East Is East (1999)

So much average

Fresh and Exciting

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

I just saw this incredible ensemble movie - I was most struck by the amazing ensemble acting by the entire cast, mostly unknown to me (Archie Panjabi is an emmy winner for her role on "The Good Wife", and I have seen Linda Bassett in a few movies). I absolutely hated the father - he reminded me of my late father, who was also a bully who was enraged by his lack of ability to control others completely - Om Puri gives a ferocious performance - I would be curious to know what the actor felt about his part, did he see him (as I do) as a villain or did he see him as "right"? I found Linda Bassett's role a bit infuriating: those women who stay with their abusive disgusting husbands no matter what. I loved how rebellious the kids were, yet they stayed stuck under this tyrant's thumb. But they could escape into British culture, the neighborhood, school, music, culture that was not Pakistani. The gay son was certainly stereotypical but I still found it daring - it's rare to see a happy gay couple (who also appear to be "married") in movies from before 2000. Meena's dance is wonderful and fun. Damien O'Donnell's direction makes me wish he could make more movies (I've also loved "Rory O'Shea Was Here", which was originally titled "Inside I'm Dancing", but his other few films don't seem to have made it over here) - his direction is incredibly self-assured and brilliant, it was his feature film debut (he had made short films and commercials previously). I especially loved the feel of the film, the production design, the street - interestingly, it was filmed at Ealing Studios, 40 years after the last of the Ealing films were produced there. While this film can get my blood boiling - I wished somebody would run the father over with a car or do anything to get him to STOP his bullying disgusting behavior. (Why is he married to her? It's a real mystery. If he's so "Pakistani", why isn't he married to a Pakistani woman?) But that's what's so great about this movie: it can be simultaneously infuriating AND fascinating! I absolutely loved this movie!!!

I decided to register my vote on this film because I was surprised to see that it had scored so low. One person stated this was "a fairly standard drama", which smacks to me of Jane Austen and Midsomer Murders, although it is probably the most "untypical" drama I have ever seen. What I had found to be a delightful and poignant portrayal of "a personal experience" of life in a mixed race marriage in England's 1970's, has been lambasted by some very narrow minded critics on IMDb. I therefore went on to research the writer of the film and if you want to check it out for yourself go to http://english.emory.edu/Bahri/Khan1.html If, having looked at Ayub Khan-Din's own comments, the people who have scored a "1" for this film still believe that this is a "skillfully made racist movie" or that "In this age of political correctness, this film openly lambastes Pakistani culture and its beliefs", perhaps they should look again from an "insider's" point of view. ..."This was our Pakistani life; this is how we existed outside Salford. A life none of my friends knew or could understand...I think in 'East is East' I came as close as possible to understanding my father's motivation in the way he tried to bring us up," ………"The parents are drawn directly from my own family." A less "standard drama" you would be hard pushed to find!

I live and work in an area of the UK with a very large Pakistani population and so I thought this film might throw a little light on that community. A lot of people I know are always telling me that this film is really good and a great comedy. Well, even though I don't 'get' a lot of comedies, I thought I'd take a look, and I must say, although it has some amusing moments and some very funny dialogue, it's not really a comedy. I will tell you why after this brief summary.Set in Salford, Manchester in the early 1970's, this film tells the story of chip shop owner George Kahn, his wife Ella and their children. There are six sons and one daughter, oh, and I should point out that Ella is white and from Manchester. George wants to bring the kids up in the traditional Pakistani manner. Unfortunately for him, they don't particularly want to be brought up like that. He is insistent though, and goes ahead arranging marriages for his sons without telling them until the very last minute. We get a look into how the youngsters are just typical teenagers/young adults, who just want to be able to have a good time with their friends. The relationships between the various family members are also looked at quite closely, particularly Ella's relationship with George. I really don't want to go into too much detail as I'm very wary of giving too much of the plot away (Them Spoiler Police are very strict these days!).A very well made British film with some nice insights into a very interesting, and diverse family. The highlight for me was the performances of the main characters, both Om Puri as George Kahn and Linda Bassett as Ella Kahn were excellent. All the kids were very good; Jordan Routledge as Sajid, Archie Panjabi as Meenah, Emil Marwa as Maneer, Chris Bisson as Saleem, Jimi Mistry as Tariq, Raji James as Abdul and Ian Aspinall as Nazir.For me, I thought this film worked much better as a drama; this aspect of the plot brought out the best performances and was much more interesting. I did feel that a lot of opportunities went begging, but I could see that the filmmakers were very wary of causing offence. It was almost like they wanted to make a full-blown comedy, but the, more interesting, story about relationships and family life got in the way. I should mention that there are scenes of domestic violence that some may find distasteful. Having said that, I did quite enjoy this film and I think so long as you're not expecting a raucous comedy, it's one I can deem… Recommended.My Score: 6.6/10.IMDb Score: 6.7/10 (based on 9,232 votes at the time of going to press).Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81/100 (based on 31 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

This film is about a controlling Pakistani father who sets the path for all his children to follow.Given that "East Is East" is a film about racial and cultural differences, it has to be executed in a delicate manner. I think it has done well, as the plot is funny and thought provoking, thought being offensive. The characters are realistic and engaging, all the seven children have their own unique personality. The relationship between the siblings and the parents are portrayed well. For example, the other siblings are jealous of Maneer as he is the father's favourite child. I was impressed that I managed to recognise and remember the names of all the seven kids! The controlling and authoritarian rule of the father is thought provoking. Given the society and cultural values are rapidly shifting, people who do not change with the times bring misery to themselves and others around them. When the father threatens Tariq at knife point, I thought I would already have gone to the police and the social services if I were them. The fact that Ella and the children tolerate this oppressive regime and domestic violence mirrors many real cases out there right now. It is sad.Despite the very heavy and sensitive subject matter, "East Is East" contains many hilarious moments. The best one for me is that the family pretends to be very British during the Shah family visit. When Meenah answered "Righty ho" in Queen's English, I laughed out loud! "East Is East" is a rare hybrid of entertainment and food for thought.