Caramel
Caramel ??? Sukkar Banat 2007 (PG)
Modernity collides with custom as five women, portrayed mostly by local nonprofessionals, lament on issues involving sex, religion, and family at a beauty salon in Beirut, Lebanon (where apparently the titular sticky-sweet treat is used to remove unwanted hair). Even when it gets a bit soapy, actor/writer/director Labaki (a stunner both in front of and behind the camera) deftly winds the personal and cultural impact of each woman's dilemma into a story of universal sisterhood. The result is a cut above most Western chick-flickery, with a refreshing lack of Hollywood gloss. 95m/C DVD . FR Nadine Labaki, Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel, Gisele Aouad, Sihame Haddad, Aziza Semaan; D: Nadine Labaki; W: Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Rodney Al Haddad; C: Yves Schnaoui; M: Khaled Mouzanar.
