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East is East

7.0

3,771

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Sequel:

West is West

Original title

East is East

Year

1999

Running time

96 min.

Country

United Kingdom

Director

Damien O'Donnell

Screenwriter

Ayub Khan-Din

Cast

Music

Deborah Mollison

Cinematography

Brian Tufano

Producer

Filmfour, Assassin Films

Genre

Comedy | Immigration. Comedy-Drama. 1970s. Family Relationships

Synopsis

Set in the early 1970s, follows the lives of a Pakistani-English family living in Northern England. George Khan (Om Puri), a proud Pakistani immigrant, and his British wife, Ella (Linda Bassett), run a fish and chip shop, while raising their seven children. George is determined to honor Pakistani tradition by arranging marriages for each of the children, whether they like it or not. When the Khan kids, including the nightclubbing Tariq (Jimi Mistry), the artsy Saleem (Chris Bisson), and the shy, parka-wearing Sajid (Jordan Routledge), begin to rebel against their forceful father, their mother also joins the household mutiny. During an awkward nuptial arrangement meeting with the snobby Shahs and their two unappealing daughters, the family's conflict hits its peak with surprising results. With his first feature film, O'Donnell convincingly recreates the 1970s setting and carefully avoids glossing over the Khan family's difficulties. Puri and Bassett are excellent as the well-meaning parents, while Routledge is particularly charming as the reclusive youngest son.

Awards: 2000: Goya Awards: Nominated for Best European Film

1999: BAFTA Awards: Best British Film. 6 Nominations, Including Best Picture

1999: European Film Awards: Nominated for Best Screenplay

1999: British Independent Film Awards (BIFA): Best Screenplay. 2 Nominations

1999: David di Donatello Awards: Nominated for Best Foreign Film

1999: Seminci: Golden Spike: Best Movie. Best Actress (Linda Basset)

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Critics' reviews

"The film has its funny moments, but those moments seem to put the characters we've been charmed by into cartoonish versions of their real lives (...) The film was a pleasure to watch for the cast alone"

Austin Chronicle
"If there is a weakness in "East Is East," it's that Om Puri's character is a little too serious for the comedy surrounding him (...) This is a provocative film, useful for discussions between parents and children"

Roger Ebert: Chicago Sun-Times
"Funny without being patronising, warm without being sentimental, and strongly characterised almost always, but not quite without recourse to parody."

Derek Malcolm: The Guardian
"A very decent debut indeed, full of neat insights into '70s Britain, endowed with engagingly profane dialogue, and blessed with another terrific turn from Puri."

Time Out

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User history

East is East

1999

Damien O'Donnell

7.0

(3,771)