Two social classes of British Pakistanis find themselves at odds in Polite Society. Based on what I just said, you probably wouldn't guess that Polite Society serves up a mixture of martial arts and Bollywood flash, even making room for a sci-fi twist.
Writer/director Nida Manzoor's zesty comedy focuses on ferociously determined Ria (Priya Kansara), a 17-year-old student who wants to derail the engagement of her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya).
Truculent and focused, Ria hates the idea of arranged marriage, even though Lena is swept away by her fiancé Salim (Akshay Khanna). Ria suspects that Salim's snobby mother (Nimra Bucha) has ulterior motives.
She also believes that Lena should fly solo so that she can continue pursuing a career as an artist, a goal Lena seems to have abandoned.
For her part, Ria aspires to be a stunt woman, a job that will allow her to attain a bit of niche-oriented celebrity.
Could Ria be operating under a cloud of delusion? We wonder. After all, Lena may have hit the jackpot. A handsome, charming doctor, Salim seems an ideal match for any young woman.
Following a sitcom road map, Ria does everything she can to forestall the pending nuptials, including invading a men's locker room with two pals (Seraphina Beh and Ella Bruccoleri).
While Salim works out, the trio accesses Salim's laptop, hoping to find sleazy revelations that might bring Lena to her senses.
The movie can be accused of being a bit derivative and a preposterous third-act plot twist probably goes a little too far over the top. But it's difficult to resist Manzoor's commitment to full-on zaniness, particularly when it's offered at a fast-moving 104 minutes.
Polite Society may not go heavy on social impact but it offers an opportunity to watch a teenager give oppressive tradition a karate-chopping, high-spirited kick in the pants.
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