Every so often a movie comes along that whets the appetite. It reminds you not only what interesting storytelling can do, but also that the mold can, in fact, be shattered. In its trailer, Polite Society shatters that mold. With a bright flair for not only drama but martial arts, it manages to look and feel completely and utterly original. That’s hard to do in movies right now. Would this hold true for the film? Or would it blow the landing? Read on.
Polite Society follows two sisters, aspiring stunt performer Ria (Priya Kansara) and struggling artist Lena (Rita Arya). They’re as close as two sisters can be. However, when Lena falls into a successful arranged courtship that speeds toward marriage, Ria quickly realizes everything isn’t as idyllic and romantic as it seems. Seraphina Beh, Ella Bruccoleri, Shona Babayemi, Akshay Khanna and Nimra Bucha co-star in the movie. Nida Manzoor directs the film from her own script.
Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh / © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
Writer and director Nida Manzoor tackles something interesting in Polite Society. She crafts a work that feels wholly original, yet heartwarmingly rooted in a love of nostalgia and pop culture. This, it seems is Manzoor’s passion. While the director is new to the feature film world, she’s been coming up in television at a fast and furious pace. She’s best known for creating We Are Lady Parts and even directing episodes of Doctor Who. Nida Manzoor understands pop culture.
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One of the characters in Polite Society tells us early on, “Tropes are tropes because they work” and Manzoor isn’t afraid to bask in the love of her influences. Polite Society smoothly integrates nods to movies like The Terminator and Kill Bill. Though, the numerous references never feel overwhelming or see the film drop into parody.
Rather, Polite Society combines these tropes with a universally accessible storyline to ensure its surprisingly high-concept narrative hits audiences on a number of levels. Even though this occasionally fantastic, borderline over-the-top martial arts story isn’t the easiest to relate to, Ria and Lena strike a chord. They go through universal feelings of love and loss which most have experienced.
Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh / © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
Ultimately, Manzoor’s script is a story of two sisters and this is certainly where Polite Society shines. This narrative, as well as Kansara and Arya’s relatable chemistry, sells the emotional weight of everything happening on screen. These characters are beautifully human.
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At the same time though, it is thanks to Ria’s imagination that the movie is able to explore a high-concept, wacky narrative. However, throughout most of the film the action feels exactly like that… imagination. Is this happening in Ria’s head? Is this a well-crafted allegory? Really, it isn’t until deep in the second act that the overarching story fully takes shape. In the grand scheme of things, while the final act is delightful, it ends up feeling a bit quick as the film is currently structured.
This has the added consequence of standing in the way of Lena’s character development. While Arya is great in the role and she shines alongside Kansara, she doesn’t have a heck of a lot to do for most of the runtime. In this, the character loses the active punch she could certainly bring had other stylistic choices been made.
Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh / © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
For much of the second act, Lena is a young woman in love. She’s oblivious to anything which doesn’t involve her fiancé. Love happens and as the film often reminds us, Lena was lucky enough to find not only a doctor but one that is incredibly “fit.” In fact, much could also be said about how delightful Akshay Khanna is as the squeaky clean, ridiculously good on-paper Salim.
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However, as the story continues, it seems Lena might not be as clueless as she appears. There are hints to plenty of interesting character work throughout the early acts, but much is downplayed, likely in the interest of preserving narrative mystery. While it certainly is a joy to watch, it also leads to the feeling that Lena could be so much more on-screen.
The struggles with the narrative lead to a push and pull which does have the potential to detract from the film’s delightful high points. This is a high-concept, family drama, martial arts film. That sentence shows us, this a complicated, convoluted blend of disparate tones. For those who aren’t feeling any particular piece, it has the potential to be a long slog to get back to the fun stuff.
Credit: Saima Khalid / © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
When Polite Society gives into its silliness and plays in its martial arts world, this is an impeccably top-notch film. The stunt work and the stylistic elements meld seamlessly to create some mind-blowingly beautiful action sequences. The only problem, there aren’t nearly enough of them.
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When all is said and done, Nida Manzoor comes on the feature film scene with Polite Society and shows not only presence but a flair for fun and originality. Polite Society is a decisive debut showing a filmmaker with a formidable future. Let’s look for more to come from Manzoor and company in the years to come!
Polite Society opens in theaters April 28, 2023.
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