"a fun film that blends Bollywood splendour and British wryness."
Barack Obama has named Polite Society as one of his favourite films of 2023.
Every year, the former US President lists his favourite books, films and songs.
For 2023, Obama shared his list and included a message that acknowledged the strikes that halted Hollywood.
He tweeted: “Earlier this year, writers and actors went on strike to advocate for better working conditions and protections.
“It led to important changes that will transform the industry for the better.”
Among the list was the British action-comedy Polite Society.
Written and directed by Nida Manzoor in what was her debut feature, Polite Society touched viewers’ hearts in a fresh way.
The film centres around a young Indian girl named Ria Khan (Priya Kansara), who dreams of becoming a stunt woman.
When news of her sister’s engagement turns her world upside down, she embarks on a mission to stop the wedding.
The bond between sisters Ria and Lena Khan (Ritu Arya), is at the heart of this coming-of-age film.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Polite Society had an approval rating of 91% based on 158 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10.
The website’s critics’ consensus read:
“Polite Society throws, kicks and punches the genre etiquette book out the window to deliver a fun film that blends Bollywood splendour and British wryness.”
Earlier this year, writers and actors went on strike to advocate for better working conditions and protections. It led to important changes that will transform the industry for the better.
Here are some films that reflect their hard work over the last year — including some like… pic.twitter.com/TMH9LeQgsT
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 27, 2023
Obama also included films produced by Higher Ground, the production company founded by him and his wife Michelle Obama.
He acknowledged his favouritism to films like Rustin, Leave the World Behind and American Symphony.
Obama wrote:
“I’m biased since these movies were produced by Higher Ground, but these are in fact three of the best films I saw this year.”
Among his ‘other’ favourite films of 2023 included Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which starred Cillian Murphy as J Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who is often called the “father of the atomic bomb”.
The Ben Affleck-directed movie Air, about the origin of the basketball shoeline Air Jordan, also made the list.
AV Rockwell’s A Thousand and One, about a woman who kidnaps her son from the foster care system, was one of Obama’s favourite films of the year.
Barack Obama’s inclusion of an Asian film comes a year after he did not include RRR, which received widespread acclaim in the United States.
At the time, Indian social media users urged him to watch the SS Rajamouli superhit, stating he would “love it”.
Watch the Polite Society Trailer
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