Synopsis for
Sukkar banat (2007) More at IMDbPro »

What a nice independent morsel this movie, Caramel, is!!! It is uniquely positioned to fall into the dramedy category (a comedy and drama amalgamation). Heres the plot be warned in advance, there are spoilers so turn back now if you dont want the entire scoop. Caramel mainly centers on the daily lives of five Lebanese women living in Beirut. Layal (Nadine Labaki) works in a beauty salon in Beirut along with three other women. While not completely clear who works there and who is merely a client, it is clear that this is the Waiting to Exhale for the Lebanese. Each female lead has a problem: Layal has a relationship with a married man, Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri) is engaged to be married but we soon learn she did not await the wedding/marriage ceremony to consummate the union, Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) is attracted to a beautiful clent who frequents the shop (a female client) and Jamal (Gisèle Aouad) is worried about growing older and will go to elaborate means to appear younger. Lastly, theres Rose (Sihame Haddad), a tailor with a shop next to the salon. Rose, an older female character, has clearly devoted her life to take care of her older sister who has dementia. But just when her life should be ramping down, she starts to feel a spark of attraction with a male customer that constantly needs tailoring to his suits. Lets explore Layals character a bit more. She is troubled over her relationship with a married man. Moments that are stolen away either in a car parked in a desolate place or moments taken via cell phone while hiding in the bathroom are no longer enough she makes plans to meet him at a hotel for a romantic rendevous but he does not show up . . . leaving Layal in tears, leaning on her friends and finally in a place to notice a young police officer (Adel Karam) that is longing to be her suitor. True insensity develops as the wife of her lover comes into the shop for beauty services. The wife does not know Layals secret but Layal knows who she is. Then there is Rose, who is exhausted and weighted by her duties as caregiver. She was asked on a date by the gentleman customer and she went to the salon to get all made up. Unfortunately, while she was applying her makeup, her sister begins banging on the door as she often does, and then in a heartbreaking scene, it is then that Rose knows that her life will not ever be hers. This is a web of storylines but it is very easy to follow even with the English subtitles. Its daring, given its country of origin and worth the hour and a half spent indulging in this prickly, sweet Caramel.