Honeyjoon (dir. Lilian T. Mehrel)
By: Adam Freed
The alchemy is really quite simple. Take two fascinating women, Persian mother Lela and her sensual American daughter June, and place them on the breathtaking Azores Islands for a weekend escape, and what comes about quite naturally is Lilian T. Mehrel’s magnetic and heartfelt Honeyjoon. The comedic drama follows the mismatched mother-daughter duo on a remembrance weekend in which they plan to celebrate the one year anniversary of the passing of Lela’s husband, and June’s father. Mehrel’s film drips with the cinematic beauty of the Portuguese islands all while tactfully allowing audiences the space to breathe in the gravity of the duo’s purpose.
Despite their shared bloodline, it is clear from the outset that June is nothing like her conservative Iranian mother. June, is played to perfection by Ayden Mayeri (Veep, I Love That For You). She is proud of her body and isn’t shy about her desire to find romantic companionship. What prevents Mayeri’s performance from becoming static, is that behind June’s flirtatious eyes there is a survivor's pain, and a rebellious protest of femininity given the nature of her family’s cultural roots. The glorious counterpunch to June’s breezyness is her mother Lela, a dedicated women’s rights advocate, bemoaning the 1979 overthrow of the Iranian government that forced her into exile due to her Kurdish ethnicity. As fascinating and vital as Ayden Mayeri is to Honeyjoon, it is Amira Casar (Call Me By Your Name) who breathes life into Lela’s cultural and familial pain, all while providing a delicate counterbalance to her daughter’s meandering. Both women are stunning, which is what makes their generational bond so interesting. Lela, a therapist, has been blessed by the beauty of experience and understanding, a fact that makes her a fascination to the numerous Azorian men who come into contact with her.
It cannot be understated how devastatingly impactful the cinematography of Honeyjoon actually is. One can only imagine the exhilaration that Lilian T. Mehrel must have felt when the writer and director first stepped foot on location, knowing the strength of the script she had created. With the breathtaking backdrop established, the story of Lela and June comes to life as they accept a private tour of the island from João (José Condessa), a local man, equally handsome and soulful. The more of the Azores that the pair imbibe, the closer they grow to their roots and to the devastating final goodbye that awaits them on the shores of paradise. It wasn’t until Lela and June walk the same sands and peer upon the same azure seas as their beloved husband and father that they feel prepared to say goodbye to the man they both loved dearly. A beautiful notion captured in a magnificent location, Honeyjoon is the work of a gifted alchemist.
Target Score 9/10 - It takes a talented filmmaker to wield such an amalgamation of cultures and spiritual perspectives with the perception of such ease and grace. Lilian T. Mehrel delicately balances the humor of a mismatched mother daughter duo with the emotion of a final goodbye in the gorgeous and memorable film Honeyjoon.
Honeyjoon is included in Movie Archer's coverage of the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival