When the opening of Wei Liang Chiang and You Qiao Yin’s feature length debut shines onto the screen, it is clear that viewers are in for a challenge with a raw piece of dramatic filmmaking set around the work of an almost mute protagonist.
‘Mongrel’ is led by Oom, a silent caregiver who is content with the tough demands of his job. The main task he attends to in our two hours with him is supporting an elderly mother and her disabled son who would both struggle to cope without Oom in their lives to help them through his skills as a carer, despite having no official experience in the field.
Oom, played by Wanlop Rungkamjad, is a man of very few words. He tends to his patients’ needs with delicate care and no question, getting on with his work in a calm and composed manner. Taking advantage of this characteristic is his boss, who exploits Oom’s skills in carrying out jobs to help out with more complicated tasks, many of which involve illegal methods.
His boss also tasks him with reasoning with his co-workers who have grown tired and fed up with working without getting paid their wages in several weeks. The boss struggles to handle the situation due to being in debt to a mob boss, with the stress constantly hanging over his head. Oom finds himself with a conundrum about how to follow these orders if his humanity can let him.
To say that ‘Mongrel’ takes its time is an understatement, as the drama is filled with long take after long take. Some viewers will find the slow storytelling very challenging to hold onto and many will grow frustrated at the time it takes for the plot to progress. Rungkamjad’s lead performance is unquestionably impressive.
This structure does highlight the patience that carers have when on duty and supporting those in need of help. It is maybe carers of the world that ‘Mongrel’ is going to connect with best, as a way of respecting the conditions and the sombre environments of their workplace.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival, at venues around the city, continues until August 21.
