WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW
First, the Recap:
AWKWARD!! Does anyone at ALL really relish any situation that ends up offering the potential for embarrassment, humiliation, or ridicule? If so, I must say I might question one’s sanity. As human beings, we ultimately long for everything to go smoothly, without incident, and be filled with demonstrated understanding. Yeah, right! NOW, welcome to the REAL world! It’s the most wonderful time of the year, for many anyway–Christmas. At the Pakistani Muslim Syed home on Christmas Eve, it means the annual gathering featuring games, frivolity, and fellowship. So, when youngest daughter Noor (Kausar Mohammed) shows up with her new Puerto Rican beau Luz (Vico Ortiz), it’s up to Noor’s family, especially elder sister Soraya (Meera Rohit Kumbhani), to determine exactly HOW they’re going to handle it–which may not be all that well and the holidays might never be the same again!
Next, my Mind:
SURPRISE!!! Pass some STRONG chai, please!!! This would seem to be the cornerstone and underlying thematic gist that could initially sum up the highly entertaining, sharply witty, playfully wry, yet wholly relevant journey this 11-minute excursion into family drama during the holidays exhibits thanks to director Fawzia Mirza, writer/producer Kausar Mohammed, co-producer Krystal MacKnight, and executive producers Nitasha Sawhney, Kulmeet Dang, X. Eyee, and Lisa Henderson. Screening in advance of the film’s Texas Premier at the 2022 DFW SAFF sponsored by Toyota USA and hosted by Jingo Media Founder/Festival Director Jitin Hingorani and Artistic Director Ambica Dev, part of the Pakistani and LGBTQ Programming during the event weekend, we are entreated to the realities faced far more in this contemporary age when the larger acknowledgement of the queer community may be increasing in the South Asian realms, but is still far from being a non-controversial topic.
This critic, overall, continues to hold to the fact that films covering this particular lifestyle choice aren’t necessarily a favorite preference, either. But, once more, the creative beauty and artistic sense that indie filmmakers bring to the table trumps this via showcasing a well-executed narrative that has a wealth of grander elements anyone can relate to, hence rising above its foundational core themes while still perfectly maintaining its purpose boldly and unapologetically. Following a young woman who brings her new girlfriend home to meet the folks and be a part of annual tradition during the Christmas holiday, the project smartly weaves a healthy mix of edgy comedy and drama into its unfolding events with a fervent tenacity and unveiled intent (as hinted at just a sentence ago), but does so in a manner that speaks to a multitude of subjects ranging from change, familial relationships, misplaced perceptions/assumptions, cultural and societal stigmas/traditions, unacceptance, and disdain of that which we are choosing not to even try to “see”.
On a wider scale, the film also illustrates how we handle the unexpected as well as our tendency to initially overthink how things might unfold when in the meantime others are doing their best to convince us all will be ok and to relax. In this context here, it’s the couple who represents this struggle, even more emphasized by how they each then choose to react (within fully understandable reasoning) when things from the start begin to fall apart and confrontation in some form is inevitable. Subsequently, it all sets up the film’s final act, where the results are very feasible, realistic, and satisfying given all the chaos that has ensued up to that point. Again, this is evidence of intelligent writing and adept directing of the narrative so that it never comes across as forced or pretentious in its delivery but rather provides a very relatable atmosphere that draws us into everything we witness and allows us to find both pleasure and tangible lessons to be learned from it, a mark of indie cinema’s approach in my experiences.
Mohammed is wonderfully grounded and completely believable in her role as Noor, a gay Pakistani Muslim woman who’s about to usher in an entirely new era into her family’s annual holiday game night by introducing everyone to her new girlfriend Luz. Nervous and overwhelmed in her mind with all the “dos and don’ts” she’s desiring Luz to follow, it doesn’t take very long for the circumstances to go south, more so when an unanticipated guest arrives that really throws things into a tizzy. Yet, despite all her agitation with how the family is tackling Luz’ presence and the relationship it all represents, it opens up potential for better understanding and reconciliation between everyone–IF they’re allowing it to occur. It’s excellent watching Mohammed bring Noor through this storm of unease, and its performed with poise and grace throughout. Likewise, Ortiz delivers a performance that is filled with both bravado and rightly placed vulnerability that ensures the character’s overall confidence is never in question through her portrayal of Luz.
Luz is a strong, carefree, and self-assured woman who more than tries to help put her beau in a more settled state once they arrive at the family home, with no more expectation than to be her outgoing self and enjoy meeting everyone. When this goes sideways off the bat, Luz still finds the means to do her best to just go with it and let the festivities, awkward as they may be initially, carry her along. It all seems to be good until the arrival of Noor’s eldest sister who then truly puts the evening in jeopardy, putting Luz in the hot seat. How things continue from there is awesome to watch, and Ortiz nails Luz’ “I’m SO trying to be patient and work with this with a smile on my face!” attitude with such realistic and often comedic style and energy. Kumbhani absolutely embodies the uppity, judgmental, non-accepting air of intolerance through her role as Soraya, the highfalutin older sister of Noor whose unannounced arrival to the home marks a major turning point in the evening when she immediately cuts into Luz at every chance she gets.
Insistent on making a mockery of Luz in front of the family, even with Noor’s building chagrin with her, Soraya puts out a final challenge to Luz that could make or break her final opinion and/or approval of her. It’s quite a showdown of wills between the two, with Soraya also trying to maintain her connection with Noor in spite of it all. It’s beautifully performed, with Kumbhani I can only imagine relishing the opportunity to play a character so deliciously arrogant and bigoted but yet could still end up revealing really has a heart and admit she was wrong. Pia Shah arrives as Noor and Soraya’s somewhat longsuffering mother Kiran, who also has her objections to Noor’s relationship but doesn’t totally seem to want to be the proverbial “bad guy” in things, but states her mind here and there yet seems to leave the more direct jabs to Soraya’s unflinching, fearless manner. Yet, Kiran IS still their mother, and that shows through as the story progresses, well enacted by Shah.
Other supporting appearances are made by D’Lo as Kiran’s husband who seems more like a big kid out for nothing but a good time than an adult with priorities beyond a certain extent and Anjali Kaur as Saira. So, in total, “The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night” stands as another example of how independent filmmakers can take subjects that could still be seen as controversial and turn them into unmitigated works of cinematic art that cause us to SEE the film and its narrative’s resolve for what it is rather than assume, due TO a given theme, that it “won’t be for me”. Here, the LGBTQ-based concept is plainly present, but whether you agree or disagree with that lifestyle choice isn’t even the point. The story elevates us to one that comes down to accepting the love and support of family and our need as a world to find the means to unify enough so that differences don’t have to come down to hate, anger, or division. Plus, we’ll just have a load of FUN watching a well-crafted piece of indie filmmaking while we’re at it, eh? Perhaps a spot of chai as well?
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
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