Montreal Girls

[1] The film stars Hakim Brahimi as Ramy, a young Middle Eastern man who moves to Montreal, Quebec, to attend medical school at McGill University following the death of his mother; introduced to the city's arts and culture scene by his cousin Tamer (Jade Hassouné), he becomes drawn into a love triangle with Desiree (Jasmina Parent) and Yaz (Sana Asad), and experiences the urge to abandon school and pursue his creative dream of becoming a poet despite the disapproval of his father (Chadi Alhelou).

[2] The cast also includes Nahéma Ricci, Manuel Tadros, Martin Dubreuil, Guillaume Rodrigue, Thomas Vallières, Natalie Tannous, Marina Harvey, Simon Therrien, David Deias, Arno Schultz, Larry Day, Lanisa Dawn and Bloodshot Bill.

Parent, Asad, and Ricci deliver beautiful performances as the gentle muses that at first tear the main character apart but then show him how to rebuild a more authentic life based on his passions.

"[5] Michael Rechtshaffen of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Armed with a ridiculously photogenic cast, El Salvador-born Chica, a certified Chi Energy acting coach who wrote the script with Kamal John Iskander, coaxes impassioned performances from all concerned, especially Asad’s illusive Yaz, who keeps running from convention to escape the expectations placed upon her by her patriarchal culture.

In his first lead role, Brahimi nails the brooding temperament of the frustrated artist, but when called upon to more actively convey the creative fire in his belly, his performance falls short of the required mark, with his Ramy occasionally coming across as a bit of a wet rag.