Caramel - lebanese film

A beautifully crafted movie about five women and their lives as it revolves around their beauty salon. The Lebanese film maker Nadine Labaki has put together a beautiful portrait of women in Lebanon(and modern Middle east society in general). It is a story of love, betrayal, longing, desire, and of course fun. The story spans two generations of women, and their quest for love and their everyday struggles.

While Layale ( Nadine) is caught in a triangle between a married man and his wife, Aunt Rose is looking for companionship in her last phase of life. The film moves between joy, jubiliation, betrayal seamlessly. While one of the girls is engaged and getting married, she is also anxious that she is not "pure" and that having lost her virginity; she may face her husband's ire. The women plan to "stitch" her up and prepare her for the wedding. One of the other girls ( Rima) is attracted to a female customer and tries to find joy in her presence.

Jamale is a wannabe actress who is constantly worried about getting old and puts up ridiculous make up all the time. Her paranoia about age is reflected in her behaviour and her constant comparison with other women obviously younger to her.

The mad woman Lillie ( Aunt Rose's elder sister) is lovable in her madness. she adds a bit of comedy to the movie with her crazy antics and demonstration of possessiveness towards her younger sister. Aunt Rose eventually gives up her plans of finding companionship with Mr Charles, one of her customers probably because of Lily. They are inseparable even in their sorrow.


what i liked about the movie is how the director has brought together the intersecting stories of these women and how they negotiate with their lives to find happiness. While none of their lives are picture perfect, they are all striving for happiness and love.

This is perhaps one of the best movies i have seen this year and would highly recommend to everyone. And did i mention the amazing cinematography ?