SFIFF: Forbidden Lie$

Dude -- this movie (Forbidden Lie$, at the SFIFF) is messed!! Do you remember the book Honor Lost (called Forbidden Love in non-US editions) from about five years ago, which supposedly was a memoir of a virgin Jordanian woman whose Muslim best friend was killed by her family in an honor killing when she fell in love with a Christian man? Vaguely?

Well, it turns out it was all a lie, a la A Million Little Pieces, and author Norma Khouri was in fact a married U.S. citizen from Chicago with a (very) shady past. But that's where the fun begins! Khouri (whose last name is actually Bagain Toliopoulis) continues to maintain that the story is entirely true (despite the howlers of errors throughout the entire book), and director Anna Broinowsky decides to give her a chance to prove it. At which point the movie descends into madness!!!!

You really can't take your eyes off this carwreck of a story, as it becomes more and more clear that Norma's a completely pathological liar. Broinowsky keeps the wry tone of bemusement (in both senses of the word) throughout as Norma's stories start, hilariously, spiraling more and more wildly out of control. And once Norma and the director both figure out that the other one knows they're lying, well -- then it gets truly insane.

We cannot recommend this movie more highly. This Norma lady's crazy!! WE LOVE IT!

Preview clip above, which only gives you a very, very tiny taste of the true insane genius of this movie. Insane!!