Styling in Beirut

THE female characters in the Lebanese film Caramel are older but not always wiser, when it comes to men, than those English teenagers in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.

A scene from Caramel, one of the best films about women you're likely to see this year.

Caramel (M) 4 stars Limited national release THE female characters in the Lebanese film Caramel are older but not always wiser, when it comes to men, than those English teenagers in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.

This very charming movie centres on a hairdressing salon in Beirut, the women who work there and some of their clients. The salon is owned by 30-year-old Layale (Nadine Labaki, also the film's director and co-screenwriter). Like almost all unmarried Christian women in Beirut, Layale lives with her parents, but that doesn't stop her having a secret affair with a married man.

Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri), who works in the salon, is about to marry but she has a problem: she is a Muslim, and she lost her virginity some time ago to another man. She will be in big trouble if, on her wedding night, her husband discovers she is "damaged goods". The only solution is a visit to the hospital for some stitching. Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) also works in the salon, but she is having difficulty defining her sexuality and she's attracted to a regular customer. Like Al Masri, Moukarzel is not a professional actor, but she's very good in this difficult role.

There's also Jamale (Gisele Aouad), a customer older than some of the others who is trying rather desperately to stay young. Finally, Rose (Sihame Haddad), who works nearby as a seamstress, has missed out on marriage because she has dedicated herself to caring for her mentally disturbed sister.

The lives of these women are explored in this very attractive dramatic-comedy; if a film about female friends seems familiar, I can only say that this sweet and touching film shows up all the inadequacies of its American equivalent, Sex and the City. These women face real problems in a society that tolerates different faiths but still demands adherence to a strict code of conduct.

The title refers to the mixture of sugar, lemon juice and water used to remove hair. It all looks rather unpleasant. But of course the concoction also suggests the themes of the film: a mixture of sweet and sour, happiness and heartbreak.

This is quite an achievement for Labaki, who depicts her characters with affection and intelligence. She reveals a lot about the hypocrisies of these communities, both Muslim and Christian, and how contemporary women are forced to deal with and adapt to problems on an everyday basis. It's one of the best films about women you're likely to see this year.