Just Like a Woman

Synopsis: Mona (Golshifteh Farahani), 26, an immigrant from North Africa, runs her in-laws' mini market in Chicago. She's married to Mourad, a man who can't stand up to his authoritarian mother. Mona is harassed by her mother-in-law because after five years of marriage, she hasn't been able to get pregnant, something that's considered a shame and a taboo in her culture. Marilyn (Sienna Miller), 29, is a receptionist at a computer repair company. Her marriage with Harvey is on the ropes. The only thing in her life that makes her happy is her belly dance class, a passion shared by Mona. Dancing at family gatherings lifts her spirits up and makes her forget the misery of her daily life. Marilyn shops at Mona's mini-market. They've become friends. One morning, Mona's mother-in-law is found dead in her bed. Mona realizes that she mixed the wrong dose while preparing her medicine. Realizing that she might be accused of murder, Mona runs away and flees Chicago by bus. Marilyn loses her job because of t
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Rachid Bouchareb
Production: Cohen Media Group
  2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
5.5
Metacritic:
39
Rotten Tomatoes:
7%
R
Year:
2012
87 min
Website
137 Views


(silence)

(Woman)

Give them some time.

You cannot rush things.

Your time is not God's time.

The Lord works in very

mysterious ways.

You can get up now.

I've left some

herbs now this evening.

Yes. You are to boil those herbs.

Yes.

She has to drink it

right before she goes to be

with her husband, okay?

This is

very important... okay?

$150, God willing, you'll

be a grandmother soon, Nishalla.

(man)

Oh, no.

(man)

Oh, it's just kids.

Let's get inside.

Hey...

(woman shouting)

Okay, okay,

it's clean.

Hey.

Morning.

If that was my

mother-in-law...

Do it for me.

(music playing)

Stop it.

(woman)

$6.00

Bye.

Bye.

Bye! (woman) Bye.

(music playing)

(phone ringing)

Hello?

Just a second please.

Frank?

(Frank) What can I do for you?

Line two.

What line?

Two.

Okay, I got it.

(jingling)

(phone ringing)

Hello?

(man) And up, around and

chest two, three and four.

And hips two, three

and four around and...

and four.

And hips two, three

and four, good.

And one and four.

Now hips, one...

four, shimmy and one.

four shimmy again.

One, four, shimmy, good.

One and four, now one.

All right, not bad

you guys, not bad.

What do you

think I'm gonna say?

What do you think

I'm gonna say?

Brains... what am

I gonna say about brains.

Stop using them.

Dance with your body,

with your soul, okay?

Efficiency has no place in dance

especially belly dance, okay.

Enjoy yourselves,

enjoy your hips.

I need much more hips

out of all of you, okay?

All right, just work

on it for a second.

I just need to talk to Marilyn

for a second, if you don't mind.

Sure.

Did you talk to

Harvey yet?

No.

Why?

Look, you're the only one I have

here that has any chance

of getting in that

dance company in Santa Fe.

Now I told

them about you.

Are you gonna audition?

Look, I can't talk to

Harvey... you know, he...

Why not, he's not

doing anything right now.

Well, exactly.

I know what

he'll say.

I just wanna spare myself

the disappointment of not...

and you need this

for yourself, all right?

Promise me you'll talk to him? Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

You might just get this.

(TV chatter)

Baby, don't eat that,

your cholesterol.

Well, shame on me.

Maybe if you

were here sooner

I wouldn't have to have

chips for dinner.

Well, it's Tuesday,

I have my class.

Right.

Belly dancing.

How could I forget?

What's that

supposed to mean?

Nothing, hey...

I think it's great

that you believe

you can still be

a dancer at your age.

I wish I had that positive

attitude.

So did you

find anything?

Why would you even

ask me that?

Because I have

a right to know.

You think I'm

not trying?

You think I'm purposefully

not trying to find a job?

You think...

I like this?

Sitting at home watching...

sh*t TV

and getting fat?

Harvey, I'm sorry.

Hey, sweet bird.

I'm sorry.

I'm an a**hole,

okay?

I'm sorry... I'm sorry

to make you think

that I thought

you weren't trying.

You wanna start over...

Hmm?

How was your day?

It was okay.

How was your class?

Class was great.

Actually, I wanna...

Did you get

paid today?

Why did...

I'm gonna...

I'm gonna need

a little cash.

What for?

I'm just gonna go out and

blow off some steam.

Well, baby,

I just got home.

Come on.

I wanna make

appearances.

What if something

opens up.

I want people

to know I'm alive.

So this is like a job search? Yeah.

You know, this is how

people make connections.

Where are you gonna make these

connections, Harvey, some bar?

Where's your purse?

Where's your goddamn purse,

Marilyn?

Where it always is.

Don't wait up.

(door closing)

Never do.

When we're lying in bed

what do you think about?

Nothing.

You're lying.

I'm not.

Don't you think...

what am I doing

with her?

She cannot even

give me a child?

No.

I never think

that way.

We could adopt.

(chuckles)

Leila is going to

be very happy.

(scoffing)

You want to know

what I'm thinking

when we lie in bed

together?

I wish my mother

would disappear.

You mean die?

That's horrible, Mourad.

I know.

She's your mother.

I'm the one that

should disappear.

(Marilyn) Hi, Frank. Good morning.

(scoffing)

(phone ringing)

Ron?

Ron.

Who put my stuff in

the trash bag?

It's not funny.

I did it,

I packed your stuff.

Why?

Well, because business

isn't good.

It's the recession.

And you don't give

me any notice?

What... I don't

get an explanation?

You're firing me as if I was

some f***in' loser?

This is your

chance to...

a chance to move on.

Do something

different.

You are really sweet.

I think you're really talented. Don't.

Just pay me what

you owe me.

Well, I'll... I can write

you a recommendation letter.

And say that I'm good at

answering the phone

and stacking boxes?

Do you think

you're good people?

Is this how you behave?

who's been in

the company for seven years?

Aside from everything else,

this is f***ing illegal.

Well, then you

can take me to court.

(phone ringing)

Harvey, call me.

(music playing)

Marilyn?

Everything is

all right?

I got fired.

I'm sorry.

You'll find

something else.

With a 20%

unemployment rate?

Know her?

She's Samia Gamal.

She was the best dancer

in Egypt.

They didn't even

give me a reason.

Do you have a bag?

Sure.

How much?

Take it.

(distant horns honking)

(woman grunting)

Peter?

(Peter) What's going on? (sniffling)

Honey, talk to me.

Well, I got fired...

first.

Sorry.

Do you need a place

to stay?

Is there

something I can do?

No, Harvey's... Harvey's

cheating on me.

Oh, that sh*t.

I just saw him, Peter,

with another woman in our bed.

I'm so sorry.

I feel so sick...

No, it's not your fault... and stupid.

Is there anything

I can do?

I think I'm gonna go.

I think I'm gonna

go to Santa Fe.

Can you sign me up?

Yes.

I don't know

how I'm gonna...

I haven't got any

money or...

Don't worry

about that.

dancing in bars and

restaurants along the way.

Peter, I can't dance

in a restaurant.

Yes, you can.

I did it

for years.

Besides, it'll give you a chance

to work in front of an audience.

That's what you

need anyway.

Look, I know of a really good

place along the way to Santa Fe.

It's a, uh... they're

friends of mine.

and then I'll text you

with their information, okay?

It's gonna be

all right.

I promise.

(laughing)

What?

You look ridiculous.

I know I

look ridiculous.

Well, I was doing

a facial.

You shouldn't bother

people when they're doing fac...

don't smoke, it's bad

for you.

Oh, uh, the green one.

Yes, yes.

I'm calling my parents.

I'm calling

my parents.

Right now. Mona, Mona,

what's going on here?

Ma, please, enough.

Mona!

(sobbing)

Nowadays,

things are different.

You don't need to

have children.

Mona!

Mona!

Mona!

I'm coming, I'm coming!

I love her.

Eh, love.

(crashing)

Mona!

Mona!

I'm coming,

I'm coming!

(water running)

I'm here.

(knocking)

Ma.

Ma.

Ma,

wake up, Ma.

Ma?

Ma.

Ma!

Mona!

What?

Call 911.

Ma, Ma!

Is she dead?

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Joelle Touma

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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