THE STORY – When their father passes away leaving a large sum of money in the bank, two sisters put their differences aside and join forces against Sharia law, according to which their brother has the right to take double what they are entitled to.
THE CAST – Yasmine Al Massri & Clara Khoury
THE TEAM – Laila Abbas (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 92 Minutes
Set in the West Bank of Palestine, there are countless directions one could take to chronicle inequality and injustice. In her debut fiction feature, writer/director Laila Abbas takes aim at a smaller scale, though no less impactful, patriarchal law that affects women throughout the Middle East. Even amidst the death of a loved one, women under Islamic law face persecution and unfairness. “Thank You For Banking With Us” strikes a pleasing balance between telling a compact story while effectively challenging the patriarchal system and the men who keep the system afloat.
When their father dies unexpectedly, sisters Mariam (Clara Khoury) and Noura (Yasmine Al Massri) quickly move into action. Though the sisters aren’t particularly close, their father loved them more than their brother, who left the West Bank for America. Mariam is an unhappy, underappreciated mother struggling to keep her family together. Meanwhile, Noura, an unmarried hairdresser, is much more progressive. As they reconcile with their father’s death, they unite around the desire to receive a fair inheritance. Islamic law entitles their brother to double the inheritance the women in the family would receive, despite their father’s intention to give his money to his daughters. Wills are illegal. So, with him already dead, how could they access the money they feel they deserve? Abbas sets these women on a race against the clock to cash a check in their father’s name before reporting him dead, but they can’t do it alone.
Though the film has a ticking clock underneath the story, it infuses some levity and lightness throughout. The sisters bicker and mock each other for how they live. The prickly but loving chemistry between Khoury and Massri makes their journey worth rooting for. Their aim isn’t to steal from their father, though that’s what others might think. It’s simple to get what they deserve. Their backstory may be a bit unclear, but we still get to see the very different sorts of struggles the women experience. Mariam might also be losing her husband and possibly her son, while Noura isn’t hurrying to settle down with a man. Some of their early conversations are reminiscent of “His Three Daughters,” as the two reconcile what their relationship will look like now without the tie of their father. Their relationship adds plenty of charm to a film that could’ve easily been steeped in darkness.
Not only is the system rigged against these women, but when they look to the men in their lives for help, they’re rebuffed every time. It’s a damning – and believable – portrait of the way women are supported, even by the men who love them. The patriarchal oppression is at the forefront of the story. Still, there are also undertones of other conflicts in the West Bank, like when Mariam’s son joins dangerous protests against Israeli soldiers. The women get stopped by Palestinian protestors who warn them to turn around before they get caught in a skirmish. These elements aren’t the point of the film but still serve as a reminder of the realities in which they live.
In blending this feminist story, death, and entertainment all in one, “Thank You For Banking With Us” does lose a bit of its bite. It doesn’t delve deeply enough into Mariam’s family struggle or into what the sisters’ lives would look like if they failed to get their father’s money. The strength of the film remains in how it shows the personal impact of these laws. This isn’t a life or death situation (well, for these sisters, at least), but it still has a significant impact on their lives. This simple story illuminates daily battles for women across the globe every day. In the end, “Thank You For Banking With Us” is a charming, personal look at a tragic system.
