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Caramel (DVD)
Year: 2008
Rating: M
Cast: Gisele Aouad, Nadine Labaki, Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel
Release Date: February 19, 2009
Distributor: Hopscotch
The Film: 4.0
This gem from Lebanon about five women's lives will no doubt be compared to Sex And The City...as every chick flick henceforth will. But Caramel isn't about sex - it's about sensuality. The opening sequence of the cooking of the "caramel" - the sticky, edible substance used like wax for hair removal - hooks you instantly, and the film doesn't really let you go until well after you've left the cinema.
Caramel is the directorial debut for Nadine Labaki, who also co-wrote and plays the central character Layale, who's hung up on a married man. Layale's colleagues and customers at a Beirut beauty salon also have their own dramas. Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri), a Muslim about to be married, is trying to maintain a virginal front for her fiancé, while Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) is attracted to a mysterious female client. The most enjoyable characters are the older women - single mum Jamale (Gisele Aouad), and Rose (Siham Haddad), who's duty-bound to her charmingly senile sister.
Gently humorous and touching, Caramel looks wonderful, with its rich golden brown palette. Labaki has an artist's eye. She doesn't use stunning cityscapes and scenery, instead finding magic in the seemingly mundane - her depiction of Beirut's narrow streets and lived-in, cluttered apartments is consistently striking.