Caramel
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Movie Reviews of Caramel
Movie Review: Bitter Sweet Romantic Comedy
Summary: 4 Stars
Lebanese/French film "Caramel" is a bitter-sweet romantic comedy set in today's Beirut, following the lives of characters (mostly women) working or living in and around a beauty salon, including 30-year-old Layale (Nadine Labaki, also director and co-writer), owner of the beauty salon having an affair with a married man. Like guilt-ridden Layale, who keeps lying to her family, all the characters in "Caramel," both females and males alike, have some secrets or longings that they cannot disclose.
The narrative device itself is nothing new - France made "Venus Beauty Institute" back in 1999 with then unknown Audrey Tautou - and some of the episodes may look simple and familiar in "Caramel." The engaging film is effective as comedy though some parts of it, I am afraid, are lost on non-Lebanese audiences like me. Also, in "Caramel" you will meet characters you really care, but you will also realize that beneath the realistic (and often humorous) conversations of them there is something serious about the details of the events they experience.
To me what is the most impressive of the intertwined tales of "Caramel" is the poignant story of two old ladies, Lili (Aziza Semaan) and Rose (Sihame Haddad), which may remind you of one episode in "Love Actually." Sometimes in cinemas non-professionals achieve something amazing and the touching portrait of the old sisters is one of such examples. (The cast mostly consists of non-professional actors. They all did fantastic job.)
"Caramel" avoids being overtly political, is never dismal or preachy, but against the background of Lebanese cultural background the film has clearly several messages from the star/director/co-writer Nadine Labaki. She also succeeds in creating not stereotypical male characters like kind-hearted, romantic policeman Youssef and old, refined gentleman Charles as well as well-balanced, convincing descriptions of female characters.
The film's title "Caramel" may suggest something sweet. It is sweet, actually, but like life itself the film is more often bitter than sweet. As far as "Caramel" is concerned, that is not a bad thing after all.
Movie Review: Ordinary Lives in One of the World's Most Diverse and Conflicted Cities.
Summary: 4 Stars
"Caramel" takes its title from the sugaring paste that Middle Eastern women use for depilation, a service offered in the Beirut beauty salon where the film takes place. Director Nadine Labaki plays Laylale, an attractive single woman who works as a stylist in a working class beauty parlor and is increasingly frustrated with the affair she's having with a married man. Nisrine (Yasmine Elmasri) is a younger stylist looking forward to her upcoming wedding. Their co-worker Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) is more interested in women than men. Jamale (Gisele Aouad), a friend and client, is struggling with the ravages of middle age. And the lonely seamstress down the street, Rose (Sihame Haddad), works to support herself and her elderly sister, whose dementia makes it all the more difficult.
"Caramel" presents the lives, loves, and frustrations of five Beirut women, four Christian and one Muslim, young, old and in between. It is more resigned to life's imperfections than Western chick flicks and perhaps less optimistic or aggressive in the way the characters deal with their circumstances. We also see the difficulties that these independent women face in a culture that has a strong undercurrent of traditionalism. I lived in Beirut as a child, and it's nice to see a slice-of-life film from that city now. It seems in many ways unchanged: modern, cosmopolitan, and extraordinarily diverse but with an unbreakable thread of religious values running through it, for better or worse. "Caramel"'s subject isn't new, but Lebanese culture makes it different. In Arabic with optional subtitles.
The DVD (Lions Gate 2008): There is an "Interview with Director Nadine Labaki" (6 min) in English. She talks about the film's title, its characters, and how the film has been received outside of Lebanon. Labaki's answers are clear, but we unfortunately cannot hear the interviewer's questions. There is also a theatrical trailer (2 min). Subtitles for the film are available in English and Spanish.
Movie Review: The Microcosm of the Beauty Salon
Summary: 4 Stars
SUKKAR BANAT (CARAMEL) marks a fine directorial debut for the stunningly beautiful Lebanese actress Nadine Labaki. Though films about the private lives of a circle of women who gather in a mutual watering hole to gossip, share joys and pains of love affairs, as well as being the important support group they all need are plentiful (think STEEL MAGNOLIAS), few come as close to the intimacy shared by this talented cast whose disparate problems keep the film flying. The screenplay by Rodney El Haddad and Jihad Hojeily is greatly enhanced by the cinematography by Yves Sehnaoui with the atmospheric musical score by Khaled Mouzannar, but it is the impeccable cast that completes this tender, humorous, and gently sentimental little tale.
The film shows us a Lebanon we rarely see. The setting is a Beirut beauty salon La Belle owned by Layale (Nadine Labaki) whose frequent absences from her place of business are due to trysts with a married man, trysts often delayed by a police officer, the handsome and infatuated Youssef (Adel Karram). Working in the shop is Rima (Johanna Moukarzel) whose same sex infatuation with a beautiful patron is subtly explored, and regulars in the salon include an aging wannabe actress Jamale (Gisèle Aouad), a non virgin bride to be Nisrine (Yasmine Elmasri) and an older seamstress Rose (Sihame Haddad) who has elected to relinquish her hopes for love with a willing and potential elderly man Charles (Dimitri Staneofski) in favor of continuing to care for her humorously senile mother Lili (Aziza Semaan).
How these unforgettable characters interact, displacing each other's anxieties by caring friendship freely shared, offers each of these fine actresses many moments of glory in addition to creating a fine ensemble effect as sensitively directed by Nadine Labaki. This little film (in Arabic and French with subtitles) is a complete pleasure and will likely draw attention to future films from Lebanon. Grady Harp, July 08
Movie Review: Five women trying to find their place in life in Beirut
Summary: 4 Stars
This film presents a slice-of-life type drama/romantic comedy of five women in Beirut. Four of the women work in a hair salon, the fifth is a seamstress next door and aunt of one of the salon owners. We follow their ups and downs, their hopes and dreams. This a film about relationships and about friendship and about choices. We learn about the relationships between all the women and the ups and downs in their love lives. The love lives of all five women is complicated in some way. The main character Layale (played by Nadine Labaki, who also wrote and directed the film) is in love with a man who is married to another women. She goes through all sorts of machinations for this man, but in the end, he doesn't really love her and won't leave his wife. One of the women is a Muslim and soon to be married. Her lack of virginity may be a problem on her wedding day. One of the women is a lesbian who is attracted to one of the customers at the salon, and the fourth woman is older and divorced with kids but actively looking for romance. Layale's aunt lives next door and meets an American to whom she is attracted. There is really a lot to like about this film. Each of the women must make choices about their relationships and live with the consequences one way or the other. Some of these choices work out well, others not so good. Through it all though is their friendship for each other. This film also presents an interesting insight into daily life in Beirut. It explores some of the complexities of the intermixed confessional nature of Lebanese life, and provides a small window into life in Beirut. A well-done romantic comedy/drama, definitely worth a look.Movie Review: Love & Laughs with Sweet, Painful Caramel
Summary: 4 Stars
Delightful, light-hearded dramatic comedy set in present-day Beirut, Lebanon. Some scenes are visually funny, such as when all 3 of the women who work at the beauty salon and one of their close friends and patrons are getting ready for Nasrine's wedding. Many of the scenes that show the caring-frustrating relationship between the 2 older ladies (presumably sisters) who live across the street from the salon are humorous, and some are very touching.
This is a very well acted and directed film that will touch your heart and funny-bone. I found the changing focus from one character to the other to be well done. Rather than depend on lots of dialogue to learn about the lives, loves, and vulnerabilities of each character, the director (who had one of the main roles in the film -- Nadine Labaki/"Layale") relied on short "action" vignettes to enable the viewer to look into each person's life. This technique enabled the film to move at a steady pace and still provide plenty of depth to each character and the overall story.
While the film focuses primarily on the lives of 5 women (6, if you count the demented Lili, and I do count her as a major character), the male characters and their roles in the film provide add depth and texture to the lives of the lead women. The 3 main male actors give excellent performances too, although their characters are seen in light of their relationships with the female leads in the film.
I highly recommend this film/DVD to all who want to enjoy an entertaining story set in a westernized part of the Middle East yet that has a universal appeal to film buffs.