APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR

US, 2014, 83 minutes, Colour.
Desiree Akhavan, Rebecca Henderson, Halley Feiffer, Ryan Fitzsimons.
Directed by Desiree Akhavan.

Appropriate behaviour is a continual challenge for the central character, Shirin, living in Brooklyn, Iranians parents. She is in her late 20s, tall and striking, strong-minded in many ways, lacking self-confidence in others. Her orientation is lesbian but she has not found the time to explain this to her parents.

The film was written and directed by Desiree Akhavan who also appears in the central role. She comes across very forcefully, even when her character is not forceful in some situations.

The film opens with her walking out on her partner, Maxine (Rebecca Anderson) and getting advice from her friend Crystal (Halley Feiffer). She finds another place to stay, her brother and her parents critical. A friend of Crystal also organises a job, training filmmakers of Brooklyn – for her to find that they are all five years old! She is quite out of her depth with the young children, understanding them, how she would behave towards them – especially as they are often raucous.

There are many flashbacks to her relationship with Maxine, the initial encounter, the attraction, living together. Maxine is much more matter-of-fact than Shirin. While Shirin is attracted and the two are in love, Shirin botches many situations. Shirin intrudes on a meeting, is attracted to a legal professor and has a date with her, teams up with men through online dating, has sexual encounters, describes herself as bisexual.

The film is a slice of life, looking back into the past with some regrets, some muddling in the present – and leaving the audience to wonder about the prospects for the future.