2008 Athens International Film Festival
Sticky issues covered in ‘Caramel’
By Molly Gold, Staff Writer
April 30, 2008 | 6 a.m.
Amidst the tumultuous violence in Lebanon comes a true-to-life film about love. 'Caramel,' a Lebanese romantic-comedy starring, directed and co-written by newcomer Nadine Labaki, explores a side of Beirut we have yet to see on the evening news.
The film follows the lives of five colorful (at times, eccentric) women whose quick wit and passion for life wins hearts. The five are all struggling with difficult dilemmas, from personal demons to cultural issues, and share a common thread: they are friends and employees at a shabby beauty salon in Beirut.
“Caramel” is in Arabic and French with English subtitles, but the language discrepancy does not hinder the hilarity and emotional depth of the characters. Lilli, a stout, elderly women with restless character, provides comedic relief as she chirps light-hearted insults with her trademark shrill voice. There is also Layale (Labaki), a fetching, composed woman having an affair with a married man; Jamale (Gisèle Aouad), a mother of two children and aspiring actress who wants more than anything to preserve her youth; Nisrine (Yasmine Elmasri), a bride-to-be who regrettably lost her virginity before her wedding night; Rose (Sihame Haddad), a modest old woman who yearns for a mate but maintains that she is too old to begin a romance; and Rima (Joanna Moukarzel), a tomboy who struggles with her newfound feelings of attraction to women.
The film, named for the hot, sweet substance used to wax customers at the beauty salon, illustrates the playful themes of the 2005 film 'Beauty Shop' without the commercial fluff. Unlike the uninspiring Queen Latifah flick, “Caramel” has already generated 2008 Foreign Oscar nomination whispers.
There is never a moment of visual dullness. Labaki consistently uses natural and often harsh lighting in dramatic scenes to emphasize the characters’ internal struggles. They are all constantly outwardly cheery and contained, but their impending problems prevent them from living their lives to the fullest.
The film’s music, a juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary tunes composed by Labaki’s husband, Khaled Mouzanar, is nicely orchestrated. However, the recurring piano-centered theme eventually loses its edge towards the end, when the film begins to rely on the characters’ body language and facial expressions to narrate the story.
There is little character dialogue concerning the issues of three of the main characters. The audience is forced to assume meaning when Rima glances timidly at one of her striking female clients and when Jamale and Rose struggle internally with feelings of inferiority because of their old age.
If you like your romantic-comedies a little less comedic and a little more dramatic, visually-stunning and realistic, “Caramel” will provide, with Lebanese flair to add.
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“Caramel”
Speakeasy Rating: B+
Running Time: 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for thematic elements involving sexuality, language and some smoking.
Showings:
Wednesday, April 30 at the Athena Cinema: 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 1 at the Athena Cinema: 11:15 a.m.
Check out the official Web site of the Athens Film Festival for more information about the 31 feature films and 215 competition films playing at this year's festival, running April 25 through May 1.