Ironically titled A Perfect Day, directors Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige chronicle the fateful day that a mother (Julia Kassar as Claudia) and her adult son Malek (Ziad Saad) legally declare the family patriarch dead. Kidnapped 15 years ago during a 1988 Lebanese civil war, the man could have been declared dead after four years, but Claudia has clung to the hope that her husband would return. But if you expect the film to mark a real turning point, you will come away disappointed, as the plot plays out like Persephone supervising Sisyphus.

While the narrative spins in a circle, what you can savor are the details—character insights, visually stunning moments, a portrait of modern Beirut—and the natural way that the filmmakers allow the narrative to unfold. Opening with a close-up of Malek's hair, Claudia attempts to wake her son for his construction work and has mixed emotions about an appointment that afternoon. Malek seems strangely stoic during the encounter in the lawyer's office, perhaps bored by his mother's past obsession with her missing husband, but we soon after learn that he suffers from sleep apnea (similar to River Phoenix character's affliction in My Private Idaho).

Malek demonstrates far greater interest in his girlfriend Zeina (Alexandra Kahwagi), but their relationship is schizophrenic. She ignores him initially, then text messages apologies before pleading that he not meet up later at Beirut's hot night spot—a pattern that continues throughout the movie and likely has been going on at length. A similar half-life appears on going with his mother as well.

Although repetitious and slow moving, A Perfect Day still grabs attention and pulls patient viewers into its milieu, as we gradually learn about the protagonist. What makes him tick? Why does he treat his mother so shabbily? Why does he pursue conflicted Zeina so relentlessly when she is such a tease? How long does Malek have to live, given his sleeping disorder?

Selected point of view moments highlight the film and linger in memory long afterwards. As Malek drives his mother to the lawyer's office, the screen goes black as she talks to him—and we soon realize that we've been inserted into his sleep deprived state. Even more spectacular is a scene where Malek dons his girlfriend's contact lens while driving, and suddenly we are plunged into a kaleidoscope of blurred colors and are relieved at surviving the playful experiment. Also memorable is an auditory sequence, where Claudia's ignored ringtone remains slightly behind the beat of the house music playing at the bar.

A quiet and uneventful film that won't be most people's cup of tea, the Lebanese film weaves a comfortable cinematic quilt that covers everyday life in Beirut while giving us a glimpse into some intriguing characters. But the visual details provide the surprises that make this worthwhile for cineastes.