Product Info

Studio

Focus Features

Director

Nida Manzoor

Genre

Action, Comedy

Rated

PG-13

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

Apr 28, 2023

Film Length

1hr 43min

Purchase From

Polite Society is an entertaining British film based around Indian culture and features a nicely diverse cast. It’s worth watching with its solid amount of action mixed with a good balance of drama and comedy.

The Dream Kick

The film is produced to be a mainstream movie with a good effort made to avoid it being pigeonholed into a single category. The dialogue itself is easily understandable and the story moves along at a nice pace for the viewer.

The film starts with Ria Khan, played by Priya Kansara (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, Bridgerton), a mid-teen girl self training to become a movie stunt double called “The Fury”. She enlists the help of her older sister, Lena, played by Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy, Red Notice), often by the kind of badgering you would expect from close siblings. Lena has wanted to be an artist, though she is now realizing that may not happen for her. Their mother, Fatima, played by Shobu Kapoor (Lady Parts, Citizen Khan), decides to play matchmaker in order to get more acceptance from her group of friends. Fatima makes plans with her Shah Matriarch friend, Raheela, played by Nimra Bucha (Manto, Ms. Marvel), to introduce Lena to her son, Salim, played by Akshay Khanna (Grace, Touch), who is actively looking for a bride. Despite these actors having short resumes, expect to see these talents appear in more movies and shows.

Much to the chagrin of Ria, Lena ends up very attracted to Salim and they start dating regularly. This makes Ria frustrated, having lost her only supporter in her quest to be a stunt double. Ria gets ridiculed by her parents and classmates as the story moves along, which makes Ria more determined than ever to train and gain independence. Ria starts finding trouble for herself as she dives into her “The Fury” persona more and more. She fights with her sister and classmates, and argues with her parents. This all culminates in an attempt to break up her sister’s relationship by breaking into Raheela’s house to plant evidence that would make Salim look like a cheater. Of course, she gets caught, but upon trying to escape, she stumbles upon an odd room in the house which shows her what is really going on with Salim and his mother. Ria now is concerned for the safety of her sister. As Lena is now going to marry Salim, Ria must act fast to stop it. With unexpected help along the way, her plan unfolds with one entertaining folly after another.

It’s indeed a story of sisterly love, even with the occasional over-the-top smashing of heads into glass. Still, the film does have a whiplash turn that takes the otherwise straightforward narrative onto a darker path, a turn which might confuse the audience. Avoiding spoilers, the film could have foreshadowed the upcoming events better to help prepare viewers for it.

The Cinematic Kick

This British comedy film was produced and written by Nida Manzoor. It is also her feature film directorial debut. Before, Nida directed two episodes in the 12th season of Doctor Who as well as all six episodes of the comedy show she created, We Are Lady Parts.

The film’s soundtrack was composed by Tom Howe and Shez Manzoor. Shez worked closely with Nida Manzoor in the 2018 short film, Lady Parts. Tom previously worked on many television series and films such as Ted Lasso, Wonder Woman (2017), and Mulan (2020).

The wedding scene was one of the highlights of the film. While there weren’t any dramatic camera shots, it did well to capture Ria’s rhythmic dancing and the reactions of her nemesis, Raheela. The score used in this scene made it even better with its fast-paced notes.

The Final Kick

Overall, Polite Society is packed with a good balance of comedy, action, and drama, despite a left-turn event that may confuse the audience. The film is different from the superhero-dominated fare in theaters nowadays but is still very much accessible. That would be the polite thing to say, wouldn’t it?

An early screening provided for this review. Polite Society hits theaters on April 28, 2023. Tickets available for purchasing.