Kung Fu Zohra (2022) Review

“Kung Fu Zohra” Theatrical Poster

Director: Mabrouk El Mechri
Cast: Sabrina Ouazani, Ramzy Bedia, Eye Haidara, Tien Shue, Lina Hachani, Matthieu Burnel, Olivia Cote, Ali El Mechri Efira, Franck Ropers, Achref Mazhoud
Running Time: 100 min.

By Martin Sandison

The constantly shifting tones at work in old Hong Kong movies is an aspect that puts off many Western viewers, who are used to consistency and predictability; safety, really. Us lovers of the unpredictable, jarring brilliance seen in films such as Ringo Lam’s insane School On Fire or Sammo Hung’s light-hearted yet blood-spattered masterwork Prodigal Son, welcome looking on in disbelief, our consciousness altered a little. More recently, a number of film-makers influenced by such stuff have begun making actioners. Nobody swapped its solemn, realistic tone for a second half of raucous, OTT, silly mayhem and was all the better for it. Now, from the director of a movie comfortable with being very out-there (JCVD) comes Kung Fu Zohra. A film that shifts tones and mixes genres to brilliant effect, and as much a story of female empowerment and domestic abuse as it is a tribute to kung fu movies, the movie’s quite a ride.

Zohra (Sabrina Oazani) works in a small shop in the middle of nowhere, and meets Omar (Ramzy Bedia) who impresses her with knowledge of kung fu movies, a subject close to her heart. The two relocate to a Parisian suburb, and start a new life. Problems begin when Omar starts to be physically abusive, just as Zohra becomes pregnant. She starts to feel trapped as her daughter is school age, not knowing when Omar will explode. She takes a new job as a cleaner and uses online tutorials to defend herself, and then meets Chang (Tien Shue) a Chinese master of kung fu, who decides to teach Zohra so she can properly defend herself against Omar.

First things first: the action in this movie is almost an afterthought. There are only two real fights, and they come at the end. The film is mostly concerned with the central conceit, and the drama and fantasy that is wrung out of it. Director Mabrouk El Mechri used the same approach in JCVD, to good effect, and the same can be said of Kung Fu Zohra. What distinguishes it from Van Damme’s opus is that the mixture of drama and fantasy makes a very serious point about domestic abuse, and the effects it can have on an individual and their immediate family. Omar is a manipulative monster, yet retains a human edge so much so you can see why Zohra doesn’t change her situation sooner. She also thinks that her daughter would choose him over her were she to file for divorce, due to the twos bond.

The realistic depiction of these circumstances and the characters’ reactions to them, means the picture treads a thin line between extremely serious themes and the fantasy of an old school kung fu movie. It’s a difficult balancing act, and at points the line is broken and the viewer is taken out of watching, subjectively questioning the approach. However, the sheer joyous abandon of the mixing of tones, styles and genres mean most of the time you can’t help sitting back with a smile and enjoying the sheer audacity of the film-makers. The beating heart and centre of the film is Zohra herself, of course, and the film wouldn’t work without a great performance. Thankfully, Oazani is well up to the task. She communicates the desperation, grit and determination of this protagonist so well that come those end fights you are rooting for her with shots of pure adrenalin.

One innovation that again had me smiling widely was the training sequences. Chang constructs an empty gymnasium to be a mirror image of Zohra’s home, and teaches her kung fu moves that are applicable in the space. An original idea, as far as I know, that feeds into the films themes, executed in the old school style. Chang himself has shades equally of Jackie Chan in the Karate Kid remake, and any number of old masters in 70s kung fu movies. Played with cheeky poe-facery by Tien Sue with minimal Mandarin dialogue, it’s a performance for the ages. 

Unfortunately I did have slight issues with the centrepiece fight scene between Zohra and Omar; at points the execution, camerawork and editing could have all been better. What works so well is the emotional investment in the scene, and the transplanting of the fantastical kung fu movie style, replete with sound effects, into this serious face off. There’s even room for humour in the sequence, and throughout. The final group fight scene is wire-fu amped up brilliance, and is presented in a manner that had me bowing my head at its originality.

Female empowerment in action films is coming thick and fast these days, but Kung Fu Zohra stands out from the crowd, and does so with a mix of realistic drama, fantastical elements and kung fu movie tributes. Oh, and it’s funny. Check out that Drunken Master reference.

Martin Sandison’s Rating: 8/10