AUSTRALIAN CINEMAGOERS, it’s
time to check your prejudices at the door
(possibly in more ways than one). Although our
attitude over the years towards homegrown films
has unfortunately steered toward wary scepticism
— sometimes even open hostility — it’s no
reason to dismiss every Aussie film that sees
release. And Ali’s Wedding — hands down one of
the greatest Australian films to come along in
years and a romcom that pulls off the
increasingly rare trick of being both hilariously
funny and genuinely moving — deserves not just
your attention, but swathes of it that will reward
its brilliance with abundant box office success.
Incredibly, the film — which is packed with
almost too far-fetched to believe incidents — is
based on true events from the life of Australian
actor/writer/comedian Osamah Sami, who
co-wrote the AWGIE-winning screenplay with
venerable Australian screenwriter Andrew
Knight (Hacksaw Ridge, Rake, Jack Irish, Full
Frontal, Fast Forward and The D Generation).
Together the pair have crafted a script that hits
all the familiar romcom beats, but in the most
rewarding and refreshing way possible — the film
has such a big, awkward, warm beating heart
that you can’t help but leave the cinema with a
goofy smile plastered across your mug (and likely
a tear or two in the corner of your eye). It’s
a humble film that feels like a small miracle.
The story revolves around young Ali (Sami),
the son of a highly respected, kind and well-liked
Muslim cleric who only wants to live up to his
dad’s expectations and escape his lofty shadow.
This manifests itself as lying about his HSC
results to make it appear as though he has the
grades to get into medical school, which he goes
ahead and studies at regardless of the fact he’s
not even enrolled. Appearing to be on his way to
becoming a successful doctor, Ali’s standing and
eligibility within the Muslim community
skyrockets, and soon he finds himself embroiled
in an arranged marriage with Yomna (Maha
Wilson), the daughter of Haj Karim (Afif), one
of Mahdi’s most fervent followers. Further
complicating matters is Ali’s attraction to fellow
Muslim and (legit) medical student Dianne
(a wonderfully witty Helana Sawires), who Ali
convinces to marry him (a six-week marriage, it
should be said, due to a supposed loophole Ali
discovers in Islamic law). Things obviously begin
to unravel for the sweet and hapless Ali, but not
before his complex list of problems escalate.
Despite the many laugh out loud moments
— Ali playing the lead in the elaborate stage play
Saddam: The Musical; Ali expressing his
optimism at finding acting work by sunnily
stating “They always need us to play terrorists!”
— there are touching moments between Ali and
his father Mahdi, and moments of heartbreak
and tragedy that are treated with sensitivity. The
depiction of the Muslim community in the film is
also one of the film’s great accomplishments:
although a group that have been demonised and
routinely presented negatively in the media, the
film opens the door and exposes the quirks,
humanity and commonalities that are present but
rarely touched upon in public forums. It’s a
much-needed fresh perspective, and one that is
handled with great love and affection — an
accolade that can be applied to this triumphant
film as a whole.
JAMES JENNINGSVERDICT Quite simply, Ali’s Wedding is the best
Aussie comedy since The Castle. Full of heart,
wit and great performances, it’s an incredible
achievement and a credit to all involved.ALI’S WEDDING
DIRECTOR Jeffrey Walker
CAST Osamah Sami, Don Hany, Helana Sawires,
Rodney Afif, Robert Rabiah, Rodney Afif
PLOT After faking his HSC results to impress
father Mahdi (Hany), a Muslim cleric, Ali (Sami)
sets off a chain of lies that includes studying
medicine at uni and beginning a secret romance
— despite an impending arranged marriage.
OUT 31 AUGUST
RATED TBC / 100 MINS
HHHHH
WEDDING
HELL
Ali’s Wedding co-writer
and star Osamah Sami on
the incredible real-life events
that inspired the film...How much of the film is based on actual
events from your life, and how much is
embellished? It’s almost too out-there to
believe in places...
It’s mostly all true. Every event that you see
in the film happened. The scene where I’m
getting questioned at the airport with US
immigration, Homeland Security actually had
us for more than 20 hours — that’s one scene
in the film, so in terms of embellishment, it
actually went the other way for that [laughs].
There’s a few times where we had to shrink
worlds and conflate characters, but in
general it’s all true. Some of the lines in
the film are word-for-word verbatim from
real life. Particularly the bits with the Imam
with the black turban, Sayyed [played by
Majid Shokor]. Like in the film, he really
did say “You’re all beneath me!” and tried
to go off and start his own mosque. Good
luck to him, he’s actually got his own
mosque now [laughs].So you really did try and fake your way
through medical school?
That I did, man. It was a particularly difficult
time in my life, as you can imagine, but there
was no other way — or so I thought. I didn’t
know any better, and all I know is that if I
came out with the truth at the time, it
would’ve meant my father was a failure, and
he definitely wasn’t a failure. But you know
the part of the movie where they came up
with the excuse for me running away from
the arranged marriage was because I was
impotent? That’s all true! They said “We have
to have an excuse” so that no-one thought
there was anything wrong with the girl. There
was nothing wrong with her — she was nice
and beautiful — and they needed to put the
blame on me, so they came up with me being
impotent. I was like “Alright guys, whatever.”So there was a real-life Dianne who
captured your heart, too?
Of course, yeah there was and we were
together for a long long time as well. We got
married, had a couple of kids together. That
all happened when I got engaged — it was all
chaos. But yes, unbelievably it’s all true! JJbonus feature