The plot here, or more accurately the framework for the story, sounds more high-concept than the actual movie. Zain (Zain Al Rafeea) is a 12-year-old (he thinks; he has no birth certificate) who wants to sue his parents for giving birth to him. But the bulk of Nadine Labaki’s drama is a flashback.
We pretty quickly learn why Zain might have a grudge against his mother and father. They live in a run-down-apartment in Beirut where the several children sleep side-by-side on the floor. The ever-resourceful Zain is working multiple jobs, some illicit, and helping support the family; he helps his slightly younger sister hide her menstrual bleeding so his parents won’t marry her off.
It takes a long time before we find out how a poor kid found a lawyer for his case, about the circumstances under which he committed an assault, and what happens to the sister. It’s worth waiting to find out.
Labaki’s story is often heart-wrenching. She aims to draw attention to the lives of people living in desperate circumstances. The parents are not sympathetic or kind, but they too get their say. Zain’s relentless energy and toughness make him an appealing hero and keep the movie from seeming as bleak as it might be. It reminded me a little of Slumdog Millionaire, except that the prize Zain hopes for isn’t money, but only a chance to grow up.
IMDb link
viewed 2019-02-02 5:20 pm at Movies at Lake Worth
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