The Blue Caftan

Name: The Blue Caftan
Genre: Drama
Released: February 10, 2023
Duration: 118 min
Rating: 83
Cast: Abdelhamid Zoughi, Amira Tiouli, Ayoub Missioui, Fatima Hilal, Kholoud El Ouehabi

2023

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 16 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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7.8

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7.8	Your Score
7.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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The Blue Caftan (US Trailer 1)

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Movie Details & Credits

Strand Releasing | Release Date: February 10, 2023 | Not Rated

Starring: Abdelhamid Zoughi, Amira Tiouli, Ayoub Missioui, Fatima Hilal, Kholoud El Ouehabi, Lubna Azabal, Mariam Lalouaz, Mounia Lamkimel, Saleh Bakri, Zakaria Atifi

Summary: Halim and Mina who run a traditional caftan store in one of Morocco's oldest medinas. In order to keep up with demanding customers, they hire a talented young man as an apprentice. Slowly Mina realises how much her husband is moved by his presence.

Director: Maryam Touzani

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 118 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

G. Allen Johnson

Feb 16, 2023

The Blue Caftan, like its title garment, has a handmade, lived-in quality, an authenticity that marks Touzani — a former journalist making her second feature — a director to watch. Read full review

100

David Rooney

Aug 3, 2022

This is compelling storytelling by any standard, its supple rhythms hypnotic, its atmosphere potent and its prevailing hushed tone and intimate camerawork affording us the closest possible access to three characters who in turn are constantly studying one another. The actors playing those three points of a complicated triangle could not be better. Read full review

IndieWire Christian Zilko

Aug 3, 2022

The Blue Caftan is a film about the many different kinds of love — romantic, platonic, familial, sexual — and the ways they can’t help but intersect at complicated moments in our lives. Read full review

Devika Girish

Feb 9, 2023

Touzani’s film becomes an ode to the many kinds of love that persist, even in an unforgiving world. Read full review

The Observer (UK) Wendy Ide

May 8, 2023

It’s a gentle piece of Arabic-language storytelling, one that softly, slowly enfolds the audience rather than propels them on a journey. Read full review

Tara Brady

May 5, 2023

A triumvirate of superb performances and the warmth of Maryam Touzani and Nabil Ayouch’s screenplay offset the clumsier tropes. Virginie Surdej’s cinematography bathes daylit scenes in golden light to match the thread Halim uses on his petroleum-blue creation. Read full review

Dan Callahan

Feb 10, 2023

It is basically a standard triangle drama that has been stretched out to an interminable length. Read full review

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User Reviews

Brent_Marchant

Feb 26, 2023

Perhaps the biggest question I have in connection with this film is, “Why hasn’t it received far more recognition than it has?” This positively beautiful picture – winner of the Un Certain Regard FIPRESCI Prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival – should have received far wider attention thanPerhaps the biggest question I have in connection with this film is, “Why hasn’t it received far more recognition than it has?” This positively beautiful picture – winner of the Un Certain Regard FIPRESCI Prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival – should have received far wider attention than it has in this year’s awards competitions, including the Oscars. Writer-director Maryam Touzani’s second feature outing tells the tender, touching story of the middle-aged husband and wife owners of a traditional Moroccan caftan shop who take on a handsome young apprentice to help with their backlog of orders, a decision with ramifications that extend beyond the workplace, including those of an amorous nature. This gorgeously filmed, sensitively presented tale succeeds on so many levels that it’s difficult to list them all – a superbly nuanced screenplay, a beautiful background score, gorgeous costuming and exquisite cinematography, to name just a few. It also brilliantly evokes a variety of moods, from romantic to loving to sensual to erotic, all without ever becoming obvious, excessive or tawdry (though don’t be surprised if it opens up the water works at times, so keep the hankies within reach). Then there are the stellar performances of the three principals, all masterfully handled by Lubna Azabal, Saleh Bakri and newcomer Ayoub Missioui. Indeed, how this one got so egregiously overlooked truly escapes me, and I sincerely wish it had been released in time for me to include it on my list of the year’s best releases. It should have rightfully claimed nominations for best foreign language/international film in a number of competitions, given its far superior attributes compared to many of the underwhelming releases that somehow managed to land awards or nominations. It’s rare these days when a film has just about everything going for it, but “The Blue Caftan” certainly succeeds at this and is definitely well worth the viewing time.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

JayMalcolm

Jul 22, 2023

This is a beautifully filmed and affecting story of two men and a woman in love. My only unhappiness was the subtitles, which progressively fell behind the action until there was a lag of 5-6 seconds between reading and hearing the lines. This disconnected the acting from the words andThis is a beautifully filmed and affecting story of two men and a woman in love. My only unhappiness was the subtitles, which progressively fell behind the action until there was a lag of 5-6 seconds between reading and hearing the lines. This disconnected the acting from the words and sometimes you'd hear one character talking while reading the other one's words.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Esprit227

Jun 29, 2023

A wonderful drama with strong human emotions. Excellent acting and directing team

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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