A martial artist-in-training believes she must save her older sister from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, she tries to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.
Director: Nida Manzoor
Cast: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha, Akshaye Khanna, Jeff Mirza, Ella Bruccoleri, Seraphina Beh, Shona Babayem, Sally Ann
Release Date: April 28, 2023
Genre: Action, Comedy
Rated PG-13 for strong language, violence, sexual material, and some partial nudity
Runtime: 1h 43m
Review:
Polite Society is a kinetic blend of genres centered around the love between two sisters. Nida Manzoor's film plays like Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World with it's over the top action sequences paired with a British sense of humor in line with The Inbetweeners. It's inventive and fun even if it’s not consistent throughout but you appreciate the creative energy pulsating throughout the wacky adventure. Manzoor does a fine job of balancing well staged hyper realistic kung fu action and genuine emotion between the primary pair of sisters. Priya Kansara and Ritu Arya's performances make the film work by giving their relationship an air of authenticity even as things get progressively wackier. Kansara imbues the younger sister with a barely contained ferocity which is the beating heart of the film. Arya is a bit more subtle and measured but her expressive energy shines through especially when the two share the screen. Their early scenes together do a lot of the heavy lifting by setting up their emotional connection in a believable manner before the main plot gets moving. Once it does, Nimra Bucha, the mother in law in waiting, is revealed as the villain replete with all sort of creepy Oedipal undertones. Bucha is more than up for the task as she chews up scenery with delicious delight. It all leads to an oddly funny reveal that touches on generational conflict in its own idiosyncratic way that makes you look forward to writer director's, Nida Manzoor, next film.
B
