Mistress Dispeller Documentary Review
No matter how much the values and ideas around monogamy have evolved in Western civilisation over the last few decades, there is no denying that deep down inside, whether it is engrained in our DNA or just learned generational behaviours, to be loved by one special person is seemingly our strongest desire as humans. And when that love is romantic, there is an undeniable, unexplainable quality to it that feels euphoric. But, with divorce rates at an all time high, and more adults embracing a life of not being “tied down” by marriage to begin with, the idea of longing for one singular soul feels somewhat distant in the culture, perhaps because people do not wish for their hearts to be broken in the first place.
In China, there is a for-hire service known as “mistress dispelling”, in which a person who believes there is infidelity in their marriage can bring in a mistress to confirm, and subsequently end, the affair that is occurring. Director Elizabeth Lo explores this concept in her new documentary Mistress Dispeller, which follows Mrs. Li – a woman who utilises this service after suspecting her husband of having an affair. The “mistress dispeller” is Wang Zhenxi, who uses incredible communication and persuasion to not only get Mr. Li to confess to his infidelity, but also reaches out to the mistress in question – Fei Fei, a woman in her 20s-30s, but much younger than Mr. Li.
Exquisitely and cinematically shot, Lo’s visual direction highlights a beauty and romanticism of this Chinese city, especially with a drone shot early one, accompanied by a smooth jazz-like score, that feels aesthetically like something out of In The Mood For Love. It’s this visual beauty that sets up the mood that romance and love is something that draws people in, and Lo replicates that feeling incredibly well to grab the audience’s attention.
With intersplices of these cinematic shots throughout, the rest of Lo’s documentary are these static, patient shots, capturing long, intimate conversations between all of the documentaries subjects as they either discuss the banality of everyday life, or are indeed confessing to their infidelities, and why they do the things they do. It’s in these moments that Lo’s patience serves as a meditation on the innate desire for love and connection, but also a seemingly ticking time bomb of not entirely knowing whether the dispelling itself will work. The concept of mistress dispelling itself is entirely fascinating, and watching it play out in real time is engaging, so much so that the fact this is a documentary and not a fictional narrative adds a whole other level of substance to the experience.
There are many conversations throughout this documentary about the reasons people love, the reason people long and desire for more, and the restrictions of love received that people put on themselves. Mistress Dispeller is a heartbreaking, yet oddly romantic, exploration into the complicated emotions that we feel around love. Whether it’s Mrs. Li’s desire to continue her marriage, or the devastating reality of Fei Fei’s self-worth, there are so many emotionally resonate elements to this story, and all aspects are explored with compassion and empathy by Lo, who as a filmmaker, lets the camera capture the authenticity, rather than trying to dictate a narrative.
It is truly jaw-dropping that, after the film’s opening text states that none of what you will see in this documentary was scripted or re-created, there is such an intimate and unfiltered nature of discussion and admission on screen from everyone involved. The idea that the breakdown of communication in a relationship, and not expressing desires or bringing up issues, can sometimes lead to the eventually breakdown of relationships is completely juxtaposed by the innate honesty that comes from the Li’s and Fei Fei as Wang, and Lo’s camera, finds the deep seeded roots of their problems.
Mistress Dispeller is in cinemas October 24
