After watching such films as The Lightest Darkness and Plan 9 from Aliexpress from Tatar filmmaker Diana Galimzyanova, it's safe to say that one is better off expecting the unexpected. 

Galimzyanova's latest film Lady Mushroom's Lover continues this trend with a stylish, experimental approach that is both visually appealing and incredibly thought-provoking. In the film, a wealthy heiress (Fedor Hiroshige) falls in love with a a charming playboy (Stanislav Skakun) against the will of her influential parents.

The journey? Well, you just need to see it for yourself. 

Galimzyanova is becoming an increasingly known filmmaker with a willingness to experiment that is admirable and a refusal to adhere to the usual narrative structures along the way. Lady Mushroom's Lover is made using a hybridization of neural networks and live-action filming.

The end result may be a film you love or you hate, however, it won't be a film you easily forget. 

Both Hiroshige and Skakun are impressive here, drawing us into their characters even if we're not 100% sure how to explain them. Lady Mushroom is a rather captivating creation, a visual feast with compelling character. The same is true for Skakun's charming playboy, both struggling artist and impossibly charismatic playboy. Together? It's all dynamite. 

Galimzyanova reunites again with Kirill King for a sublime, experimental original score and Galimzyanova herself lenses the film with uniqueness and inspiration. I've long believed that a really good film doesn't need to explain itself and that's very much the case here. 

While those who require a beginning and an end and a defined structure in between may go a bit mad here, those who appreciate the more experimental side of cinema will find much to love with Galimzyanova's inspired storytelling and experimental whimsy. For me? A new film from Galimzyanova crossing my desk is always an eagerly anticipated occasion. Indeed, with Lady Mushroom's Lover Galimzyanova once again doesn't disappoint. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic