Polite Society
2023movie
People
Where to Watch
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YouTube TVPeacock PremiumYouTube TVNida Manzoor’s riotously funny and action-packed film “Polite Society” is a bold feature debut that defies categorization. At its core, it’s about the power of supportive sisters, but it goes on to critique the limitations of cultural, generational, and gendered expectations all between well-choreographed high kicks and punches.As director and screenwriter, Manzoor savors every ingredient of her film and its possibilities. Beyond the Jackie Chan-esque comic combats or perfectly villainous mother-in-law-to-be Raheela (Nimra Bucha), a lot is happening between the lines.
Director Nida Manzoor’s feature debut mines the conflict between the old and new guard – a familiar trope in British-South Asian cinema – and gives it a fresh twist. By Lillian Crawford.The graphic-novel style of Polite Society in its characterisations shows that Manzoor isn’t ashamed of its lack of realism. While in many ways its themes and ideas are connected to Ayub Khan Din’s play and film East Is East (1999), about a mixed-ethnicity household in Salford, Manzoor maximises on the larger budget of her film.
