'Silent Friend' Review: A Cyclical Portrait of Plants and Human Connection Blooms Into a Blissful Trip

Consciousness, the kindly Professor Wong (Tony Leung) explains, takes many shades. As infants, we see the world as if lit by lantern, its glow spilling in every direction, our senses wide open. With age, that lantern narrows to a spotlight, fixing both our gaze and understanding. Those craving that early state can turn to psychedelics - "babies are high all the time," Wong jokes - or, failing that, to Ildikó Enyedi's enrapturing "Silent Friend." Just ask the audience that drifted out of its Venice premiere on a contact buzz, dizzy and eager to linger in that blissful glow. . . .