The Perfect Candidate (2019)

Directed by: Haifaa Al-Mansour | 101 minutes | drama | Actors: Mila Al Zahrani, Dae Al Hilali, Nora Al Awad, Khalid Abdulraheem, Shafi Alharthy, Tareq Al Khaldi, Khadeeja Mua’th

Ambitious doctor Maryam is good at her job and is trying to move up the ranks. She therefore seizes the opportunity to attend a conference with both hands, even though she has to borrow money from her sister. Once at the airport it turns out that her travel permit has expired and father dear has just left the city… That means no conference for Maryam…

For those who may find the above description of the film ‘The Perfect Candidate’ strange: Maryam lives in Saudi Arabia. Filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour made history in 2012 by releasing the first feature film shot entirely in her native country, ‘Wadjda’. The fact that this film was also made by a female director is of course quite special for conservative Saudi standards. Fortunately, the rights for the women have improved somewhat since Al-Mansour’s feature film debut; since June 2018, the ban on women driving a car has been lifted and since the summer of 2019 they can apply for a passport and travel abroad without the permission of their husband or guardian. So ‘The Perfect Candidate’ takes place in the years before these recent developments, but nevertheless gives a poignant picture of the current situation for Saudi women.

Frustrated by the unwillingness of local politicians to do something about the dirt roads surrounding the hospital, and unable to let go of her dream of being allowed to travel, Maryam visits a relative, hoping he can help her find a travel permit. Due to a combination of circumstances, she is running for the municipal elections. This initially met with a lot of resistance; both from her youngest sister and her colleagues. But the women for whom she organizes an evening also appear to have little faith in her as a politician. If Maryam can’t get the women on her side, how will she ever convince the male half of the community of her suitability for this role?

‘The Perfect Candidate’ is an unsubtle, yet entertaining film about a strong woman who reluctantly tries to improve the lives of her and her loved ones. It’s funny to see Maryam become more and more determined as the opposition grows. That skewness in the relationships between men and women; you can rightly be furious about that, but that is not so much what Al-Mansour intends with this film. The scenario is too light-hearted for that; it’s not for nothing that much of the running time is also spent on the scenes with Maryam’s (progressive thinking) father and his band, who also struggle to do what they love most, and with her older sister, who is a wedding photographer. The film probably would have benefited from a shorter running time, because the stretch is a bit off every now and then. Nevertheless, ‘The Perfect Candidate’ is a fascinating film for those who want to know more about the customs in Saudi Arabia.