Sukkar banat

Nadine Labaki: perhaps not a familiar name, not yet. You are certain to hear more of her, well beyond this report about her first film, "Caramel." The young Lebanese beauty is not only the star of this heartwarming and unusual movie, but also its director and co-writer.

Unusual? It sure is, a contemporary film taking place in Beirut without any reference to the wars tearing the city apart for decades now. (There is a parallel here with another excellent film making its U.S. appearance, "The Band's Visit," of an Egyptian-Israeli encounter set deliberately outside the political context.) Unusual? Amazingly so when you realize, having witnessed an extraordinary ensemble performance, that all but two of the cast members have no acting experience.It's all great acting by non-actors, and you wouldn't know it without a press release.

"Sex in the City" with brains, realism, and without affectation, "Caramel" tells the story of five women in a Beirut beauty salon, their lives and dreams. The tone is simple, intimate, the characters are different from each other, but all likable and real. "Caramel" is a movie to enjoy; beyond its vitality and good humor, it offers the viewer the acquaintance of everyday, believable people you can care about.

The title refers to the pliant caramelized sugar used for hair removal, material that can be used for good (removing hair) or ill (inflicting pain on a lover's wife, who ends up in the wrong salon). It is something "sweet and salt, sugary and sour, of the delicious sugar that can burn and hurt you," Labaki has said.

The director - whose theme and work are reminiscent of Pedro Almodovar's early films - is Layale, the owner of the salon, a woman in her early 30s, who "should be married" by now, but instead, she carries on a passionate (for her) affair with a married policeman. Layale is Christian, her best friend working in the salon, Nisrine, is a Moslem woman of 28, about to get married, but she is facing a daunting obstacle. The role is played memorably by one of the film's many amateur actors, Yasmine Al Masri.

Also in the salon, Rima, a 24-year-old tomboy (played by Joanna Moukarzel, in real life "business manager with an electrical appliance company"!), who is quietly struggling with her growing interest in women. It is one of the many glories of "Caramel" how her friends literally look the other way when Rima - very much in love - cuts the hair of a beautiful stranger (Siham Fatmeh Safa, who should be a model and an actress, but is neither).

Among the many fascinating characters: Jamale, a customer who virtually lives in the salon, a woman in denial of and battling her age; Lili, a crazy aunt, who collects parking tickets from windshields; and the men in the cast - relegated to supporting roles, but not belittled or presented in a hostile manner. It's not so much a "women's picture" as a film for and about people.

With splendid cinematography by Yves Sehnaoui, and appealing music by Khaled Mouzanar, "Caramel" completed production work in 2006, one week before the most recent bombing of Beirut began.

Without reading any summary or comment on the movie I just went to see it. I didn't know it was in Lebanese, I was attracted by the promising name of Caramel.

What I saw was a potpourri of emotions and languages, I don't speak Lebanese at all, but it was funny to recognize all the different influences in their language, due to the colonialism. The protagonist and director is a breath-taking and very convincing actress, I had no doubt all the ladies of the cast were good friends and would have hung out all their lives. The storyline is kept simple and clear so even if you don't follow the subtitles, you easily understand the movie. I don't like to compare it with any other movie I saw, but speaking of colors and emotions it reminded me of Almodovar's movies, dedicated to the women in his life. Even though I'd have preferred to see more of the name giving caramel, for about two hours I was transported into the oriental world of spices, taxi drivers, aunties, grandmas, uncles, nieces', sisters and brothers, living, laughing and mainly eating together. The movie combines a very traditional Lebanon with very modern questions, emancipated women and not to forget love. Leaving the cinema I felt loved and happy, I strongly recommend it!

Greetings again from the darkness. Insightful film dominated by Writer-Director-Lead Actress Nadine Labaki. Billed as a Romantic Comedy, this is much more a commentary on people ... especially women and how everyone's thought and actions revolve around finding the right companion. During that search, there can be much loneliness and frustration, but the discovery makes it all worthwhile.

The doe-eyed Ms. Labaki gives a fine performance and supposedly most of the supporting roles were filled by "real" people, not actors. Probably why the movie has such an earthy, straight-from-the-heart feel to it. There is much creativity in the editing and scene cuts. Much of the humor of the film is derived from tying one scene to another seemingly unrelated one.

Not in the class of the Almodovar films, it still is very poignant and classy in it's commentary on women and relationships. Also, it is refreshing to see a film on Beirut that is character driven and not politically or war based.

I watched this movie today and I can say I am a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the movie wasn't bad in general, but I was expecting more. It's the hype, again...

Coming from Greece, I can say that I found the situation described in the movie pretty familiar and that's another excuse for my low vote (7/10).

It's like an hour since I saw the movie and if you I had to say three things about the movie I'd say "Habibi" (the Arabic word for "love", I think), "Lili" and "Oh my, Nadine's eyes are so stunning".

All in all, it's a good way to spent some time.

This is one of the few moments of my life where I could enjoy a movie without reading sub titles. This time it is not Russian, not Swedish, not Danish, not German and not Spanish. It is an art movie in my native Lebanese language.

The lovely acting of all the team, the superb cinematography of Yves Sehnaoui and the charming music of Khaled Mouzanar all joined to make a movie to remember.

This is a movie about woman's inner being; men are in the background and the women's disorders are all exposed in a very elegant way. Uncertainty of life, sexuality, marriage, mid life crisis and elderly all put together in a colorful plot of innocent people.

In Caramel, we also see Christian and Muslim women living together, working together, truly loving and supporing each other. Thanks to Nadine Labaki for this message during a period of secterian conflicts.

The Last scene of the 2 ladies holding hands is a painting. I can't wait to get it on DVD. This will sit at the heart of my art movie collection.