''I Can't Think Straight'' is a 2008 British

romantic drama Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

film directed by

Shamim Sarif Shamim Sarif (born 24 September 1969) is a British novelist and filmmaker of South Asian and South African heritage. Her work often focuses on various aspects of identity including gender, race, and sexuality. It often draws upon her own person ...

. Based on Sarif's 2008 novel of the same name, the film tells the story of a London-based Jordanian of Palestinian descent, Tala, who is preparing for an elaborate wedding when a turn of events causes her to have an affair, and subsequently fall in love, with another woman, Leyla, a British Indian. The film stars

Lisa Ray Lisa Rani Ray (born 4 April 1972) is a Canadian actress and model who has also worked internationally. Ray began her modelling career in India in the early 1990s, appearing for leading Indian brands like Bombay Dyeing and Lakmé. She made her ...

and

Sheetal Sheth Sheetal Sheth (born June 24, 1976 ) is an American actress, author, producer, and activist. She starred opposite Albert Brooks in his film ''Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World''. She debuted to rave reviews in the films ''ABCD'' and '' Ame ...

. ''I Can't Think Straight'' was produced by Enlightenment Productions and distributed in the United States by

Regent Releasing Regent Releasing was a U.S. theatrical distribution company based in Los Angeles, California, under the umbrella of Regent Entertainment, which was owned by producers Paul Colichman (formerly of IRS Media) and Stephen P. Jarchow. Focusing on nar ...

and Here! Films. It was released in different regions between 2008 and 2009. The DVD was released on 4 May 2009. The lead actresses, Ray and Sheth, also starred in Sarif's 2007 lesbian-themed historical drama film ''

The World Unseen ''The World Unseen'' is a 2007 historical drama film, written and directed by Shamim Sarif, adapted from her own novel. The film is set in 1950s Cape Town, South Africa during the beginning of apartheid. The film stars Lisa Ray and Sheetal S ...

''.

Plot

In the upper echelons of traditional Middle Eastern society, wealthy Christian Palestinians Reema and Omar prepare for the marriage of their visiting daughter Tala to Hani in

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

. But back at work in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, Tala encounters Leyla, a young British Indian Muslim woman who is dating Tala's best friend Ali. Tala sees something unique in the artless, clumsy, sensitive Leyla who secretly works to become a writer. And Tala's forthright challenges to Leyla's beliefs begins a journey of self-awareness for Leyla. After a weekend getaway into the countryside, Tala and Leyla sleep together and the two women begin to fall in love. However, Tala's own sense of duty and cultural restraint cause her to pull away from Leyla and fly back to Jordan where the preparations for an ostentatious wedding are well under way. As family members descend and the wedding day approaches, the pressure mounts until Tala finally cracks and extricates herself. Back in London, Leyla is heartbroken but learns to break free of her own self-doubt and her mother's expectations, ditching Ali and being honest with her parents about her sexuality. When Ali and Leyla's feisty sister, Yasmin, help try to get Tala and Leyla together again, Tala finds that her own preconceptions of what love can be is the final hurdle she must jump to win Leyla back.

Cast

as Tala *

as Leyla * Antonia Frering as Reema - Tala's mother *

Dalip Tahil Dalip Tahil (born as Dalip Tahilramani; 30 October 1952) is an Indian film, television and theatre actor. He studied at Sherwood College in Nainital, India. After attending Aligarh Muslim University for a year, he graduated from St. Xavier's C ...

as Omar - Tala's father * Ernest Ignatius as Sam - Leyla's father * Siddiqua Akhtar as Maya - Leyla's mother *

Amber Rose Revah Amber Rose Revah (born 24 June 1986) is a British actress, writer, and voice artist. She is best known for playing the roles of Dinah Madani in Marvel's '' The Punisher'', Mika in MGM limited series Last Light and as Mary Magdalene in the box ...

as Yasmin - Leyla's sister *

Anya Lahiri Anya Lahiri (born 1 May 1982 in Golders Green, London) is an English actress, model, singer and fitness instructor who is of Indian and Finnish origin. Biography Born in Golders Green, London of Indian and Finnish origin, Lahiri attended the H ...

as Lamia - Tala's middle sister * Kimberly Jaraj as Zina - Tala's younger sister * Rez Kempton as Ali - Tala's best friend, Leyla's boyfriend * Daud Shah as Hani - Tala's fiancé * Sam Vincenti as Kareem - Lamia's husband * Ishwar Maharaj as Sami - Kareem's younger brother * George Tardios as Uncle Ramzi *

Nina Wadia Nina Wadia (born 18 December 1968) is a British actress and comedian. She is known for portraying Zainab Masood in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', Aunty Noor in Citizen Khan Mrs Hussein in the BBC comedy '' Still Open All Hours'', and for ...

as Rani the Housekeeper

Critical reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' called the film "another weightless confection from the writer and director Shamim Sarif."

Autostraddle Autostraddle is an independently owned online magazine and social network for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women ( cis and trans), as well as non-binary people and trans people of all genders. The website is a "politically progressive queer femin ...

said that it "stands out for its cultural specificity, truly stunning leads, and endless charm."

AfterEllen AfterEllen (also known as AfterEllen.com) is an American culture website founded in 2002, with a focus on entertainment, interviews, reviews, and news of interest to the lesbian and bisexual women's community. The site covers pop culture and lifes ...

's review notes, "While the film has a lot going for it, the script is surprisingly paint-by-the-numbers. Viewers familiar with lesbian films will be able to call the ending (and all major points of conflict) long before the credits roll. Also surprising is the number of cringe-worthy lines Ray and Sheth utter."

Awards

* Best Feature, Audience Award - Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival 2009 * Best Feature - International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Of Canary Islands, 2009 * Best Feature - Afterellen Visibility Awards * Best Feature, Audience Award - Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2009 * Best Feature, Audience Award - Pink Apple 2009 * Audience Award Best Feature Film - Fairy Tales International Queer Diversity Film Festival (Calgary) 2009 * Jury Winner Best Feature Film - Festival Del Mar, Majorca 2009 * Audience Award, Best Feature - Vancouver Queer Film Festival 2009 * Best lesbian movie - The Holebifilmfestival Vlaams-Brabant 2009, Belgium * Jury award for Best Women's Feature - Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival 2009 * Best Feature Film - Gay Film Nights International Film Festival 2009

References

External links

*
''I Can't Think Straight''
at

BBFC The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC, previously the British Board of Film Censors) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of fi ...

''I Can't Think Straight''
at

BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...