Young Women's Stories: Polite Society & Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

Do you want a loving adaptation of a classic American Young Adult novel? Or a completely fresh new tale about a pair of British-Pakistani sisters? Well, either way, have I got something for you.

Polite Society: Written and directed by Nida Manzoor (who I've already waxed poetic about when reviewing her brilliant show, We Are Lady Parts) this is a story about Ria Khan (Priya Kansara) who wants to be a stuntwoman, and her older sister, Lena (Ritu Arya) who is an art school dropout, confines herself to her room all day playing loud emo music, and is almost certainly depressed. When the two women attend an Eid party, Lena is introduced to Salim Shah (Akshaye Khanna), a wealthy doctor, who, as Jane Austen would say, is in desperate want of a wife. They hit it off, but Ria can't shake the feeling that something is very off with Salim and his mother, Raheela (Nimra Bucha - who you may remember from Ms. Marvel!), and that there may be more sinister underpinnings to this relationship.

I won't give anything else away but I was constantly wavering between whether Ria just had a very hyperactive imagination triggered by the potential loss of her big sister through marriage, or whether the Shahs truly were evil. Ultimately, the reason to watch this movie is because it is so brilliantly bonkers and ridiculous. It's clearly a low-budget affair, and the special effects are not going to win any Oscars anytime soon, but there's a ton of amazing stunt choreography while the actors are wearing beautiful lehengas. As far as I'm concerned, the genesis of this entire film is that Nida Manzoor thought to herself, "what if I take a traditional Bollywood dance routine, but had the women in beautiful dresses and jewelry punching and kicking people instead?" 

This is a marvelously fun movie, but if you're a South Asian woman, it is also a deeply meaningful critique of the patriarchy and arranged marriages, and how a woman's worth is measured only by the potency of her womb (if you think that's a weird way to phrase it, just wait till you watch the movie.) It's not fully polished and there are parts when the script starts to sag. But I fully endorse the passion and creativity behind this film and can only hope this is the first in a long string of movies we get from Manzoor that highlight the specific lives of British Muslim women while having such universal appeal.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret: When I was 13, my friend Sam got a copy of this Judy Blume novel from a relative. She read it, then gave it to me, and together, we both giggled at how ridiculous it was and why on earth these American girls were sitting around chanting, "We must, we must, increase out bust!" We were both Indian girls growing up in Bahrain, and nothing about this book felt very relevant to our lived experience. So apart from that hilarious chant, I didn't give it much more thought until I watched this movie, 20 years later, in New York City, with my American friend, Laura. Maybe the most important thing about this story is that I seem to keep sharing it with my best female friends.

Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, who also adapted the screenplay, this movie is an absolute joy. I found myself near to tears multiple times (which might also be because I'm about to get my period - thanks, Margaret). While all I remembered about this book was the preteen angst about puberty, I found myself enthralled by the sub-plot about Margaret's religion and her mother's background. Margaret is played by Abby Ryder Fortson, who is simply astonishing and is perfectly cast, while her mother is played by the always magnificent Rachel McAdams, who does a beautiful job of portraying a woman in 1970 who has just become a suburban housewife and is struggling to find her own identity. Kathy Bates is also excellent as Sylvia, Margaret's very loving, but also very Jewish grandmother, who fully understands the tragedy of moving away from NYC to...New Jersey.

This movie spoke to me on so many levels: as a New Yorker, as an atheist, and as an ex-young girl. It beautifully captures the heightened sensations of being on the verge of puberty and the different emotions these girls go through as they get their periods. When I was younger, I swore I would never forget what it was like to be a kid, and I wouldn't be like all the horrible adults around me who simply could not understand the fever pitch of my daily existence. Well, this movie reminded me of how much I had forgotten and for two hours, I was transported back to the days when the only things I needed to worry about were how much I hated wearing a bra (oh, how little has changed!) and how to avoid the mean girls in school (shout-out to Elle Graham who plays Nancy Wheeler and crushes it with her over-the-top confidence and bitchiness!). 

The movie is also chock-full of excellent classic tunes - I still haven't been able to stop humming Son of a Preacher Man or The Wind. It also features a lovely score by...Hans Zimmer, bizarrely enough. But ultimately, this cast and this marvelous script are all you need to have a great time. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough, regardless of your gender. It has something that will speak to everyone and I will definitely be re-reading the novel ASAP. Join me!