Polite Society

Summary: Aspiring stuntwoman Ria (Priya Kansara) trains with the help of her sister Lena (Ritu Araya). When Lena gets engaged after a whirwind romance, Ria must do whatever she can to stop the wedding.

Entertaining genre blender (film divided into chapters, Western-style) with bonkers twist two-thirds of the way in. Hope Kansara goes far.

Rating: 4/5

Photo credit: Anarchic Miscellany

Polite Society (2023) Nida Manzoor

May 27th 2023

Polite Society Trailer

Future stuntwoman and martial artist Ria Khan believes she must save her sister Lena from her impending marriage “After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.” (Focus Features)

Polite Society is written and directed by Nida Manzoor. The film stars Priya Kansara (Ria), Ritu Arya (Lena), Akshay Khanna, Nimra Bucha, Seraphina Beh, Ella Bruccoleri, Shobu Kapoor, Shona Babayemi, and Jeff Mirza.

Polite Society hits theaters on April 28, 2023.

Polite Society - Movie Review

TL;DR – A blast of fun from start to finish, even before the wirework starts flipping people through the air. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this film. Polite Society Review – During the year, there were those films that I meant to see, but circumstances always got in the way of screening or…

View On WordPress

Polite Society

Polite Society    [trailer]

Ria Khan believes she must save her older sister from her impending marriage. After enlisting her friends' help, she attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.

The plot outline is familiar, and the final reveal is a bit much. But the story is told with a lot of energy, aided by great camera work and amusing action scenes with touches of Scott Pilgrim.

And all the female characters are a lot of fun, making this a highly entertaining watch.

'Polite Society' Flies and Kicks Its Way Into Our Hearts

'Polite Society' Flies and Kicks Its Way Into Our Hearts

PICTURED: Someone being polite (CREDIT: Parisa Taghizadeh/Focus Features) Starring: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha, Shobu Kapoor, Ella Bruccoleri, Seraphina Beh, Shona Babayemi, Jeff Mirza, Akshay Khanna Director: Nida Manzoor Running Time: 103 Minutes Rating: PG-13 for Sneaky Bodily Invasiveness Release Date: April 28, 2023 (Theaters) What’s It About?: Ria Khan (Priya Kansara) has her…

View On WordPress

Ciarán O'Brien as Demetrius, Shona Babayemi as Helena, Nadi Kemp-Sayfi as Hermia and Bryan Dick as Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Globe Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, 2021.

Photographer: Tristram Kenton

A Review of ‘Polite Society’ (2023)

Polite Society (2023) is a hilarious and heartwarming action comedy that entertained me for its entire duration. The film follows Ria Khan, a British-Pakistani teenager who dreams of becoming a professional stuntwoman. But she faces obstacles from her traditional family and society. When her older sister Lena decides to marry a wealthy and mysterious man, Ria suspects foul play and tries to stop the wedding with the help of her friends. Along the way, she learns more about herself, her sister, and her culture. The film was written and directed by Nida Manzoor, who made her feature film debut with this project. She does fantastic work with creating a vibrant and authentic world of British-Pakistani culture, with witty dialogue, colorful characters, and stunning visuals. The film also had a great soundtrack by Tom Howe and Shez Manzoor, featuring original songs and remixes of classic Bollywood tunes. The film was inspired by Manzoor’s personal experiences as a British-Pakistani woman who grew up loving action movies and martial arts. She wanted to make a film that represented her culture and identity in a positive and fun way.

The cast is enjoyable to watch! Especially Priya Kansara as Ria and Ritu Arya as Lena. They had great chemistry as sisters who love each other but have different views on life. Kansara was charming and charismatic as Ria. She is fearless, rebellious, and passionate about martial arts. She also performed most of her stunts, which is impressive and thrilling. She has trained with professional stunt coordinators and martial artists over a few months to prepare for the role. Arya is equally brilliant as Lena, who is astute, elegant, and independent. She showed a lot of depth and emotion as she struggled with her identity and choices. She also had a beautiful singing voice that she showcased in one of the musical scenes.

The film also had a lot of humor and heart, thanks to the supporting cast of Ria’s friends and family. Nimra Bucha was hilarious as Raheela, the snooty leader of the Pakistani mothers’ club who tries to set up Lena with her son Salim, played by Akshay Khanna. Salim is a complex and intriguing character with a dark past and a hidden agenda. He was also charming and handsome, making Lena fall for him despite Ria’s warnings. Khanna brought a lot of nuance and charisma to the role. Seraphina Beh and Ella Bruccoleri are adorable as Clara and Alba, Ria’s loyal and quirky friends, collaborate with her schemes. They were both funny and sweet, providing comic relief and emotional support to Ria.

Shona Babayemi is fierce as Kovacs, Ria’s rival at school. She is intimidating and badass but also has a soft side Ria discovers later in the story. Babayemi showed off her skills in boxing and taekwondo in the fight scenes. Shobu Kapoor and Jeff Mirza are endearing as Fatima and Rafe, Ria’s parents, who want the best for their daughters but don’t understand their dreams. They were both loving and strict, trying to balance their traditional values with their modern lives. Kapoor and Mirza had great chemistry as a married couple who bickered but cared for each other.

Polite Society is a fun and refreshing film celebrating sisterhood, diversity, and empowerment. It has a lot of action, comedy, drama, romance, and music making it an enjoyable and entertaining experience. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys original, creative, and uplifting movies.

'Polite Society' Comes to Theaters April 28th

Writer and Director Nida Manzoor’s new film Polite Society comes to theaters Friday April 28, 2023. The film stars Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha, Shobu Kapoor, Ella Bruccoleri, Seraphina Beh, Shona Babayemi, Jeff Mirza, and Akshay Khanna. Here’s the official synopsis: A merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action, POLITE SOCIETY follows martial…

View On WordPress

Twelfth Night pics part deux, © Marc Brenner

Nadine Higgin as Sir Toby Belch, Jacoba Williams as Fabian Michelle Terry as Viola Bryan Dick as Orsino Nadine Higgin as Sir Toby Belch, George Fouracres as Aguecheek Ciarán O'Brien as Sebastian, Michelle Terry as Viola Victoria Elliott as Feste Shona Babayemi as Olivia

Shona Babayemi as Helena and Nadi Kemp-Sayfi as Hermia Ciarán O'Brien as Demetrius and Bryan Dick as Lysander George Fouracres as Puck and Nadi Kemp-Sayfi as Hermia Sophie Russell as Bottom Victoria Elliott as Hippolyta and Peter Bourke as Theseus Sophie Russell as Bottom Nadine  Higgin as Quince George Fouracres as Flute, Nadine Higgin as Quince, Jacoba Williams as Snout and Sophie Russell as Bottom

Photos (c) Tristram Kenton

Victoria Elliott as Titania and Sophie Russell as Bottom Ciarán O'Brien as Demetrius, Shona Babayemi as Helena, Nadi Kemp-Sayfi as Hermia and Bryan Dick as Lysander Jacoba Williams as Snout, George Fouracres as Flute and Rachel Hannah Clarke as Snug Hackney Colliery Band Victoria Elliot as Hippolyta Bryan Dick as Lysander, Peter Bourke as Theseus and Nadi Kemp-Sayfi as Hermia Nadi Kemp-Sayfi as Hermia Shona Babayemi as Helena Nadine Higgin as Quince and Sophie Russell as Bottom

photos (c) Tristram Kenton

Rehearsal pics for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (c) Tristram Kenton

WEDNESDAY IS COMING!

George Fouracres Shona Babayem Prime Isaac Ciarán O'Brien Bryan Dick Sean Holmes Shona Babayemi Sophie Russell Victoria Elliott

Ciarán O'Brien as Puck Nadine Higgin as Fairy Peter Bourke as Oberon Shona Babayemi as Helena and Ciarán O'Brien as Demetrius Victoria Elliott as Titania George Fouracres as Puck Rachel Hannah Clarke as Snug Jacoba Williams as Snout and Ciarán O'Brien as Puck

Photos (c) Tristram Kenton