POLITE SOCIETY (2023)

POLITE SOCIETY (2023)

Tagline: Big Trouble, Little Sister.

(Action, Independence, How Not To Pick A Bride) [PG-13]

In this one Ria and her sister Lena are very close but on two completely separate paths. Ria is a demanding type who really wants to be a stunt woman. Lena is so disillusioned with becoming an artist that she’s essentially given up on life and only pops up to do things when forced. At a big event their mother’s friend Raheela is throwing it becomes clear that Raheela’s son is seeking to marry and takes a quick liking to Lena. Not only does this take Ria by surprise, but she is also determined to do whatever it takes to stop her sister's blooming courtship. 

First off for me, this was one of the biggest surprises of the year so far. I honestly was not expecting too much. The previews looked fun, but I wasn’t expecting a comedy, and for the most part, this isn’t really a comedy. There are a few haha moments, but this wasn't meant to DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS funny. What I was expecting was a lot of martial arts fighting and in that regard, this thing brings just about a perfect amount of that for a film that really seems more like a pot-shot at arranged weddings than anything else. Arranged weddings are something I'm actually familiar with in real life. No not for me, settle down. One of my great friends is from India and his brother actually picked out his wife before he ever met her. They have been happily married for 13 years as of the writing of this review. I don’t think the family in this film is from India, but it’s a similar concept. Anyway – in the film Ria is just not having any of it. She and her friends are very against the patriarchy but that is really just based on the fear of losing her sister. Well at least at first. 

I am not going to give plot points you couldn’t get from the previews away, but this thing is a freakin whimsical blast. I do understand the complaints I have read in reviews, but as per usual, I just don’t agree. I really don’t think we had any wasted scenes in this or any plot points that didn’t need to be there with the exception of one subject that kept coming up. It just felt like the script could have skipped a few things and we would have gotten the idea. Both Ria and Lena go through some character growth and we even get some of that between Ria and her nemesis from school. 

What I did not expect was how gloriously off the wall this thing was going to be and the plot definitely goes from mostly reasonable to completely insane in the last act. It’s just really freaking awesome. This kind of comes across as a mash-up between a more realistic SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD and MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING. Only, of course, no one in this movie is Greek that I know of. 

Acting wise I was already a fan of Ritu Arya who most people probably recognize from the TV show “The Umbrella Academy”. She was also in RED NOTICE in case you haven’t seen that show. She is great in this thing and to be honest I was more a fan of hers in this than I was her younger sister Ria. Ria is played by Priya Kansara who I think has a lot of promise. She doesn’t have a long credits list right now, but is probably most famous for the TV show “Bridgerton”. I am not familiar with Seraphina Beh who plays Clara or Ella Bruccoleri who plays Alba but they are the type of friends I think everyone should have, unless you’re a total clown… then no. Stop being a clown, then get friends. 

What really stood out in this for me was the score and near-perfect soundtrack. The cinematography isn’t always fantastic, but it does the job and overall this thing has characters I am rooting for which is always a big plus for me. 

I have to give this one a 6 out of 7. There was literally no one in my showing aside from me but I was pleasantly surprised; this thing is fantastic, not perfect, but really just a lot of fun. This is a movie I wouldn’t mind owning. 

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