Sunday, November 2, 2008

Arranged (2007)

Arranged is distributed by Film Movement. FM is almost always the sign that lets you know that you will mostly see a quality film. Plus, there's always a film short included on the DVD.

This is the story of Nasira (Francis Behnamou), a Muslim, and Rochel (Zoe Lister Jones), an Orthodox Jew. Both women teach at a Brooklyn school. Their students expect the two to clash due to the tension between the two cultures. Instead, the two become friends and bond over their shared expectations that they will enter into arranged marriages. There are some lovely friendship moments. This movie was fun to watch, especially as you see them experiencing the process of getting arranged. The relationships with their families during the process are strained. It's not a simple process. You see Rochel's bad meetings with prospective husbands and Nasira's disappointment at her first suitor. Family pressures and disapproval propel the women into a stronger friendship. Nasira is particularly funny and creative. Arranged is interesting on many levels. It might be geared toward women, but the cultural aspects make it fascinating for all.

Directors: Diane Crespo and Stefan C. Schaefer

Country: US

Genre: Dram-Com

Minutes: 90 minutes

Scale: 5

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Brian and I rented thi based on your recommendation. We liked it. Good pick!