POLITE SOCIETY

Polite Society is - deep breath - a sci-fi inflected, martial arts, action, fantasy, heist, comedy film, that takes it influences from Bollywood, Edgar Wright, and the Coen Brothers, with nods to classic British slapstick.

That make sense? Good.

Priya Kansara plays Ria Khan (AKA The Fury), a teenager who aspires to be a stuntwoman, following in the footsteps of her hero, Eunice Huthart.

When her older sister, and art school dropout, Lena (Ritu Arya) meets a Salim (Akshay Khanna), Ria believes that he will cause Lena’s latent creativity to dry up for good, and so begins to draw up a plan to destroy their union.

And then everything goes just a little bit batshit.

The fight scenes - resembling Bollywood crossed with street fighter - are incredibly well choreographed, to the point where every punch and every kick felt like it had hit its target.

And speaking of choreography, there is in the final act a dance number that Is equally captivating and telling of where the characters are, and of what they are feeling. It is a perfect intermission from the rest of the action and a scene that made me wish I understood dance to a far greater extent.

Polite Society is also consistently funny throughout, at times leaning heavily into its inherent silliness. One scene in particular in which Ria and her friends must dress as men (Ella Bruccoleri, as Alba bearing a striking resemblance to Everton manager Sean Dyche) to sneak into the changing room of a gym, is pure farcical fun, and it’s a credit to director Nida Manzoor (in her feature debut no less) that the film manages to blend this style of humour with the other - many - disparate genres and elements at play

While the entire cast play their parts incredibly well, Priya Kansara is a clear standout. Physically she handles the fight scenes like a seasoned professional, and deals with the comedic side with an ease that reminded me a little of Rik Mayall (and anyone that knows me will know just how high a praise that is).

It is, at times, a performance which in other films may come across as over the top, but Kansara clearly has a firm understanding of the tone of the film, and a grasp on her performance within it, meaning that despite everything going on on screen the character never feels like anything but real in its world.

Another shout out needs to go to Nimra Bucha, as matriarch, and potential in-law, Raheela. She takes the role of a pantomime villain and turns in an eminently watchable performance that manages to be funny and threatening in equal measure.

The film does, as films often do, lag a little in the middle; The many genres it is trying to balance getting a little muddled and confused, but it fairly quickly manages to pull it all back as it reveals itself.

It is, if anything, a rare film that I enjoyed even more after it has fully revealed its hand. Once everything that had come before had fallen into place, and the truth of the central mystery emerges, I could relax into the mayhem of the final act.

Polite Society is an exciting new addition to British Cinema. It is inventive, ambitious and announces Nida Manzoor as an electrifying new voice in the industry.

It may be a film that doesn’t quite gel with everyone, but it is hugely important to have people in UK film who are willing to push the boundaries and take risks. It might not always work but for me, for the most part, Polite Society strikes the right note.