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What do you think of when you hear Saudi Arabia? I know I would have thought of a merciless, authoritarian state where women are subjugated and sharia law reigns supreme. Never would I have expected a Saudi Arabian woman to make one of the most thought-provoking films that I’ve seen in a long time (although now that I say it, maybe I should have?). 

 

Since commercial cinemas weren’t legalised in Saudi Arabia until 2018, I had no idea what to expect from my first Saudi Arabian film experience. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how politically challenging (and highly entertaining) The Perfect Candidate was. Directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour, this is an exceptionally honest film giving us a peek behind the curtain of the Saudi Arabian middle class, exploring issues of sexism, social progress and electoral politics.

 

The Perfect Candidate is set in a suburb of Riyadh and centres around Maryam (Mila Al Zahrani), a young female doctor who, due to several administrational roadblocks and mishaps, ends up running in her local election. Her message is simple, she just wants to fix the terrible road in front of the clinic she works in, which, despite previous demands, is ignored by the inept local authorities. Chaos ensues as Maryam enlists the help of her reluctant sisters while their father is away touring with his band. No one around Maryam believes she can win, and the public are disgusted by her ‘insolent’ attitude, however, as her campaign gains momentum, people start to come around to the idea that a woman could unseat a man on the local council.

 

I really enjoyed The Perfect Candidate, and its setting of Saudi Arabia makes it a fascinating film from start to finish. We always see Saudi Arabia on the news, but I never realised how little I knew about it at ground level. After hearing the horror stories, I didn’t even know women could be doctors there – the same way I was surprised by how nonchalant the film was in showing female characters without their hijabs or niqabs. 

 

Sexism is the primary issue of this film and Al-Mansour does a great job of showing how sexism operates on both a systemic and an individual level. The Perfect Candidate is also far funnier than I expected, balancing the comedy and the drama very well. The manic interactions between Maryam and her two sisters at home got a few laughs out of me and there are a few great moments showing the absurdity of gender segregation. The film is genuinely moving and I really cared about Al Zahrani’s character – I couldn’t believe it was her debut performance.

 

The commentary on the intersection of Saudi Arabian and Western culture is intriguing; we often see local and western clothing side by side, or at one point we see the father’s traditional music juxtaposed with the fast food restaurant his band are playing in front of. In general, conflict between transnational change and tradition is at the fore.

 

From a visual point of view, The Perfect Candidate looks okay, but not outstanding. Its cinematography is conventional, but the novelty of its setting is a major advantage – you typically only see desert landscapes in genre films. This isn’t an experimental art film; it’s not trying to reinvent the wheel; it’s just telling a story (which I enjoyed and that’s what mattered).

 

However, a lot of the criticism I’ve seen so far complains that its plot is a bit too simplistic, but I didn’t think that was an issue. Although at times the strings of the story are visible, I was invested in the characters throughout and was never bored. Every set up has a satisfying payoff and there isn’t much more I could ask for. The film is quite western in its typical construction, but classical narrative is classical for a reason.

 

My main issue with the film is that it feels a little too long. I kept thinking it was going to end and then there’d be another scene. These scenes weren’t filler nor were they boring, but I think the plot just had one or two too many set ups that needed a payoff, which ultimately hurt the pacing.

 

From a political perspective, it’s great to see that there is a frustrated middle class in Saudi Arabia, but there’s a catch. While it’s clear that Al Mansour is a controversial figure among the people, the film was partially funded by the Saudi Arabian government. While The Perfect Candidate is highly critical of the current regime, the butchering of Jamal Khashoggi is a grim reminder that free speech in Saudi Arabia is entirely on the government’s terms. Either way, one subversive film can’t cause radical societal change overnight (unless it’s Joker (Phillips, 2019) of course).

 

Overall, I can’t recommend The Perfect Candidate enough. It’s very accessible and will definitely leave you with something to think about afterwards. It certainly changed my worldview. It’s eye-opening to see the experience of regular Saudi Arabian people and it’s great to support thought provoking international cinema.

The Perfect Candidate (Haifaa Al-Mansour) was scheduled to open at the IFI on March 27.