ARRANGED

RATING 3.5

(Directors: Stefan Schaefer & Diane Crespo, Not Rated, 89 min)

Two smart and beautiful woman are trying to hold on to their family and religious traditions in a modern world – both are working as teachers in an elementary school in Brooklyn. Both are also in the process of having their husbands chosen for them. Rochel (Zoe Lister Jones) is an Orthodox Jew whose parents are finding her a husband through the local "shadchen" (matchmaker). Nasira (Francis Benhamou) is a Muslim woman; her father is the one who is arranging her marriage.

In spite of the fact that there’s a long history of clashes between these two religious, the young women find themselves becoming friends. They are both conservative in their dress and their beliefs and are looked at and commented on for being different, even by Principal Jacoby (Marcia Jean Kurtz), who wishes they both would join the women’s movement and let go of their outdated customs and "costumes".

There are some funny/awkward moments as Rochel meets a parade of less than stellar suitors. Nasira’s first choice is no prize, but she meets Jamil (Sanjit De Silva) and is thrilled with her father’s choice (he even has his own teeth). Rochel believes that arranged marriages can work, but she’s so frustrated with the process and the pressure and guilt she’s getting from her Jewish mother – she’s ready to give up, until she sees that sometimes traditions just need a little help to work out right.

One of the simplest and most effective moments in the film is an exercise the women do in school with their students – a unity circle. It shows how stereotypes and prejudice don’t define us; we have the ability to choose as an individual who we want to include in our lives.

The casting is so perfect for these two young women and they deliver their performances with subtle grace. The scenes that show some of their everyday routine are rich with diversity and culture without ever forcing anything on the audience. This could have easily been over done, but the only parts that don’t work (for me) are when Rochel goes to see a cousin who left the Orthodox circle and the ending, which is a bit too corny and not at all necessary.

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Movie Chick Cherryl:
"This is a beautiful little independent film with some really wonderful messages tucked into a tale of friendship, loyalty, duty, and tradition – 3.5"