"THE BLUE CAFTAN tackles another taboo in the Moroccan society, closeted homosexuality. Mina (Azabal) and Halim (Bakri) are a childless, middle-aged couple running a tailor shop, Halim is a sublime artisan for his sartorial faculty, the latest order of a blue caftan demands him to work more, just as Mina's health deteriorates (it only reveals later what afflicts her, which also hits an emotional apogee that deepens Halim and Mina's connection).
Also, Halim is a homosexual and his guarded interaction with the shop's new apprentice Youssef (Missioui, a standard knockout) intimates that mutual attraction is brewing in the air, but Touzani doesn't deign to queer-bait, the homoerotic atmosphere is calibrated just to be perceptible, and THE BLUE CAFTAN is all about a marriage of convenience and the toll takes on both parties. Mina knows Halim's sexual orientation, which explains why she casts a leery eye on Youssef and her hostility towards him."
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Also, Halim is a homosexual and his guarded interaction with the shop's new apprentice Youssef (Missioui, a standard knockout) intimates that mutual attraction is brewing in the air, but Touzani doesn't deign to queer-bait, the homoerotic atmosphere is calibrated just to be perceptible, and THE BLUE CAFTAN is all about a marriage of convenience and the toll takes on both parties. Mina knows Halim's sexual orientation, which explains why she casts a leery eye on Youssef and her hostility towards him."
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