Caramel

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.