East Is East (1999)

Director:

Damien O'Donnell

Writers:

Ayub Khan-Din (play)
Ayub Khan-Din (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 April 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A comedy of families, a chip shop... and a very randy dog.

Plot:

In 1971 Salford fish-and-chip shop owner George Khan expects his family to follow his strict Pakistani Muslim ways...

Plot Keywords:

Pakistani | 1970s | British | Arranged Marriage | Muslim

Awards:

Nominated for 4 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 15 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Om Puri	...	George Khan
Linda Bassett	...	Ella Khan
Jordan Routledge	...	Sajid Khan
Archie Panjabi	...	Meenah Khan
Emil Marwa	...	Maneer Khan
Chris Bisson	...	Saleem Khan
Jimi Mistry	...	Tariq Khan
Raji James	...	Abdul Khan
Ian Aspinall	...	Nazir Khan
Lesley Nicol	...	Auntie Annie
Emma Rydal	...	Stella Moorhouse
Ruth Jones	...	Peggy
Ben Keaton	...	Priest
Kriss Dosanjh	...	Poppa Khalid
John Bardon	...	Mr. Moorhouse

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Urdu

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Egypt:(Banned) | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIB | Italy:T | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

FilmFour

Trivia:

Banned in Egypt.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Meenah kicks the ball through Mr Moorhouse's window at the Enoch Powell poster the ball hits slightly right of Powell's head but in the next shot the hole is conveniently dead-centre.

Quotes:

George Khan: ...when I come this country, I have no luggage. Today what I got?
Meenah Khan: You got a chip shop. dad.
George Khan: Right. Own bloody business, see.

Movie Connections:

Features "The Clangers" (1969)

Soundtrack:

Double Barrel

High-class movie

A bitter-sweet comedy with some moments of truly stark drama, this is a high-class movie. Yes, there are randy dogs and fat, ugly girls - but the piece is a class act because it mixes those "laugh-out-loud funny" comic set pieces with great drama so cleverly.

Very much a period piece, the movie is set in Salford in 1971 - a telling time for a part-Pakistani family with Enoch Powell's shadow never too far away and the break-away of East Pakistan (Bangladesh-to-be)unravelling as the film goes on. The poverty of 1971 Salford with the outside toilet, bedpans and tin bath is excellently portrayed. And at a more mundane level, the constant sight of a bright orange space-hopper and its comedic demise is truly nostalgic, especially to this reviewer whose own space-hopper suffered a similar fate around 1971.

Superb acting performances all round - Linda Bassett used to be one of the better-kept secrets on the UK stage, but now I suppose the secret is out. Highly recommended movie.