June 7 & 8

7 pm Nightly
Matinee Thurs Jun 8 @ 1:30
Rated PG — 1 hr 44 min
Comedy / Advenutre

Polite Society throws, kicks, and punches the genre etiquette book out the window to deliver a fun film that blends Bollywood splendor, Kung Fu action movies, and British wryness. It’s the feature debut from British writer-director Nida Manzoor, and it traffics in several familiar lanes: the coming-of-age high school comedy, a Bollywood movie, the light gravity-bending and slo-mo shots of a martial arts flick. Its particular flavor, however, is immediately distinctive and winning.

Fun to watch throughout – it mashes Jane Austen and the Chuckle Brothers. Ria’s punk attitude is endearing, the action winking and lighthearted, and everyone seems to be having a great time. It’s easy to root for her ultimate transformation into her stuntwoman alter ego, The Fury. The unconventional mannerisms of Ria [Priya Kansara] transform this story from a rote comedy into one that’s elevated in humor, stuntwork, and choreography.

The fight scenes, so amusingly executed by Kansara, serve to dramatize the struggle that women endure – especially the ongoing duel with that certain special in-law. With great central performances, downright contagious energy, and a great story about what it means to be family, Polite Society is a crowd pleaser, and Manzoor and Kansara are certainly talents to watch. It’s a very sweet celebration of sisterhood.

POLITE SOCIETY
June 7th and 8th at 7pm
1:30 matinee, Thursday June 8th
Rated PG, Running time: 1hr. 44min.