Movie Review: 'Breaking Fast' is a Refreshing Twist on the Rom-Com

In terms of genre convention, those well worn, easily recognizable parts and pieces of a movie, stock characters, scenes you expect, tropes, and so on, Breaking Fast is among the most conventional of movies I have seen in some time. Breaking Fast is a romantic comedy right off of an assembly line in many ways. We have a stock protagonist, an almost too good to be true hunky love interest, and familial and cultural obstacles in place to trip up our happy couple.

If you have rarely watched movies in your life you could likely still recognize those elements of a romantic comedy as the most typical of the genre. So what is it that keeps Breaking Fast from being just another rom-com? The twist is that the main characters are two gay men. Now, that's not all that shocking really, we've seen gay romantic comedies pop up now and again, many of which adhere to rom-com formulas just as conventional as any other rom-com.

Breaking Fast however, has one more trick up its sleeve, the main character is an out and proud Muslim gay man. I know, right? What was once just a highly familiar film conceit just took on a society challenging transgressiveness you did not see coming. Breaking Fast may be familiar in a million ways but the notion of a happy, proud and open gay, Muslim man suddenly turns the convention and familiarity on its ear. Oh, and his love interest is a hunky white man.

Breaking Fast stars Haaz Sleiman as Mo, short for Mohammad. We meet Mo at a very special dinner. Ramadan, the Muslim holy month is coming to an end with a fabulous feast and Mo is celebrating with his loving family and his beloved beau, Hassan (Patrick Sabongui). However, Hassan has just received jarring news about his father's health. Mo knows what this means, selfishly, it means that his lover is going to remain closeted to his family so his father's health issues aren't exacerbated.

Hassan compounds the problem however, by suggesting that he must marry a woman in order to keep up his ruse to his family during his father's health crisis. This is the final straw for Mo who can't stand the idea that he can't love his partner publicly, openly. The idea of having to be on the sidelines for Hassan's sham marriage is too much to bear and Mo breaks off their years long relationship.

Cut to nearly one year later and Mo is still not over Hassan. According to Mo's best friend, and fellow out and proud Muslim, Sam (Amin Al-Gurnal), Mo has done little but mope around for the past year. Ramadan is fast approaching that that will likely mean regularly fasting alone for the month, a sad prospect. That all changes when Sam practically forces Mo to attend his birthday party, a grand bit of West Hollywood debauchery. There, Mo has a flirtation with Cal (Michael Cassidy), a hunky actor who shares Mo's sense of humor, love of Christoper Reeve as Superman and speaks Arabic.

Oh, and Cal doesn't merely speak Arabic, he's fluent and can cook middle eastern dishes even Mo's mother would appreciate. Cal grew up on an army base in Jordan and was raised in the kitchen alongside Muslim woman cooking for American soldiers. He learned the words, the food, the customs and the culture. Cal is indeed, too good to be true. So what's wrong with him you might wonder? He's far too handsome and perfect?

I will leave you to discover the obstacles between Mo and Cal's love as I do recommend you see Breaking Fast. This is a truly lovely romantic comedy that is handsome, stylish, sweet and funny. I could do without a running gag about Virginity that pops up whenever the broad character of Sam is onscreen but that is perhaps more a reflection of my own personal hang ups than any genuine flaw of the movie.

One of the things that gives Breaking Fast a charge of transgression is how it turns your prejudices as an audience member against you. While you are caught up on the almost unicorn like existence of a perfectly happy, well adjusted and beloved, gay Muslim man, the movie is busy just allowing the character of Mo to live his life and slowly fall in love against the backdrop of the holiest month on the Muslim calendar.

The movie is not for one moment hung up on the notion of a gay Muslim man whose family has not disowned him or threatened to stone him to death, that's entirely on you and your own perceptions. The movie does thoughtfully linger on Mo's good fortune for having parents who've loved him throughout his life no matter the circumstances, and that is a very solid and well handled plot point, but again, the shock of a Gay, Muslim, romantic comedy is entirely on you.

Writer-Director Mike Mosallam is hardly interested in your prejudices. He's interested in these characters and creating rom-com obstacles to make their likely happily ever after feel well earned. Actors Haaz Sleiman and Michael Cassidy have a natural, unforced chemistry that you can't help but invest in. They are a handsome couple that you would love to have for dinner parties or nights out on the town.

Once you get over the surprise of seeing a Gay Muslim man, happy and well adjusted in a loving relationship with a hunky white actor, you will find that Breaking Fast is a genuinely compelling and highly familiar romantic comedy, right down to the main character having a sassy, gay best friend. All of the familiar genre elements are there with the almost unintentional quality of drawing you past your hang ups and prejudices and toward the kind of romantic comedy that would not feel so unfamiliar if it were a man and a woman.

Breaking Fast is sweet, funny, romantic and groundbreaking, if only because you've not allowed such ground to be broken in your mind before. Breaking Fast is available now on your favorite streaming rental service.