Signature Move

With movies, timing is everything - and it couldn't be more perfect in the case of "Signature Move," a deeply touching story of three outsiders trying to fit in today's world. They are all women (there is hardly a man in sight in the whole movie), and not just from different cultures but also dealing with such issues as being immigrants, lesbians and female wrestlers to boot.

Zaynab (Fawzia Mirza, who also co-wrote the script) is a small time immigration lawyer in suburban Chicago who has taken in her recently widowed Pakistani mother. The very conservative Parveen (Shabana Azmi) refuses to leave the house and spends her days with her binoculars pressed up against the window checking out passers-by in the hopes of spotting a potentially suitable husband for her daughter.

When one of her clients, a professional female wrestler, offers to pay Zaynab in lessons instead of cash, she jumps at the chance as a way of working out some of her frustration and excess energy. It also is a way to get her out of the house, as even though her view on the world is miles apart from that of her mother, Zaynab is nevertheless a dutiful daughter who tries to appease her every whim.

Escaping to a bar one day, Zaynab gets hit on by Alma (Sari Sanchez), a fiery Mexican who soon has her drunk on tequila shots - and then has her in bed, passionately making out. However, next morning it seems that this will probably never happen again, as both women are so different. It's not a question of nationalities and culture, but more the fact that openly gay Alma is the "love 'em and leave 'em" type, whereas the inexperienced Zaynab wants a relationship (even though she is still totally in the closet). Most of all, as Alma is quick to point out, it will not work since Zaynab still has to work out what her "signature move" is!

The real joy of this deliciously entertaining movie is that they all have such a definite joie de vivre about them. Their "issues" may be serious and all about discovering where they fit in today's world, but they are nevertheless imbued with a sense of humor that encourages us to hope that they will find a way to overcome their problems. And who knew fierce women pounding each other in a wrestling ring could be part of the solution?

Directed by Jennifer Reeder and written by Lisa Donato and Fawzia Mirza, with compelling performances from the three leads and also from Audrey Francis (playing the wrestling coach) and Charin Alvarez (as Alma's mother), this is bound to be a real crowd pleaser.

The only downside is that it makes you question what your own signature move might be, and we are worried that we simply do not have one. Sad.

"Signature Move"
Opens theatrically & VOD on Feb 9th
DVD
www.newcityfilm.com