"A Fond Kiss" traces the romance between Casim Khan (Atta Yaqub), a young Muslim man of Pakistani descent and Roisin Hanlon (Eva Birthistle), a Catholic teacher. Set in Scotland, this makes for an interesting mix of accents as Roisin and many of the other characters have standard Scottish accents, while the Pakistani characters, mostly Casim and his family, have Pakistani accents mixed with Scottish. The crux of the plot revolves around the chance romance between Casim and Roisin and the fallout in both of their circles because of their differences in culture, race and religion.

For a while, because of numerous light, humorous touches and similar themes and plotlines, I thought this film was going to go the path of "Bend It Like Beckham," but it proved to be a deeper, more complex and mature film. As the couple is starting to get to know each other, they talk about and compare aspects of their religion and this is handled in a light and slightly humorous fashion, but without disrespecting either side. To me, this struck me as realistic to the way people first interact when they are romantically interested in each other. Neither side wants to step on toes too quickly, so they extend considerable grace, which is really the only way a relationship can ever be built. When the relationship gets more serious, we begin to see that grace gradually become replaced by realism as the bigger picture outside of the couple becomes evident. As a Chinese from an immigrant family, I could relate to the depiction of the consequences within Casim's family and his dichotomy as he tries to explain to Roisin why his parents feel dishonored and cheated of their work to bring up their family, even while questioning those traditions himself. With one foot in each culture, he truly is torn between the two worlds and, trying to do the right thing for all involved, finds that impossible. Roisin represents the independence and individuality of Western culture, having no family of her own, but film shows that she is also connected to others, and finds herself dealing with the consequences of the relationship at work and with her parish priest.

The film portrays the complexity of multifaceted relationships well, showing the viewpoints of all sides and not vilifying anybody involved and the truths communicated in doing so made the film worthwhile for me.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age