the film-making talent involved, I’m afraid it just failed to completely float my boat.
Trailer for “The Taste of Mango”:
There doesn’t seem to be a trailer for this film on Youtube. Instead, here is Chloe Abrahams talking about the film prior to the LFF presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaPOduGxz0M .
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