A comedy and romance movie about a man who has lied a white lie but it is out of control. He finds himself trapped between the arranged marriage which is arranged by his father and the girl he loved. Who will he choose?
Ali's Wedding works because it doesn't feel the need to compare cultures or focus on the differences. Instead, it chooses to look at how similar we all are, when we're all a bit of a dopey, smitten kitten.
To be frank, Ali's Wedding can come across as a bit plain when compared to the recent culture-clashed rom-com triumph of The Big Sick, but it remains a fine effort nonetheless.
While it's nice to praise a movie for good intentions it's what ends up on screen that matters. In the case of Ali's Wedding what begins with a solid premise and the promise of a cross-cultural rom-com descends into a scrambled, sexist mess.
Much of the film's success is down to [Osamah] Sami's winning performance. He's completely charming as a more nerdy version of himself and he gets good comic support.
Ali's Wedding neatly strips away the solemnity enveloping that lead balloon of a word "multiculturalism." There's a joyously comic lack of inhibition here and, even better, we're told it's largely a true story.
Ali's Wedding by contrast gets its big laughs from authentic insights into the complexity and contradictions inherent in Islamic communities, with a wisdom about human nature that hits a universal sweet spot.
At a time when Muslims tend to be absent from our screens bar in the most tragic and brutal scenarios, the idea that these characters have the compassion and courage to work through their significant issues autonomously drives the film's feel good energy.
That it all unfolds so naturally has much to do with the presence as co-writer of screenwriting veteran Andrew Knight, whose credits range from TV's Seachange to Mel Gibson's recent war film Hacksaw Ridge.
It explores the blend of Middle Eastern and Australian culture within this country but also tells an amusing, family-driven tale that most will appreciate and celebrate, regardless of their background.
This is a film in which you will hear a letter read aloud, with a voice-over saying the words "you dared to dream", delivered without irony. It is, as they say, what it is.
An entertaining and educational comedy of romance and culture, Ali's Wedding offers an intimate insight into Australia's Muslim community through one man's romantic misadventures.
Walker's debut mines rapid-fire laughs and bountiful heart from a story of romantic misadventure set in train by a young man desperate to live up to his father's expectations.
