It has been 10 years since director Mabrouk El Mechri last released a feature, and on the evidence presented here it has been too long, as we’ve been missing out. Widely known as the director of J.C.V.D. he returns with an interesting and potentially controversial tale of domestic violence, ‘Kung Fu Zohra’.
On the face of it, it’s an odd choice to try and combine a well-crafted Kung Fu movie with a serious topic such as domestic violence and it is that choice which could divide audiences. If there’s one thing that is surprising here though, it’s that at times ‘Kung Fu Zohra’ is remarkably adept at handling some of the nuances within such a heavy subject, despite its comedic tone.
After meeting Omar (Ramzy Bedia) while he is travelling, Zohra (Sabrina Ouazani) finds herself in the middle of a whirlwind romance and she follows him back to France, where they initially have a very happy marriage. Working at the local supermarket and making friends readily Zohra is really enjoying her new life, but sadly for her Omar is really beginning to hate his at the same time. At first this manifests itself as an increased temper, but pretty soon it becomes physical.
Despite the fact that Omar has crossed the line, Zohra hasn’t reached breaking point and she continues to forgive him. It is only later after they have a child together that she reaches her limit, but by then it is too late, as she feels trapped under his suffocating control, and fears losing her child to him. Unable to sign up for normal self-defence classes for fear of being discovered, she takes a cleaning job at a gym and secretly begins to teach herself some fighting skills after hours, using the Internet for guidance. It’s here that she meets the security guard Chang (Tien Shue), who recognises the situation and becomes her Mr Miyagi, even with a language barrier.
Right from the get-go the film sets itself up as a stylish and dynamic experience with a lot of flair. Throughout, there is an excellent soundtrack which really drives the film, giving it a swagger and coolness that you’d expect from a spaghetti western, a Tarantino film or something like Baby Driver. El Mechri, and his cinematographer Pierre-Yves Bastard certainly know their stuff and the film is full of references from The Karate Kid, Rocky, Enter the Dragon, and Martial Arts of the Shaolin, which blend well into the comic tone. With those touchstones it is unsurprising that we get the usual training montages, but these aspects are also quietly subverted to intermingle into the more serious narrative.
While the combination of the serious topic and the comedic underpinnings of the film are sometimes at odds and can be a little uneven, there are genuine points being made. The handling of the domestic violence plot isn’t a mere cheap ploy, but more of a critical component that El Mechri wants to discuss. This he manages very well, but it does get a little undermined near the end of the film, perhaps undoing some of the good work done earlier.
The fact that everything works so well here though is down to the excellence of Sabrina Ouazani, who gives a magnificent performance at the centre of it all. With such a mixture of comedy, drama, and of course Kung Fu, it is not an easy task to keep all the aspects coherent and believable. Not only does she provide the elegant, controlled physicality necessary for the role, but she also doesn’t shy away from the nuances needed to portray a woman coping with trauma for the sake of her child. Add onto that her comedic ability and you can see how much it all relies on her skill.
For an audience, their ability to handle both the drama and the comedy is what will determine how they react to Kung Fu Zohra. Some may find they can’t follow the films lead, but anyone that does will be amply rewarded. Yes, it deals with a difficult subject, but it doesn’t ridicule it and actually has some very serious points to make. That it is wrapped up in stylised way may also end up working in its favour, as the message may find itself more pervasive than via a more conventional drama. Whatever your initial stance, the best thing to do is to take on board the Muhammad Ali quote that opens the film: “The man who has no imagination has no wings”, and just let things fly.
