Caramel is a 2007 Lebanese comedy drama film directed by Nadine Labaki, who plays one of the leading roles.
The film describes the life of five women living in Beirut. Layale (Labaki), Nisrine and Rima work in a beauty salon. Layale is the mistress of a married man. Nisrine is about to marry a man coming from a conservative muslim family. Rima is attracted to women. Jamale, a regular customer of the salon, dreams of becoming an actress. Rose, an old woman who lives in the neighbourhood, has spent her whole life taking care of her mentally disabled sister.
Caramel provides examples of:
- Bird-Poop Gag: A pigeon poops on Layale's face when she is trying to catch the bouquet at the wedding.
- Bouquet Toss: During her wedding party, Nisrine throws her bouquet and her friends try to catch it.
- December–December Romance: Rose, an old woman, is attracted to one of his customers, an old man who is obviously interested in her.
- Ensemble Cast: The film describes the life of five women: Layale, Nisrine, Rima, Jamale and Rose. There is no single protagonist.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: Rima is attracted to a woman who visits the beauty salon regularly and always asks to get her hair done by her. Rima advises her to get a short haircut, but she rejects the idea, explaining that her husband likes her long hair. In the end, she lets Rima cut her hair short and is very happy about it. This gives a hint that she might admit that she is attracted to Rima.
- The Ghost: Layale's lover plays an important role in the story (he is at the centre of the romantic life of Layale, one of the main characters), but never appears on screen.
- Gratuitous French: All over the place. Bonjour is the most frequent salutation. The beauty salon is named Si Belle ("so beautiful").
- Happily Ever After: The film ends with the wedding of Nisrine and her fiancé.
- Hide Your Lesbians: Rima seems to be attracted to women, especially to a married woman who visits the beauty salon regularly and always asks to get her hair done by her. Nevertheless, the film never explicitly shows that they are in a romantic relationship.
- Honking Arriving Car: Layale's lover honks his horn when he arrives at the beauty salon and expects Layale to go out quickly and get in the car. In the end, when she decides to break up with him, she stays inside and lets him honk in vain.
- Lazy Alias: Nisrine uses a fake identity to register at the hospital where she is having a hymen reconstruction surgery. She claims to be a foreigner named Pompidou, like a President of France, but this funny-sounding name is very unusual, even for a French girl.
- Meddlesome Patrolman: Youssef is a policeman who patrols the neighbourhood and gives parking tickets. Layale never wears her seat belt and always parks where she cannot, so he annoys her. Contrary to the usual stereotype, Youssef is physically attractive and means well. Actually he is secretly in love with Layale.
- The Mistress: Layale is in a relationship with a married man who does not want to break up with his wife.
- Nature Adores a Virgin: Nisrine is no longer a virgin and fears that her future husband will reject her when he will find out about it. Consequently, she has a hymen reconstruction surgery.
- Naughty Under the Table: During a dinner with his conservative family, Nisrine's fiancé begins to stroke her thighs under the table. Nisrine is shocked and makes him stop.
- No-Tell Motel: Layale wants to celebrate her lover's birthday in a hotel. She tries several places, but they ask for the ID's of the guests, so she is reduced to booking a room in a sleazy hotel used by prostitutes. She has to clean the whole room because it is dirty.
- Painful Body Waxing: Layale wants to meet the wife of her lover, so she invites her to get waxed at the beauty salon. The process is painful and it is unclear whether Layale does it on purpose or not. Before the wedding, Rima, the tomboy, gets her legs waxed by her colleagues and complains of pain.
- Previously Overlooked Paramour: Layale saw Youssef just as an annoying policeman. After dumping her lover, she starts realizing that he is attractive and deeply in love wih her. She agrees to dance with him at the wedding.
- Tomboy: Rima has short hair, never wears dresses and does not wax her legs.
- Wrong Guy First: In the beginning, Layale is in a relationship with a married man who pretends that he will leave his wife, but never does. In the end, Layale dumps him and start considering Youssef, who is deeply in love with her, to be a potential love interest.