It probably helps to understand this film if you know something about Moroccan and/or Muslim culture. Morocco is the most liberal of the Muslim countries, but we still get an idea of the repression when early on in the film the husband and wife are hassled by the police on a "routine inspection." The police want to know if they are married. When the husband says yes, the police want to see their marriage license. It goes on. This childless husband and wife, who seem to be around 40 years old) have a shop where they produce expensive, handmade clothing for upper-class Moroccan ladies. The man is an artist at what he does, especially his work with gold filagree. (Over the course of the movie, the man will create his masterpiece, the title garment.) The wife is rather feisty for that society, which may be the reason they were stopped by the police. Earlier that evening on their way home from another function, she asked her husband if they could drop into a café for a cup of mint tea. He agreed, albeit with a subtle reluctance. In general, cafes in the Muslim world are all-male affairs. Although Morocco is more liberal, it's still somewhat rare that a woman sets foot in one, and then only in the company of her husband. While she's there, she also (somewhat surreptitiously) smokes her husband's pipe. It was on their way home from the café that the police stopped them. Was there a connection? Who knows? That's life in modern Morocco. The husband seems to be very indulgent with his wife, but also somewhat aloof. For medical reasons, they need money and therefore need to produce more goods at work. In order to do so, they take on a young man as an apprentice. An unspoken, but palpable, affection arises between the men. The wife begins to perceive the young man as a threat. Mind you, none of this is ever said. It's all conveyed through looks, attitudes, and body-language. Homosexuality is a crime in Islam. (In Saudi Arabia, the penalty is beheading. It's probably not that severe in Morocco, but I would guess jail time at the least.) There are several scenes that take place in a hammam (public bath house where there is no total nudity) which imply that the husband seeks sexual gratification there. But the story is really about the husband and wife and the great love that they have for each other.
This is a subtle and poetic film in which the three principal actors are all excellent. Ayoub Missioui as the apprentice is able to convey youthful passion very subtly and sensitively. Saleh Bakri as the husband is remarkable in his ability to seem completely masculine while sewing or admiring his apprentice. His performance is brilliant underplaying. Lubna Azabal as the wife has the script's flashiest role, and she certainly rises to the occasion. These three performances are among the year's best. The film, however, is slow-moving and requires patience on the part of the audience. I'm not so sure that it's the pace that seems slow, or that all the scenes have the same rhythm. There are no really big moments. Every moment is given equal weight, which tends to "flatten out" the script. I did not like the cinematography. The scenes all seemed to start blurry and then adjust to a sharper image. The lighting was too dark much of the time, too. Despite these reservations, I admired this film and would recommend it to those who like art films and foreign movies.
This is a subtle and poetic film in which the three principal actors are all excellent. Ayoub Missioui as the apprentice is able to convey youthful passion very subtly and sensitively. Saleh Bakri as the husband is remarkable in his ability to seem completely masculine while sewing or admiring his apprentice. His performance is brilliant underplaying. Lubna Azabal as the wife has the script's flashiest role, and she certainly rises to the occasion. These three performances are among the year's best. The film, however, is slow-moving and requires patience on the part of the audience. I'm not so sure that it's the pace that seems slow, or that all the scenes have the same rhythm. There are no really big moments. Every moment is given equal weight, which tends to "flatten out" the script. I did not like the cinematography. The scenes all seemed to start blurry and then adjust to a sharper image. The lighting was too dark much of the time, too. Despite these reservations, I admired this film and would recommend it to those who like art films and foreign movies.