Meskina: A Romcom Checklist Over Fresh Identity Exploration

The opening scene of Meskina (2021), directed by Daria Bukvic, sets a tone that’s both familiar and frustrating: Leyla (Maryam Hassouni), our protagonist, stands in front of her mirror, practicing her smile like an actor rehearsing lines. It’s a moment that should be endearing, but instead, it’s cloying—a microcosm of the film’s struggle to balance sincerity with schlock. Leyla, a thirty-something aspiring children’s author, is labeled “meskina” (pity case) by her Moroccan-Dutch community for being career-less and single. The film follows her quest to find professional success and true love, but its execution often feels like a checklist of romcom tropes rather than a fresh exploration of identity and belonging.

Bukvic’s direction is energetic but uneven. She has a knack for vibrant compositions—Leyla’s colorful apartment contrasts sharply with the muted tones of her family’s home—but these visual choices sometimes feel at odds with the film’s emotional stakes. The cinematography leans into the fairy-tale comparisons Leyla makes throughout the narrative, framing her as a princess in search of her prince. While this approach could have been visually striking, it often feels gimmicky, especially when juxtaposed with the film’s more grounded moments.

Maryam Hassouni carries the film on her shoulders, delivering a performance that oscillates between charming and strained. Her chemistry with Bilal Wahib, who plays Rayan, one of Leyla’s love interests, is undeniable. Their scenes together are some of the film’s brightest spots, filled with playful banter and genuine warmth. However, Hassouni struggles when the script demands more nuanced emotional depth. Leyla’s journey is supposed to be one of self-discovery, but the character often feels more like a vehicle for jokes than a fully realized person.

The supporting cast fares better. Soundos El Ahmadi, as Amira, Leyla’s older sister, brings a grounded energy that anchors some of the film’s more outlandish moments. The family scenes highlight the generational divide within the Moroccan-Dutch community. Their scenes together are some of the film’s most compelling, offering a glimpse into the cultural clashes and expectations that shape Leyla’s life.

The film’s strongest moments come when it dives into these cultural clashes. The tension between tradition and modernity is a rich vein for comedy and drama alike, but Meskina often squanders its potential. Scenes with Jouman Fattal as Malika, Leyla’s cousin, and Nasrdin Dchar as Amin, another love interest, are ripe with comedic potential, but the jokes frequently fall flat due to over-reliance on stereotypes. The humor, while occasionally amusing, feels outdated and too familiar.

The script, co-written by Bukvic, Fadua El Akchaoui, and Ernst Gonlag, aims for a young audience but struggles to find its footing between comedy and drama. The pacing is uneven, with some scenes dragging while others feel rushed. The third act descends into a series of contrived romantic tropes that undercut the emotional stakes built earlier. Leyla’s journey towards self-discovery feels more like a checklist of romcom beats than a genuine exploration of identity.

One of the film’s most glaring issues is its reliance on clichés and caricatures. The Moroccan-Dutch community is portrayed with a broad brush, reducing complex cultural dynamics to easily digestible tropes. This simplification not only undermines the film’s potential for depth but also feels disrespectful to the very community it aims to represent.

Despite these flaws, Meskina has moments of genuine charm and humor. The ensemble cast brings a lively energy to the screen, and Hassouni’s performance, while inconsistent, is undeniably engaging. The film’s exploration of cultural identity is a welcome addition to the romcom genre, even if its execution leaves much to be desired.

In the end, Meskina is a well-intentioned but flawed romcom that struggles to find its footing between comedy and drama. It aims for a young audience but relies too heavily on clichés and caricatures. The film’s strongest moments come from its exploration of cultural identity and the vibrant performances of its ensemble cast, but these are often overshadowed by uneven pacing and contrived romantic tropes.

Meskina is a passion project that deserves praise for its ambition, but it ultimately falls short of delivering a cohesive narrative.