Written by: Nida Manzoor
Starring: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha, Akshay Khanna, Seraphina Beh
Rating: [3.5/5]
Each culture engrains a specific expectation of those within to participate in traditions that will make elders proud, as these practices go back generations. As time goes by, some youngsters may find the practices archaic and fight back, even with all the resistance they face. Typically, these protestations happen through conversations, but as seen in Polite Society, at times these confrontations must occur through hand-to-hand combat. Wildly fun in its presentation and passion, this feature delivers on its fun premise as it reinforces the love between two sisters.
Having no intention to be set up in an arranged marriage when she reaches adulthood, Ria (Priya Kansara) has a strong passion for martial arts and one day working as a stuntwoman. She seeks to gain the attention of her idol but must contend with the fact her older sister, Lena (Ritu Arya) has agreed to an arranged marriage set up by her parents, but Ria has her suspicions the groom side of the family has more sinister intentions in mind.
Blending reality with action, Polite Society leaves many moments where we need to take seriously what we actually see on-screen. This becomes evident because of the full-on martial arts battles that transpire between these characters. Sure, Ria has a passion for it, but when she genuinely gets involved in fist fights with characters no one would expect would fight. It then becomes obvious how these moments serve as a visual representation of these verbal battles that add a level of entertainment and something refreshing to this story, and certainly dramatizes it in some fun ways.
At its core, this story centers on a teenaged girl who seeks a different lifestyle than those in her culture would prefer, and she wants her and her sister to fight back against it. Lena does not have as much of a problem with it than her younger sister. We could easily see a story like this play out in a familial drama of Ria trying to convince her sister of the opposite, and how she finds out the family she will marry into may not have the best intentions for her. However, infusing the action this film does through the fight choreography Ria has a passion ramps up the energy and demonstrates who has the power in these circumstances not through a social hierarchy but rather converting it to physical strength.
With the decision made to utilize this method of delivery, this feature displays great fight sequences to boot. It serves as the foundation of what makes this film ultimately stand out, and the kinetic energy it brings ultimately helps it do so. It brings this frenetic style that allows the comparisons of this film to Edgar Wright films to make complete sense. From the jump cuts to the action, it has that similar feel, but it contains its own uniqueness as deserved. This style then gets injected into Indian culture, how they dress, and just how seriously the idea of marriage into a good family means to them. The fact Lena will marry someone who’s a doctor while hilariously ignoring the red flags Ria can see really adds that extra comedy to the situation and emphasizes the cultural emphasis on specific characteristics.
When watching this film one could not help but appreciate the start of a bright new voice in the world of filmmaking, and we have another instance with Nida Manzoor who both wrote and directed this feature. Films like these further exemplify what makes the Sundance Film Festival so important seeing as Manzoor gets the opportunity to showcase her talents, and she does just where she can highlight her culture from the dress and the relational dynamics making for quite the entertaining medley as a result. We get to witness some fun performances from the lead actors Priya Kansara and Ritu Arya but also the supporting ones from Ria’s parents, her classmates at school, and of course, Nimra Bucha portraying such a fun villainous character as Lena’s potential mother-in-law. Each of these characters positively contribute to this narrative succeeding and having the necessary charm that makes each moment shared between these characters entertaining but also meaningfully impactful on a societal and relational level.
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