Adam (2019)

August 3, 2023 6:02 PM

Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Touzani's 2019 debut is a quiet, understated exploration of the evolving relationship between 2 women in a poor neighborhood in Casablanca: the unwed, pregnant Samia, who's looking for work and a place to stay, and Abla, a widowed baker with a young daughter. Beautifully and sensually filmed, with excellent performances, a sharp sense of place and a neat thread about baking running through. Trailer. 87% at Rotten Tomatoes.

Hollywood Reporter
LA Times
Filmmaker Maryam Touzani Talks About Her Debut, ‘Adam’

posted by mediareport (2 comments total)

Really loved this movie. Both main actresses are incredible and the story unfolds in such a gentle, even glancing, way, with little reveals about the women's lives coming slowly as their relationship grows. In small part a foodie movie, in small part a slice-of-life look at a Moroccan neighborhood, and a small hint of a possible romance add to the mix, but it's mostly a whole lot of 2 women slowly circling around and then opening up to one another. There's a dance scene that's wonderfully sensual and the whole movie resonates with rich, underplayed emotion.

The slow pace suited me perfectly given the beautiful cinematography, fabulous performances, and quietly written story, though you can see by the audience score at RT that it may not be for everyone. I never felt that the film dragged during the 100 minutes, for what that's worth. The film takes a bit of a turn after the baby is born, increasing the tension to a pitch that at one point near the end became almost unbearable. This one was a keeper.
posted by mediareport at 6:34 PM on August 3, 2023

Oh, meant to add it's free on Tubi and Vudu with ads, and free on Kanopy. Justwatch listing. The ads on Tubi weren't too obtrusive.
posted by mediareport at 6:52 PM on August 3, 2023