THE STORY – A middle-aged wife in China begins to see cracks in her long marriage as her husband pulls back on his affection. She soon discovers he’s been texting a younger woman. Coping with heartbreak, but still committed to saving her marriage, she seeks the help of Wang Zhenxi, an established “mistress dispeller,” known for bringing extramarital affairs to an end. What follows is an emotional rollercoaster and a deep meditation on relationships.
THE CAST – Wang Zhenxi
THE TEAM – Elizabeth Lo (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 94 Minutes
Elizabeth Lo’s documentary “Mistress Dispeller” opens with a crucial bit of onscreen text explaining that, in China, women are legally allowed to hire someone to stop an affair between their husband and another woman. We then see a woman in a salon getting her hair done – who is she? The wife, the mistress, or the titular mistress dispeller? The intrigue begins early and only escalates from there, as the titular Miss Wang uses entirely nontraditional methods to surgically remove her client’s husband’s mistress from their lives. The nature of the mistress dispeller’s function gives the film the feeling of a spy thriller, as Miss Wang uses psychological subterfuge to ingratiate herself into these people’s lives, earn their trust, and get the best outcome for all involved.
Lo does not merely observe her subjects, as many documentaries tend to do. Instead, an early shot using a reflection of the wife in a mirror next to the couple’s front door as her husband leaves indicates her visual strategy, carefully setting up shots to reflect the psychology of the people she’s filming. Many of the film’s conversation scenes are filmed in unbroken long takes, locking into the headspace of one (or both) subjects and letting them stew in this situation of their own making. In this way, Lo mirrors what Miss Wang does, listening to what her clients say and using what they say against them to drive them toward the outcome she wants. Watching her work is fascinating: Initially introduced to the philandering husband as a friend of his wife’s brother, she studies both husband and mistress, then uses her own experience and knowledge of the human psyche to engineer situations that will encourage them to confide in her and convince them that it would be best for all involved if the affair stopped. It’s far from traditional marriage counseling, but it’s tremendously entertaining to watch, and it’s clear that her heart is in the right place. Miss Wang explains to her assistant that she believes the party most in need of help in any affair is the mistress, as the main reasons someone would choose to be in this kind of relationship all point to a deep pain inside them. She makes a point of getting to know the mistress and prodding her to determine what she wants for her life before revealing who she really is and why she’s there.
Watching Miss Wang work her magic remains compelling throughout, even when she’s not present: A surprising scene between husband and mistress reveals just how much of an influence Miss Wang has managed to exert in a few short weeks. Scenes in her office, with her assistant making videos for social media about their experience in the field, offer insightful glimpses into Chinese culture without stopping the overall flow of the narrative or feeling like a lecture to the audience. Lo weaves in this cultural context seamlessly as time passes for her subjects. However, the passage of time can be a bit slippery, with only fleeting visions of the changing seasons providing an anchor for the audience. This isn’t necessarily a detriment to the film, but sometimes, scenes that have taken place months apart feel like they were separated by only weeks or even days, giving perhaps a bit too much credit to Miss Wang’s strategy.
The film culminates in a dramatic confrontation between wife and mistress facilitated by Miss Wang, who fully acknowledges she has never done this before and isn’t sure how it will go. This is when the film’s other piece of opening text reveals its true meaning: All parties involved gave their consent to be filmed both at the beginning and at the end of production, “as their understanding of the film and the nature of the mistress dispeller’s role evolved over time.” This kind of sensitivity to her subjects marks Lo as a filmmaker to watch, as getting this level of trust in this situation takes a lot of work.
But then, her well-spoken subjects prove in scene after scene that they are also quite sensitive, baring their souls in thoughtful ways. When the wife lambasts herself for being “too confident” in her marriage, always able to imagine an affair happening in any home but her own, or when the husband laments that he lives with his wife but feels alive with his mistress, they express such relatable emotions that it’s easy to sympathize with everyone. This even-handedness goes a long way, not just towards getting the audience to feel for all parties involved, but also towards putting the audience in the shoes of Miss Wang herself, trying to find a way to restore happiness to everyone. A feat of intelligent, emotional filmmaking, “Mistress Dispeller” is one of the most compelling films of the year so far, fictional or non-fictional.
