Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Director: Nida Manzoor, Focus Features.
A cool ode to sisterhood, here’s an action-comedy that’s bold and defies classification.
It’s a film for those who appreciate cultural cinema, minus the rules, doing so respectfully. No specific genres stand out nor the style, but they are all thrown into the mix.
British-Pakistani teenager Ria Khan (Priya Kansara) is a teenager who dreams of becoming a stunt woman. Under an alter-ego, ‘The Fury’, Ria trains with Lena in mastering martial arts despite the strict lifestyle of her family.
Ria regularly spends time with her older sister, Lena (Ritu Arya), who supports and understands her like no one else in their family. Lena helps Ria hone in on her fighting persona, make videos for YouTube and cheers her on from the sidelines.
Then there are also the antics with her close friends, Clara (Seraphina Beh) and Alba (Ella Bruccoleri).
Their close-knit relationship feels like the only thing that makes sense in Ria’s life —until Lena locks eyes with Salim (Akshay Khanna), a wealthy suitor who whisks her off her feet. When Ria’s suspicions of his family’s dark intentions for Lena are confirmed, Lena takes it upon herself to save the day and stop her sister’s wedding.
A valid ride that perfectly portrays the repressed rage of a teenage girl. Three dimensional characters, energising action sequences and a storyline you won’t see coming upraise this from civil to engaging. There’s a playful tone, with a genetic cloning subplot, that pokes fun at arranged marriages.
Not taking itself seriously, Polite Society tosses, knocks and thumps the etiquette rule book right out the window to deliver a film that blends Bollywood finery and British wryness.
Nida Manzoor (Peabody, We Are Lady Parts) writes her own directorial destiny with this feminist action comedy that’s more about sisterly love than romance or uppercuts.
- Polite Society is screening at Limelight Cinemas, Tuggeranong
