East Is East
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Movie Reviews of East Is East
Movie Review: Culture clash
Summary: 4 Stars
What begins as a lighthearted and whimsical examination of the cultural differences between East and West escalates into a very serious and often dark study of the negative ramifications those irreconcilable differences can cause when strictly observed by those who lose track of the impact on those they love.Om Puri is magnificent as Muslim George Khan, the traditional father of a very untraditional group of seven children, the offspring of his marriage with British wife Ella, played by Linda Bassett. Born and raised in England, his six sons and one daughter have grown to enjoy the high degree of cultural freedom not present in Pakistan. When George senses that he is losing the control of his family that he once enjoyed, he becomes an intransigent martinet and inadvertently manages to alienate them all.
Built on the foundation of quaint humor, the dramatic frissons, when they come, are stunning. And there's never a false note, as confident newcomer Damien O'Donnell directs Ayub Khan-Din's story with aplomb, a story which is partially autobiographical and based on Khan-Din's own play of the same name.
Movie Review: comedy-drama about the clash of cultures on a barebones dvd
Summary: 4 Stars
George Khan (Om Puri) and his British wife (Linda Bassett) are raising their family in Manchester, England, in 1971, and George is not happy with the way his children are adapting to their English homeland. He wants them to be traditional Pakistanis, though the kids have other ideas. As you'd imagine, this creates many humorous situations. The direction and sets are very good and the cast is superb. It's absolutely hysterical to see the red-headed, chain-smoking British Bassett as she shepherds her very unBritish-looking brood. But the film takes an unexpected and darker turn as George becomes more enraged at his family's disobedience and ultimately reacts with violence. While his transformation is believable, there is never really a resolution to the tension, so I would recommend this film, but if you are wanting a flat-out comedy or a film that tries to answer the question of how to resolve multicultural conflicts, this would not meet the bill.This is a barebones dvd, with an option for English captioning and a trailer.
Movie Review: Manchester Masala
Summary: 4 Stars
Inspired performances highlight this "culture-clash" comedy-drama that vascillates (a bit uncomfortably at times) between "Nil By Mouth" and "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner". First time director Damien O'Donnell appears to have gone to the Mike Leigh school, displaying a similar gift for very believable and affecting character development. Om Puri (largely unknown to Western audiences but a highly respected international actor) is superb as the harried patriarch of a Pakistani-English family in 1971 Manchester. Linda Bassett also shines as his English wife. The youngest son steals every scene he's in- with his ubiquitous hooded parka and a penchant for consistently bad timing, he comes off like a real-life "Kenny" from "South Park". Be cautioned: while there are a lot of chuckles here, there are also realistic depictions of domestic violence that some might find unsettling; however it is important to the story's arc. A very rewarding film.Movie Review: Don't expect slapstick comedy...
Summary: 4 Stars
Like most viewers, I was decieved by the trailer into thinking this was going to be a big screen version of "Goodness Gracious Me". While it does have its hilarious moments (the horny dalmatian, the meeting with the arranged brides)there is more of a serious overtone to the film. It is a film about living between two cultures, and family life. and there is very much a lot of truths displayed here. my sister was rather dismayed at the mother's (played Linda Bassett) devotion to her husband despite his treatment of her, but to me this is the whole point; that above all our fixations with cultural identity and pride love somewhat overrides this. The close relationship between the siblings is beautifully done. There is clearly a good chemistry between the cast members especially between Bassett and Om Puri.Om Puri gets a bit frightening, though he does gain your sympathy in final frames.
Movie Review: lots of fun
Summary: 4 Stars
A goofy comedy with some serious moments; not that Im into these flicks but I liked watching how it may be like to be a first generation Pakistani in Great Britain. A paki (Pakistani; English slang) immigrant comes to england and marries a second wife (a british one) because his first wife is in Pakistan; perhaps polygamy is allowed there(?) The dynamics between this couple are fairly amusing; he would threaten the English wife of bringing in the first wife if there ever was a war between India and Pakistan. The bulk of the film is about how his 4 teenage children deal with the strict old ways of the Pakistani father, who manages to get his 10 year old boy circumcised; perhaps a muslim tradition (?). A fun comedic film on racial tensions/cultural misunderstandings with a dose of interesting british slang.