Caramel (2008)
88%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: 1 nomination
Caramel is both an astute cultural study, and a charming comedic drama from a talented newcomer
Caramel is like a warm hug from your best friend – sweet, comforting, and just what you need. This film about the lives of five Lebanese women is a beautiful showcase of the power of female friendship and solidarity. Director Nadine Labaki balances the bittersweet moments with moments of joy and laughter, making for a truly delightful viewing experience. The performances from the amateur cast are expressive and heartfelt, and the lush cinematography and entrancing score only add to the film’s charm. Caramel may not have any geopolitical pretensions, but it doesn’t need them – it’s a universal story about the beauty of life and the bonds that hold us together.
Production Company(ies)
Mooz Films, Cedrus Invest Bank Sunnyland Film
Distributor
Roadside Attractions
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Johnie’s Broiler – 7447 Firestone Blvd., Downey, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexuality, language and violence, all involving teens
Year of Release
1999
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital SDDS
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 36m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 1, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 17, 2008
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Nadine Labaki, Yasmine Al Massri, Joanna Markouzel, Gisele Aouad, Adel Karam, Sihame Haddad, directed by Nadine Labaki, written by Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Rodney Al Haddad, genre Drama, box office performance $1.1M, budget unknown, reviewed by Deborah Ross, David Stratton, Philippa Hawker, Craig Outhier, Moira MacDonald, Andrea Gronvall, Jason Best, Carlos Marañón, Mattie Lucas, Laura Hiros, Julie Washington, MPAA rating PG, produced by Anne-Dominique Toussaint, executive produced by Isabelle Fauvel, original language Arabic, distributor Roadside Attractions, beauty salon, Beirut, Lebanon, women, friendship, love, cultural study, comedic drama, societal expectations, private spaces, homosexuality, adultery, religion, sisterhood, romance, family, life, happiness, support, answers, questions
Worldwide gross: $3,117,085
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $5,595,254
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,139
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 610,170
US/Canada gross: $3,117,085
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $5,595,254
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,773
US/Canada opening weekend: $1,603,425
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $2,878,193
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,164
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $3,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $6,282,598
Production budget ranking: 1,833
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $3,383,179
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$4,070,522
ROI to date (est.): -42%
ROI ranking: 1,634
Yasmine Al Massri – Nisrine
Joanna Markouzel – Rima
Gisele Aouad – Jamale
Adel Karam – Youssef
Sihame Haddad – Rose
Director(s)
Nadine Labaki
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (79) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (74) | Rotten (5)
Caramel is sweet, but it’s never sickly, and it never shies away from how these women have to work round what society has planned for them.
August 23, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
It’s one of the best films about women you’re likely to see this year.
September 26, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
David Stratton
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
Labaki, who co-wrote the film and also stars, maintains a knowing comic tone throughout.
September 19, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/4
Philippa Hawker
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
Wistful tale of friendship and solidarity.
April 4, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
Craig Outhier
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
Delightful.
April 4, 2008
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
Labaki elicits expressive performances from a cast of amateurs, aided by Khalad Mouzanar’s entrancing score and Yves Sehnaoui’s lush cinematography.
March 28, 2008
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
If all this makes the film sound more bitter than sweet, rest assured that Labaki… provides Caramel with moments of joy and laughter as well as tears.
November 4, 2020
Jason Best
Movie Talk
Five ladies teach us to live together in peace in a broken country: the challenge is impossible, but what a good time spent dreaming. [Full review in Spanish]
October 14, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Carlos Marañón
Cinemanía (Spain)
Utterly inconsequential but completely lovely, and is a strong first film for Labaki as a director.
July 6, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
Extraordinary showpiece of the beauty of Lebanese cinema. [Full review in Spanish]
March 16, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Laura Hiros
Rincón de cine
Caramel doesn’t have any geopolitical pretensions. It just wants to show that beauty and friendship are universal.
August 17, 2017 | Rating: B
Julie Washington
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Caramel is filled with more dignity, class, and realism than a Sex and the City could ever muster.
March 5, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Matthew Pejkovic
Matt’s Movie Reviews…
Plot
In a no-holds-barred birthday prank, three of Reagan High School’s most popular girls – Julie, Marcie, and Courtney – pretend to kidnap the most popular, Liz Purr. Courtney shoves a jawbreaker into the victim’s mouth ostensibly to keep her from screaming. Their plan goes awry when the girl accidentally swallows the jawbreaker, choking to death. The cool and calculating Courtney tries to cover the crime but is found out by school geek Fern Mayo. In return for her silence, Courtney transforms the gawky Fern into the stylishly beautiful Vylette, leaving the conscience-stricken Julie out in the cold, threatening to set her up for the girl’s murder if she breaks her silence.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Caramel on Fresh Kernels.
Nadine-Labaki.jpg
