Melodrama is a format largely associated with Douglas Sirk-style histrionics. Henrik Ruben Genz strips away the heart-wrenching dramatics and crafts a subtle, understated story about two wounded people overcoming apathy and apprehension to embark on a hesitant, fragile relationship in search of some degree of happiness. Keld is a plumber. After a quarter century of marriage, his wife leaves him, and so he decides to kill himself. He′s distracted from his task by a Chinese restaurant across the street, and he goes over to meet the proprietors. Eventually, he accepts a proposal to enter into a marriage of convenience with Ling, the owner′s sister, expecting a handsome profit. Their marriage is one marked by trepidation and silence, but nonetheless a slow emotional bond forms between the two, disrupted by their surroundings and a secret from Ling′s past. Genz elicits intense and affecting performances from his two leads, Bjarne Henriksen and Vivian Wu.