Western audiences are indeed fortunate to have two films releasing (if only limited) that bring a long overdue fresh perspective about life in the Middle East. The first was the Oscar nominated animated feature Persepolis and the second is a film from Beirut opening February 1st.
Caramel is a story about 5 Lebanese women who work and let loose in a neighborhood beauty salon. Layale the owner (first-time Writer/Director Nadine Labaki) is having an affair with a married man. Nisrine (Yasmin Al Masri), a Muslim is engaged to be married but worried about her fiancée finding out that she’s no longer a virgin. Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) is coming to terms with her feelings for other women, especially her attraction for a beautiful client. Jamale (Gisèle Aouad) is an actress and frequent customer, trying to fight the inevitability of getting older. Rose (Siham Haddad) is an unmarried seamstress who has devoted her life to caring for her older sister. They all use the salon as a haven where they can be women, friends and sisters.
We get a rare glimpse of life in this small microcosm of Beirut society. The mere fact that they’re women in this Lebanese city presents its own set of challenges and rules. They are more than Christian and Muslim, young and old, straight and gay. To foreign eyes things seem at times antiquated and oppressive. But according to the director what we are seeing is the emotional struggle between the traditional and the modern influences of the west. Additionally, we get to see how, politics and religion aside, people coexist, friendships are forged and love is found. Not something you typically see in films from this region.
Considering the cast were not professional actors the performance are subtle and unselfconscious. Much credit must then go to the director Labaki. In particular I was touched by the story of Rose and Lily. Aziza Semaan brought an honest humor to Lily’s fading mental capabilities and utter dependence on her sister. Haddah plays Rose with such melancholy. She wistfully dreams of a life with love and at the same time is resolute in her sense of duty to Lily. And as one of the few men in the film, Adel Karam as the policeman infatuated with Layale is clumsily a-dork-able.
This is not your run of the mill chick-flick, Rom/Com. Each of the characters is dealing with some weighty issues. But the bitter is countered with the sweet, as the title suggests. There are funny scenes, touching exchanges, frustrating moments and sticky situations. It all seems to come right in the end and beauty prevails. After all, isn’t that what women go to salons for?
Running Time: 96 minutes
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