Wadjda

Haifaa Al Mansour is the first Saudi woman to write and direct a feature film. And it's a superb effort, weaving a tale that carries political bite but makes its points through the eyes of children. On the surface, Wadjda is a lightweight fable about a 12-year-old tomboy who challenges societal expectations with her desire for a bike. But the story is meant to convey a general indictment of the treatment of women in fundamentalist Islamic society. Waad Mohammed, a bright-eyed girl with a winning smile, stars as the title character, confronted by turmoil at home (her father wants a son, and is considering taking a second, younger wife in order to sire one) and at school, where she receives stern looks from a principal who insists on absolute female propriety. But Wadjda suddenly earns academic approval by excelling in a contest centered on the Koran, although—of course—the principal isn't aware that the girl's dedication arises from her hope of winning the prize money to buy a bicycle. Mansour's film isn't shy about driving home its criticism concerning the subservient status of Saudi women, adding myriad subplots to Wadjda's story, but she wisely subordinates the adult-oriented narrative threads to the central tale of the girl, who learns that even though she may enjoy a passing small triumph, she remains part of a culture in which females are constrained by custom and law. By turns uplifting and realistic, charming and caustic, this is highly recommended. [Note: Blu-ray/DVD Combo extras include audio commentary with writer-director Haifaa Al Mansour, a Directors Guild of America Q&A with Al Mansour (39 min.), a “making-of” featurette (34 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: an excellent extras package for a powerful foreign film.] (F. Swietek)