Question:
I watched Dirty Pretty Things yesterday, a film that shows the human face of London's immigrant underclass - a side of London life most of us probably aren't very familiar with. It's a thriller of sorts, but also an involving social drama with elements of humour thrown in to lighten the tone. There are no picture-postcard images of London here, but it's a realistic London nevertheless, and it's the one the characters inhabit. Directed by Stephen Frears, it's a fine and well-made film, and I think I liked it more for its tone and approach - a sympathetic and humane portrait of immigrant characters - than for it's storytelling. In fact, for me the film worked better as a social drama than as thriller, though both these elements are tied closely together in terms of plot.
The film stars Audrey Tatou as Turkish immigrant Senay, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Nigerian immigrant Okwe. Both Senay and Okwe work in a hotel. When Okwe makes a gruesome discovery in one of the hotel rooms, he finds himself drawn into events that eventually lead him to the truth behind his discovery. Frears obviously has a lot of empathy for his characters and it shows in his direction. The two principals in the film - Tatou and Ejiofor - both give excellent performances, and the supporting cast are very good too.
It would have been easy for this film to have taken a gritty, but perhaps depressing approach to its subject matter. To its credit though, it feels neither polemical or overly morbid in tone (at least not to me). It does of course show the difficulties the characters face: constrained by their circumstances, taken advantage of - but also how they manage to laugh and smile. The film's ending is affecting and moving.
This is one of those films that really did made me think after I left the cinema, something that hasn't happened in a long time. It's on limited release at the moment in the UK, so if you get a chance to see it, I'd recommend it. :thumbs:
I'd say it's worth a watch. And after this and He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not there's little doubt in my eyes that Tatou can step out of Amelie's shadow.
Strangely, the film shares many similarities with The Lost Son, Daniel Auteuil's first English language film from a couple of years back. That one also focussed on a foreigner in London, who slowly uncovers what most people would think to be 'urban myths' going on in seedy London hotel rooms. It also shares with The Lost Son Chris Menges, who has been relegated from director to cinematographer. Given Menges' directorial pedigree before The Lost Son, I'd have said this was like Tiger Woods caddying for Leslie Nielson. But the fact remains that Dirty Pretty Things is the stronger film of the two (although I doubt Frears has anything a tenth as good as Second Best in the tool box).
It's a tad predictable in places - the transplant assistant agrees to a bottle of 'steadying' alcohol with all the speed of someone who has never seen a film in his life, and you should never ever put your knob in an unwilling movie mouth! It's not as interesting as the wonderful, not-talked-about-much He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not - although the films don't really lend themselves to a comparison outside of side-by-side releases and Tatou's involvement.
Originally posted by McD
It's a tad predictable in places - the transplant assistant agrees to a bottle of 'steadying' alcohol with all the speed of someone who has never seen a film in his life...
I have to admit I didn't see that coming! I agree about Audrey Tatou though. She gives a convincing performance in a role that's very different from Amelie. But Ejiofor is also very good, and will hopefully go on to bigger things if other (decent) roles come his way.
The film stars Audrey Tatou as Turkish immigrant Senay, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Nigerian immigrant Okwe. Both Senay and Okwe work in a hotel. When Okwe makes a gruesome discovery in one of the hotel rooms, he finds himself drawn into events that eventually lead him to the truth behind his discovery. Frears obviously has a lot of empathy for his characters and it shows in his direction. The two principals in the film - Tatou and Ejiofor - both give excellent performances, and the supporting cast are very good too.
It would have been easy for this film to have taken a gritty, but perhaps depressing approach to its subject matter. To its credit though, it feels neither polemical or overly morbid in tone (at least not to me). It does of course show the difficulties the characters face: constrained by their circumstances, taken advantage of - but also how they manage to laugh and smile. The film's ending is affecting and moving.
This is one of those films that really did made me think after I left the cinema, something that hasn't happened in a long time. It's on limited release at the moment in the UK, so if you get a chance to see it, I'd recommend it. :thumbs:
Answers:
I'd say it's worth a watch. And after this and He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not there's little doubt in my eyes that Tatou can step out of Amelie's shadow.
Strangely, the film shares many similarities with The Lost Son, Daniel Auteuil's first English language film from a couple of years back. That one also focussed on a foreigner in London, who slowly uncovers what most people would think to be 'urban myths' going on in seedy London hotel rooms. It also shares with The Lost Son Chris Menges, who has been relegated from director to cinematographer. Given Menges' directorial pedigree before The Lost Son, I'd have said this was like Tiger Woods caddying for Leslie Nielson. But the fact remains that Dirty Pretty Things is the stronger film of the two (although I doubt Frears has anything a tenth as good as Second Best in the tool box).
It's a tad predictable in places - the transplant assistant agrees to a bottle of 'steadying' alcohol with all the speed of someone who has never seen a film in his life, and you should never ever put your knob in an unwilling movie mouth! It's not as interesting as the wonderful, not-talked-about-much He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not - although the films don't really lend themselves to a comparison outside of side-by-side releases and Tatou's involvement.
Answers:
Originally posted by McD
It's a tad predictable in places - the transplant assistant agrees to a bottle of 'steadying' alcohol with all the speed of someone who has never seen a film in his life...
I have to admit I didn't see that coming! I agree about Audrey Tatou though. She gives a convincing performance in a role that's very different from Amelie. But Ejiofor is also very good, and will hopefully go on to bigger things if other (decent) roles come his way.
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