I came into this film without any expectations and I was charmed into enjoying what is essentially a friends to lovers relationship.

The premise is a London based documentary film maker Zoe Stevenson, who grew up next door to a Pakistani family the Khans, hears that her friend Kazim Khan has agreed to an arranged marriage and she pitches turning the process into a documentary "Love Contractually". Khan is a a successful doctor born and raised in London to a Muslim Pakistani family, who now in his thirties has agreed to an arranged marriage to a woman of his parent choosing. The woman ends up being a twenty four year old Pakistani native named Maymouna.

The wedding takes place over three days (as is tradition beginning with the henna night) in Pakistan which offers a colorful oasis that is a feast for both the eyes and ears...but it also gives us a better look under the veil of Maymouna, who may not be as sweet and innocent as she first appears.

There is a wonderful theme about mother's only wanting their children's happiness and a secondary theme of people need each other.

I was happy to see the familial resolution and the ending that I was hoping for. Yes, I'm a romantic and I think other romantics will enjoy this film as much as I did. I thoroughly enjoyed the Sufi singer and I appreciated the translation of the story as a Westerner.

Zoe's quirky single hurt girl retellings of traditional fairytales to her nieces was hilarious and I enjoyed Emma Thompson as the eccentric mother of Zoe...the icing on the cake for me was two male offerings to the question of if you could cheat knowing you wouldn't be caught by your wife would you?

No, because I would know.

And No, because he would know.

I found both those answers to restore my faith in men.

This is a recommendation to all you romantics out there.