Debate X NZIFF #16: Mistress Dispeller

DEBATE X NZIFF | REVIEW | WEB EXCLUSIVE

Written by Joshua Black (he/him) | Contributing Writer

This is the best documentary I’ve seen in years—maybe ever. 

The film follows one case for a mistress dispeller, a specialist in China whose job is to quietly integrate themself in the life of a husband and mistress. Posing as a friend while subtly undermining the affair, they quietly end the affair and restore the marriage.

What I have to love is how intimate and real the film is. There are no talking head interviews, no slow pans over old photos, knick knacks, or stock footage. There are no boring conventions that turn so many documentaries into nothing more than a high budget powerpoint.

No, instead, Mistress Dispeller gives you a ticket to be a fly on the wall of an aging couple struggling through this conflict. You see every difficult conversation in one long take, every scheme going wrong or right, every deep truth the wife, husband, or mistress share with the dispeller.

But unlike Cheaters the reality TV show, this is not a sting operation. Mistress Dispeller is a deeply emotional exploration of love, pride, and loneliness. You understand the motives of everyone involved, and get a glimpse into the wider context of the modern day conflicts of love and family in China.

Even the husband gets his fair share of screen time to give his idioms on love. Not that you’ll feel any better about his actions, but what he says is important. His pessimism confronts universal fears of old love: losing good looks, life settling into an unchanging rhythm, or especially, confronting your changing feelings.

This film captures the ugly beauty of modern love. Through this deeply insightful case study in China, as a reflection seen around the world. Romance is never like the movies… except for this one.