Ambrosia (I) (2012) User Reviews (13)

Weak themes, embarrassing script

[nuggit-o · 3/10 · 20 April 2014]

I kept in mind as I watched that this was not a pro-lesbian movie, or even necessarily an anti-lesbian movie. It sounded to me like a movie where a woman (fashion designer! how cool!) is in a bad work situation where her boss is hitting on her inappropriately.

Indeed, that's what it was. I found the premise interesting and that's what I got... sort of. What made this movie bad was:

• it was unconvincing and unrealistic

• seemed like it wanted to make a point or follow a theme (traditional vs modern, sexuality, fidelity, family, racial tensions) but they were scattered and weak

• pointless scenes and conversation

• none of the characters seem to matter

• embarrassingly flat script, most regrettably at the "climax" of the film

and another point, which I'm not sure is good or bad:

• unabashed focus on hot model-looking women and their high fashion outfits, even with side characters

I have to say, there were a lot of beautiful dresses and outfits here. It is the strongest element in the entire movie, and I found it enjoyable. They could have trimmed this movie into a clothing catalog and I would have liked it. This point bumped it from a 2 to a 3 for me. The Iranian decor and Iranian lines tossed throughout were cool, too. That was about it.

Honestly, it felt like I was watching The Room, but a fashion themed one with much less sex (which I am fine with--I'm not sure this movie could have handled sex gracefully either). I'm not much of a movie snob but I felt like turning it off after 15 minutes. Maybe I should have. But I decided to write a review instead.

Empty movie

[breannalynnklein · 2/10 · 18 March 2015]

I literally waited an hour and a half for something to happen besides just two hot women brushing against each other here and there. I don't know---maybe some romantic lines and passion exchanged between the two of them. Maybe some sex. Maybe some banter, flirting. I was waiting for the boss and her partner to break up so the boss could get with Ali's wife after they broke up. Nope. Nada. Nothing. By the way, why did all of their exchanges happen in the bathroom?

Instead, I wasted one and a half hours watching nothing happen. There was no drama. The characters had no growth. There was no progression in the movie and there was NO FREAKING PLOT. I LAUGHED MY ASS OFF AT THE ENDING TOO. All I watched was a man's pizza business get run down by insensitive customers and his unprofessional responses which contributed to the downfall of his business. Then I watched the main character (this movie is so terrible I don't remember any of their names) develop a better taste of fashion, but I watched her grow more and more passive/silent at her true feelings. The only act that coincided with something that resembled a true feeling was the ending when she went back with her ex.

It seems the movie's focus was on looks and how hot the women were. I really see nothing else with it. The actors and actresses seemed platonic, stoic, and without passion/drama--- something that is well needed in the entertainment industry. I am surprised it even made it to Netflix.

Literally the worst movie I've ever seen

[kedaz · 1/10 · 2 April 2014]

Literally the worst movie I've ever seen. Offensive on so many levels. This movie is not a lesbian film. It's a lesbian-as-predator film. It's disgusting. I'm offended. It's literally the most offensive movie that I've ever seen in 40 years on this planet. It's a disgusting film that only the most conservative person would enjoy. Even then, the conservative person would probably wonder why they wasted their time on this foolish, horrid movie. I was rather excited when I started watching the film, then I started laughing because I thought it might be a badly acted lesbian film. Turns out that it's an anti-lesbian film. I had been live tweeting as I watched and urging my 1000+ followers to watch, but once the film finished I deleted all my tweets and urged everyone to avoid the film. Screw you. Worst movie ever.

Great fashion, beautiful actress, laughably bad movie

[cestmontruc · 1/10 · 26 April 2014]

Leila leaves her husband Ali in a huff, tossing a few things in a suitcase, then walks out. She stays with a friend for what appears to be a month or so, during which time she is wearing some of the most amazing outfits, complete with trendy wedge boots and fedoras. The movie is completely stupid,not sure what the point is, but I couldn't get past how she produces such a wonderful wardrobe out of one suitcase. The actress playing Leila is absolutely beautiful, prettier than Angelina Jolie. The production quality of the movie is very high, unfortunately the quality of the script is very weak. Some other hilarious scenes were in the pizza shop -- no wonder Ali's business was failing, he seemed clueless about food production; Leila's sewing was so slow its a wonder she produced one dress a year. I'm giving it a 1 because it was awful, but the wardrobe and set design were great.

Change the Plot because it is garbage!

[rasulaliyev-58569 · 1/10 · 30 December 2021]

Ok let's remake the plot. I think part that Laila leaves Ali is ok. And "romance" between Sarah and Monica is need to be developt. So let's remake plot

Leila after leave the Ali goes to Sarah's house while Monica is on a buisness trip for a week. Leila has no joy in life now so the most positive person she knows Sarah is welcome her at home. Then Sarah tell that she needs to express her feelings. After that they are going to have sex and Leila had her best week. But when Monica comes back she see that Sarah is care and spend more time than her and then they started a fight. Meanwhile Leila's friends say that she need to came back to Ali. But she doesn't want to. But she see that Ali is in a very bad situation. She is angry and think that Sarah is the reason of that but actually she is select that. Then she see her at office's bathroom and slaps her in the face. But Sarah explain that she is also in a big trouble because Monica left her. And both of them realise that they have pretty much in common about fashion, atractions, ect. And they make out.

The End.

I think this better than what we got.

Wtf

[numbnutssillygoose · 1/10 · 4 April 2019]

Seriously I couldn't have been the only one that was built up for a lesbian threeway or any girl on girl and then the credits roll leaving you with nothing but disappointment. .. Wtf

Chauvinistic

[jfxfxz · 1/10 · 30 May 2021]

The girl is unhappy, lives with a man she does not love, falls pregnant and (happy ending!!!) she decides to gave the baby, live with the man she dies no live and be unhappy for the rest of her days. The men are happy and the women get screwed. Moral of the story: follow the rules imposed my men and religion and forget yourself and your own happiness. One star. Can we give zero stars?

I just don't get what i want

[rasulaliyev-58569 · 1/10 · 30 December 2021]

I just want to see some plot some charecter development and maybe some sex because Sarah look so hot. But you don't see none of this. Instead yoi see this pile of garbage time wasting film. If there is some interesting stuff like things i said at the top it could be an decent movie. 1 star.

Culture clash in Canada, the short version.

[suite92 · 6/10 · 9 December 2013]

In 2012, the film depicts a man ordering pizza and writing on a piece of paper while driving. Nice. Perhaps distracted driving is not as serious in Canada.

Leila is an immigrant of Iranian descent in Canada. Leila is taking a class in which she makes designer clothing. She helps make pizzas with her husband Ali at his shop Canadian Pizza now and then. At a party, she gets a job offer through her connections from class. Ali is happy for her success. Early on, her boss Sarah invites her for a drink at a lesbian bar. Leila and Sarah discuss their cultural differences.

Ali's business fortunes start to decline along with that of the local economy. Leila is doing well, but her boss is coming on to her. Ali fires two of his staff; Leila is at the pizza shop more often after work, but she's not happy with it. Ali is a hothead who does not suffer gladly racial lies and insults from Anglo Canadians. Leila gets more discouraged while Ali spirals downward.

Leila's boss renews her romantic approaches to Leila, who slowly gets more receptive. In the middle of all this, Leila finds that she is pregnant. She decides to terminate without mentioning this to Ali. Ali put the house on the market without mentioning this to Leila. These two choices were not good, possibly terminal, to the marriage. Leila leaves in a huff. She makes arrangements to live elsewhere, and Ali wonders where she is and what's going on. After meeting Ali at the office, Sarah dismisses him as too simple for Leila.

Will Leila go through with the termination? Will Ali and Leila get back together? Will Ali keep his business? Will Sarah get what she wants?

------Scores------

Cinematography: 10/10 No problems; looks fine.

Sound: 9/10 Good, clear.

Acting: 5/10 Camyar Chai and Sahir Biniaz were solid enough as Ali and Leila. Pauline Egan was not all that convincing as Monica. The supporting actors were OK but not great. Heather Doerkson was the least believable as Leila's boss.

Screenplay: 5/10 Plays like a soap opera, without much intricacy or depth.

Omg so boring

[irelandkh-569-365574 · 1/10 · 28 September 2019]

It's hard to find good lesbian movies and this is definitely not one of them. It is one of the slowest most boringness movie ever. The most interesting part of this movie is the pizza. Don't even waste your time.

Good Succinct Take on Tradition

[wondernat · 5/10 · 29 April 2014]

First off, I want to express my disgust at the PR folks for sexualizing and over-playing the non-existent lesbian angle. The poster is the biggest deception of this movie.

Secondly, I watched the movie despite the negative reviews. This movie is for those who understand and live within traditions. It's a timid yet effective character study of a traditional Iranian-Canadian woman whose inner desires are sparked by her lesbian boss' romantic overtures. It's about empowerment, in the sense that we must be free to make the choices we want, whether it be outside of our traditions' norms or within them. At the end, I felt tenderness for the heroine, who wound up making the decision she wanted, NOT what anyone thought she ought to do.

I think there may have been a lot of disappointment from folks who hoped her decisions would've been different, but the writer/director wrote the character so well, I was just happy she came to her own decision regarding her life.

Controversial, yes, because as I write this, I can come up with five other counter- arguments, but as a film, I think it was a good endeavor.

Not 'good' but not the worst I've seen

[mangoamante · 5/10 · 16 November 2020]

Ok it's not great. But I've seen Way worse. Pretty flat overall and the acting is not strong. The outfits are good and the women are pretty. It wasn't very realistic in a number of aspects. The inappropriate advances of her lesbian boss somehow cause her to question her marriage but it doesn't make sense why. It doesn't feel like there's much of a climax, when there almost is, it kind of falls flat. So not 'good' but not the worst.

A Bit Too Traditional, but...

[cdsdeforest · 6/10 · 9 March 2022]

Iran is home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating to 7000 BC. That having been said, I would have liked to have seen more of why the movie ended as it did. This is not a movie with naked bodies and sex. Rather, it looks at life and our decisions. The protagonist, a woman, makes up her own mind, as it should be. Just because someone does not like her decision does not make it a bad movie. To me, it was true to life. The protagonist's husband's temper was stupid but not abusive. And for a traditional Iranian man, he was on the radical left, as many in Iran are to this day.

But more than that, sexual harassment in the workplace is real: How refreshing to see a different take on the problem. I had a sexually frisky boss once, and like the protagonist, I believe employees should have the right to express their feelings and still keep their job. If the boss won't take no for an answer, what better place to tell him or her about it than in the John?

Yes, the ending was cheesy, and the writing could have been much better. But I liked it. It was an adult movie for thinkers. Watch it until the end. That's when it's okay to go yuck or whatever. I just hope there was room for the protagonist to grow. She earned it.