I'm not really qualified to assert that I really understood what was going on here from a cultural perspective, but it raised some very complex issues which I assume are very real for many people.

At one level, it could be seen as a standard coming-of-age tale for a second-generation immigrant girl of high intelligence who'd like to break free of her parents stifling influence, whilst still loving them and with some fond memories of Algeria and the family there.

Although there is no nudity, there is however some very frank language and handling of sexual matters among the young schoolfriends, which was something of a surprise. Perhaps though this helped illustrate the gulf between her lived experience and the "arranged marriage" expectations of her parents' generation.

As others have noted, the seemingly-sudden change in her father's attitude and the mother's move towards the end of the film didn't seem to gel that well with the earlier parts, but as a resolution it wasn't too bad.

Worth a look.