THE FUSE

A tale of withdrawal that feels withdrawn in its telling, Lilian T. Mehrel’s debut “Honeyjoon” traces familial relationships in the wake of loss as a mother and daughter find their way back to one another. A story of Iranian diaspora, of sexual and emotional repression, and of culture and politics experienced at a distance, the movie delivers subtext aplenty, overflowing in ways that help overcome its reserved exterior and make for an unobtrusive comedy-drama that, on occasion, comes close to working.