I blame the movies for the tense, wilful shiver I feel at every wedding ceremony I’ve ever attended – when the priest or officiator opens the floor for objections, and a few seconds of awkward, semi-amused silence ensues. What a chaotic thrill it must be to speak up in that moment! I never would, of course, and have never seen anyone else do so. But in cinema, nuptials are made to be sabotaged as often as not, and by forces more malicious than the tepid British summer. The “stop the wedding!” film is virtually its own subgenre. Nida Manzoor’s fizzy, raucous comedy Polite Society is a pleasingly unusual addition to its ranks.
The wedding targeted in Manzoor’s film isn’t a victim of romantic discord or envy. Instead, it’s the bride’s sister who simply believes it’s a bad idea all round. Martial arts-obsessed London teenager Ria (a delightful Priya Kansara) looks up to her older sister, art student Lena (Ritu Arya), seeing them both as rebels against cultural and familial convention. When Lena drops out of art school and gets engaged to a seemingly nice, respectable boy, Ria feels positively betrayed. Only one thing for it: to stop the wedding, in increasingly kick-arse fashion. It’s an anarchic but endearing quest, and outlandish wish-fulfilment for any viewer who has wanted to advise a loved one against marrying a total rotter, but didn’t dare.
