Meanwhile Michelle (Nichola Burley), another employee, strikes up a relationship with Yousif (Was Zakir), Naseema's brother, who she meets one night out on the town. A wild character when left to himself, Yousif nevertheless acts as the dominant male in his restrictive, orthodox household. As he struggles to reconcile his feelings for Michelle with the demands he places on Naseema, the two relationships begin to strain. As family intrudes and religions and beliefs collide, can the two couples hold on to each other?
Love + Hate is writer/director Dominic Savage's feature length debut, and it's a cracking way to start. His cast, who boast only a smattering of acting experience, give him absolutely everything, but, even amongst these excellent performances, Burley stands out as the old beyond her years Michelle. Her strained encounters with her father and torturous, secretive relationship make mesmerising watching. Zakir also excels as the troubled Yousif, caught between obligations to his family and personal desires, living a life of hypocrisy.
The dialogue, which was apparently largely improvised, is brilliant, and most of all feels realistic. The slick back and forths and wooden declarations of love that mainstream flicks tend to present just don't show up; instead there's something you can actually believe in. The film quickly boils to a gripping conclusion, all over in 86 minutes.
