East Is East
From AwardAnnals
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| Director(s) | Damien O'Donnell |
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| Distributor | Miramax |
| Honors | |
| Manchester in 1971 is not the ideal time and place to raise a proper Pakistani family. But George Khan (Om Puri), father of seven unruly moppets and husband to a willful British wife (Linda Bassett), is determined to wield his influence over his clan. But what a clan this is, with Nazir (Ian Aspinall), who refuses his arranged wife; Saleem (Chris Bisson) who creates—shall we say controversial?—works of art; Tariq (Jimi Mistry), the mod boy who lives for discos and English girls; Meenah (Archie Panjabi), the only girl and tomboy extraordinaire; and Sajid (Jordan… | |
Honors
Reviews
Amazon.com
Manchester in 1971 is not the ideal time and place to raise a proper Pakistani family. But George Khan (Om Puri), father of seven unruly moppets and husband to a willful British wife (Linda Bassett), is determined to wield his influence over his clan. But what a clan this is, with Nazir (Ian Aspinall), who refuses his arranged wife; Saleem (Chris Bisson) who creates—shall we say controversial?—works of art; Tariq (Jimi Mistry), the mod boy who lives for discos and English girls; Meenah (Archie Panjabi), the only girl and tomboy extraordinaire; and Sajid (Jordan Routledge), who lives in a dirty fur-trimmed parka. Abdul (Raji James) and Maneer (Emil Marwa) stay more quietly in the background, although they lend their voices to the chorus of dissent against traditional ways.
East Is East is Damien O’Donnell’s directorial debut, and he nails the raucous tone from the opening scene, a church parade where the Pakistani children must do some deft maneuvering to avoid being seen by their Muslim father. At times such as these, the film is a straightforward comedy, and the children milk the cultural differences for every laugh they can. Yet the film takes a more somber turn when Saleem balks at his father’s insistence on arranging Saleem’s marriage. Puri is magnificent straddling the line between lovable father and brute enemy as he demands that the others obey his will, and his performance can be difficult to watch as he metamorphoses. Sympathies toward the characters shift throughout the film, highlighting the superb acting of the entire cast. Ultimately, though, humor wins out, making East Is East a tremendously fun film. —Jenny Brown
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A surprise hit internationally, Damien O’Donnell’s feature debut is a warm, richly funny portrait of the cultural and emotional collisions of a multiracial family in 1971 Salford, where curry meets fish-and-chips and the threat of a spacehopper lurks around every corner. Adapted by Ayub Khan-Din from his own stage play, the film centres on Pakistani immigrant George Khan (huge Bollywood star Om Puri) still deeply attached to the moral and political mores of his homeland, but married to Englishwoman Ella (Linda Bassett). Despite her protestations, Khan is adamant their six sons and daughter, raised to respect traditional Muslim values, must enter into arranged marriages. Meanwhile, the children are more intent on pursuing the secret pleasures of interracial dating, bacon sandwiches and midnight forays to the nearest club.
O’Donnell’s direction fully exploits the often bawdy humour in the family’s everyday struggles, while bringing an unexpected emotional punch to the scenes of violent confrontation which erupt as Khan becomes ever more dictatorial. The film also maintains comic momentum and dramatic intensity throughout thanks to excellent performances by Puri, Bassett and the remaining cast, including soap stars Chris Bisson (Coronation Street) and Jimi Mistry (EastEnders). Against a backdrop of 1970s pop culture, the many highlights include an oversexed dog and a giant sculpted pudenda.
Barnes and Noble
Never the twain shall meet? That is the core question in this comedy, based on a highly regarded British play and featuring internationally recognized Indian actor Om Puri as George Khan, a Pakistani who immigrates to England and marries an Englishwoman (Linda Bassett). The action is set in the early 1970s, 25 years after his arrival, when most of the couple’s children (six boys, one girl) are grown up. George wants them to behave in a traditional Pakistani fashion, and his struggle to influence their decisions and behavior is veers from funny to harrowing—it’s definitely not a goofy sitcom. The film unfolds as George arranges marriages for his three eldest sons, each of whom refuses to let George take control of his life. The family struggles to get George to see himself as a cultural anachronism, but this is easier said than done. Although not ultimately satisfying as a pure comedy, East Is East is an often savory, funny exploration of its protagonists’ cultural-identity conflicts.
David Schneiderman
