A few days ago we watched Caramel (Sukkar Banat), a Lebanese movie directed by Nadine Labaki.
I heard a lot about the movie and read many reviews of it on several blogs, and had wanted to check it out for months before I got the chance to.
The title Caramel refers to an epilation method used in the Middle East that consists of heating sugar, water and lemon juice.
The movie is a romantic comedy that revolves around the intersecting lives of five Lebanese women. Layale works in a beauty salon in Beirut along with two other women, Nisrine and Rima. Each one has a problem: Layale is stuck in a dead-end relationship with a married man; Nisrine is no longer a virgin but is set to be married to a Muslim; Rima is attracted to women; Jamale, a regular customer and wannabe actress, is worried about getting old; Rose, a tailor with a shop next to the salon, is an old woman who had devoted her life to taking care of her mentally unbalanced older sister Lili, but has found her first love.
The film doesn’t refer to any of the political problems or recent warfare that has troubled Lebanon. Rather, Labaki’s tale paints everyday people with everyday problems.
I have to confirm the reviews; I really enjoyed this movie and think it’s a great effort from Nadine Labaki as her first feature film. I totally recommend it to everyone.