VIFF In Review

Michelle da Silva and Kathy Chan

Caramel
Lebanon, 2007, 95min.

Caramel is a sensual and heartwarming film from first-time director Nadine Labaki. Set against the hot and dry backdrop of Beruit, Lebanon, Caramel gives audiences a glimpse into the lives of four women: three working in a beauty shop and one of the salon’s regular customers. Labaki, who also wrote the screenplay, stars as Layale, a young woman who comes to realize that the man she is mistress to has no desire to pursue their relationship as anything more than an affair. Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri) becomes preoccupied with hymen reconstructive surgery for fear that the man she is engaged to will be disappointed she is not a virgin. Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) begins to question her heterosexuality, and Jamale (Gisèle Aouad) comes to terms with being an aging actress.

Labaki has a way of brilliantly pairing scenes with one another, creating a sarcastic and comedic tone combined with sultry violin music. While the plot discovers nothing sensational, the film opens audiences’ eyes to the real lives of modern Lebanese women, caught between traditional values and modern experiences. Caramel reminds us of what it truly means to be human and how it is these seemingly inconsequential moments that map our humanistic experience. A favourite at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Caramel warmed up a full house on a chilly West Coast evening.