The TV Addict 

If you ever needed proof of why you need friends, CARAMEL might very well help. Written, directed by, and starring Nadine Labaki, the Lebanese film is a poignant testament to the nurturing power of friendship that can help one overcome the trials and tribulations of life. Needless to say, the five female characters that all work or hang out at a small beauty parlor in Beirut have their fair share of those.

The gorgeous Layale (Nadine Labaki) is having an affair with a married man but struggling to move on. Nisrine (Yasmine Elmasri) is about to get married, but because of cultural expectations needs a minor procedure to correct the fact she is no longer a virgin. Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) is a lesbian who is falling for a customer. Then there are those who visit the salon. Jamale (Gisele Aouad) is a middle-aged divorce trying to find work as an actress, while desperately trying to recapture her youth. Rose (Sihame Haddad) is an older seamstress who is burdened by having to make the choice between finding love again, or continuing to take care of her mentally handicapped sister.

If any of that makes the film sounds like somewhat of a downer, the film is actually an adorable romantic comedy, but not the kind you see in Hollywood. There is a legitimate degree of seriousness here in that despite the levity, in some way all of the women find themselves living a trapped life, one they are desperately trying to escape. However, any bleakness gets avoided through the caring love and support the characters give each other, and the hopeful suggestion that one can escape the trappings of one’s life; that a “second life” can emerge from the ashes of the first.

What makes the film the most impressive though is the way beneath its humorous surface lies a smart cultural critique of Lebanese culture. It is precisely because it never risks heavy-handedness in either it message or its portrayal of Lebanon, and gives us a world and story that feels instantly recognizable, that the film functions so effectively as a cultural window to the frustrations and limitations Lebanese women must contend with. Occasionally this does become a detriment to the film. The segments involving Nisrine and Rima are so thin that they really are nothing more than overt cultural critiques. In fact, the sometime unbalanced handling of the ensemble does become noticeable, and the cynic in me wonders whether it’s a coincidence that the writer-director’s characters got the most screen time. Though Nadine Labinski does give a great performance as the complicated and emotionally torn Layale, I longed to see more of the other excellent actresses, especially Sihame Haddad.

Nevertheless, CARAMEL remains the rarest breed of romantic comedy, the kind that will tickle your heart and your brain.

Overall rating: B+