Review of Caramel (2007) by Jo D — 26 Mar 2008

This is a little film that covers familiar territory, but does it in a charming, fresh way. It focusses on a hair salon in present-day Beirut, where the lives of five women intersect. Director Nadine Labaki concentrates on the day-to-day challenges they face as women living in a culture which is caught between the past and the present.

You won't find any big Hollywood-type moments or neatly wrapped-up endings, but I think this film is all the better for it. Some might call it a "chick flick", but I call it good storytelling, period.