Sundance Movie Review: Fun 'Polite Society' Kicks Traditional Romcoms
Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Polite Society , which debuted Friday at the Sundance Film Festival, appears to have Beckham leaning toward martial artists over soccer players. The hero's action-packed interest adds a funny twist to the traditional British rom-com.
Teenager Riya Khan (Priya Kansara) dreams of becoming a stuntwoman when she grows up. Riya is close to her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya), who helps her train and makes movies for Riya to practice martial arts.
Riya's Pakistani parents and British teachers pressure Riya to do something more traditional with her life. When Lena agrees to deal with Salim (Akshay Khanna), Riya won't lose her biggest supporter without a fight.
Ria solves her problems with more punches and kicks than the average British rom-com hero. When fighting, Kansara's impressive moves and stunts belong to the more sophisticated, but you see Kansara's face on camera for most of the choreography.
While the addition of fights sets Polite Society apart from the usual Hugh Grant or Emma Thompson fare, it's still a British comedy about relationships. This is no different in John Wick , and there is even less fighting than the average Steven Seagal film.
But when Riya believes Salim and his family took Lena, it feels more like an action movie subplot than a relationship drama. Riya's confrontation with Selim's mother Rahila (Nimra Bucha) definitely elevates her evil stepmother to the level of a Bond villain.
So when Riya gets into trouble, she has to fight her way out of the situation instead of a comical scenario. The fights are more comedic than martial arts movies, but still fun to watch.
Ria's friends, Clara (Serafina Beh) and Alba (Ella Brucoleri) help Ria in several espionage missions against Salim. They are a charming trio, but unfortunately Alba and Klara also disappear for long periods of time.
As a British marital comedy set in the Pakistani community of the UK, Polite Society also defies its mainstream genre. Ria even performs an Indian dance during the ceremony, so Polite Society has a little bit of everything.
If civil society encourages young audiences to explore the martial arts films that Ria is a fan of, it will be a win. While it gives Kansara and Arya a chance to shine in a female positive rom-com, it's a win and I hope Polite Society isn't the last of its kind.
Focus Features will release Polite Society on April 7 in the UK and April 28 in the US.
Fred Topel, who attended Ithaca College Film School, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012. Read more about his work at Entertainment.
Read more
