Shirin is struggling to become an ideal Persian daughter, politically correct bisexual and hip young Brooklynite but fails miserably in her attempt at all identities. Being without a cliché to hold onto can be a lonely experience.
Appropriate Behaviour is a confident and witty debut about finding yourself and fitting in that knows exactly what it wants to say. Akhavan is undoubtedly one to watch.
Not all of it works but it does breeze along, thanks to its likable characters and dry wit.
Inspiring and refreshing, I look forward to seeing what cringe inducing life crisis Akhaven deconstructs next.
Desiree Akhavan's debut is as funny as it is painfully true.
The writer-director-star Desiree Akhavan's lesbian romcom is well observed and often very witty.
Desiree Akhavan’s hip debut about New York twentysomethings is sexually candid and exhilarating, if slightly precious.
Akhavan presents everything in Appropriate Behavior in a way that’s honest, heartfelt and relatable – and very funny too. It certainly marks her out as an interesting new talent.
Despite its navel-gazing tendencies, this retains a spicily frank comedic edge, laced with the kind of bitingly quotable epithets you’ll wish you’d thought of yourself.
Desiree Akhavan on Appropriate Behaviour and not being the 'Iranian bisexual Lena Dunham'
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow from Friday March 6, 2015, until Thursday March 12, 2015. More info: http://www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre/