One of the greatest aspects of deadCenter is the chance to see narratives from different viewpoints, stories that aren’t situated from the perspective of cis, straight, presumptively Christian white men, which dominates most of mainstream Hollywood’s output. Breaking Fast definitely breaks this mold with a cast that, while largely cis male, isn’t straight, Christian, or white (save for one character). The story follows Mo (Haaz Sleiman), a devout Muslim and gay man whose long term relationship ends during Ramadan due to his partner’s prejudiced parents. A year later, while attending his best friend Sam’s (Amin El Gamal) birthday party, he meets Kal (Michael Cassidy), an aspiring actor and “All-American” type with a few surprises up his sleeve—namely, he speaks Arabic and knows how to make Tabouli. Mo and Kal begin spending their evenings together breaking fast, or eating a meal following a day of fasting, over the holy Muslim holiday. Much like any love story, however, problems related to Mo’s faith and Kal’s dark past soon arise, throwing a monkey wrench in their burgeoning relationship.
Writer/director Mike Mosallam hits all the expected beats with a romantic comedy, but he does so in a way that feels original, never formulaic. This is due in part to the fresh perspective mentioned above. I cannot personally recall ever seeing a film featuring an openly gay Muslim man, a rareness that is acknowledged within the film itself by Kal, who comments that you often don’t see such a man in real-life either. But this is part and parcel to the underlying message of Breaking Fast, that faith has many forms, and it doesn’t always look the way we think it looks. But beyond this, Mosallam displays a gift for creating relatable, three-dimensional characters that feel real. Sam is the closest thing to a stock character, embodying the “gay best friend” stereotype, but in a way that is both a wink to the audience and to the other characters; in other words, Sam knows he’s the gay best friend (to another gay man) and he loves it. Kal too transcends his good-looking American boy trappings, both through his aforementioned bilingual skills and magic abilities in the kitchen, but also by simply being a sweet, charming man whose anger toward his own family never turns to overt brooding or violence. He knows himself, and even though he should open up more about his feelings, he isn’t entirely afraid of vulnerability.
All the actors mentioned already give terrific performances, but I would be remiss not to mention at least two of the women rounding out the cast: Rula Gardenier plays Mo’s affectionate, fretting, traditional-but-not-overbearingly-so mother to perfection, and we are treated to a brief albeit important appearance by the great Veronica Cartwright (The Birds, Alien, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, and numerous other titles). The film was also shot by a woman, Anka Malatynska, who achieves the warm tones and brightness necessary for a narrative of this sort, while still managing to stand out from the pack (her night shots are especially impressive, as they emphasize the myriad lights of West Hollywood against deep shadows that remain sumptuous without dipping into noir territory). Last but not least, the film features a kicking soundtrack, featuring Lizzo’s raucous “Boys” and, in a charming nod to 1990s hip-hop, TLC’s “Waterfalls.”
If you don’t happen to catch Breaking Fast at deadCenter, be sure to seek out once it finds distribution—which is hopefully very soon.
Breaking Fast is now playing as part of the deadCenter 2020 virtual film festival until midnight on June 21st.
Check out more reactions and interviews from deadCenter 2020 only at the Cinematropolis.
