When this movie was shown on television, it was said to be a comedy. Since I'm always in for a good laugh and because I really could use a good laugh that day, I was really looking forward to this movie. Big was my surprise when I saw that this wasn't exactly the kind of comedy I was looking for. I kept watching it nevertheless and I must say that I'm glad that I did, because this movie sure is worth a watch, but it didn't really fulfill the expectations that I had in advance.
When in the early 1970's, a traditional Pakistani father - who lives in England with his English wife and his kids - sees how his offspring more and more starts to behave as British and start to reject their father's rules on dress, food, religion,... he decides that it is time for them to get married to a good Pakistani girl. But their desire for independence and a modern way of live clashes with the traditional believes of their father and it doesn't take long before a lot of things start to go terribly wrong. And when the potential candidates aren't exactly the prettiest of all women, they know for sure that they will have to do anything to prevent getting married...
If you are looking for a light-footed comedy, than this movie is one big disappointment. Sure, there are some funny moments to be found in this movie, but overall I certainly wouldn't call it a comedy. In my opinion this is a drama that shows how the traditional values of immigrants don't always fit in with those of the native inhabitants and that their children often are the victim of that. They no longer seem / want to belong to their own ethnic group, but are still seen as foreigners by the traditional inhabitants. They have to fight against prejudices from both sides and that's not always easy. In my opinion the movie really gives a good idea of what it's like and even though it's all situated in the seventies, all that much hasn't changed in thirty years time.
The acting in this movie is really good. Although I can't immediately say that I know anyone of them, the actors in this movie make it all feel very authentic without overdoing it all. It's all too easy to make stereotypes out of the different characters, but that certainly isn't the case in this movie. Just as unknown as the actors are the director and the writer of this movie. It was Ayub Khan-Din's first and only script and Damien O'Donnell isn't exactly the most famous of British directors either. Still, they both did well and that's all that matters to me.
All in all this is a very good movie as long as you forget that you are watching a comedy. I don't believe that a joke or two make a movie a comedy, but that doesn't mean that it can't be any good. As a drama this movie stands quite firm on its feet and also thanks to the relevance of the story, I must say that I liked what I saw. I give it a 7.5/10.
When in the early 1970's, a traditional Pakistani father - who lives in England with his English wife and his kids - sees how his offspring more and more starts to behave as British and start to reject their father's rules on dress, food, religion,... he decides that it is time for them to get married to a good Pakistani girl. But their desire for independence and a modern way of live clashes with the traditional believes of their father and it doesn't take long before a lot of things start to go terribly wrong. And when the potential candidates aren't exactly the prettiest of all women, they know for sure that they will have to do anything to prevent getting married...
If you are looking for a light-footed comedy, than this movie is one big disappointment. Sure, there are some funny moments to be found in this movie, but overall I certainly wouldn't call it a comedy. In my opinion this is a drama that shows how the traditional values of immigrants don't always fit in with those of the native inhabitants and that their children often are the victim of that. They no longer seem / want to belong to their own ethnic group, but are still seen as foreigners by the traditional inhabitants. They have to fight against prejudices from both sides and that's not always easy. In my opinion the movie really gives a good idea of what it's like and even though it's all situated in the seventies, all that much hasn't changed in thirty years time.
The acting in this movie is really good. Although I can't immediately say that I know anyone of them, the actors in this movie make it all feel very authentic without overdoing it all. It's all too easy to make stereotypes out of the different characters, but that certainly isn't the case in this movie. Just as unknown as the actors are the director and the writer of this movie. It was Ayub Khan-Din's first and only script and Damien O'Donnell isn't exactly the most famous of British directors either. Still, they both did well and that's all that matters to me.
All in all this is a very good movie as long as you forget that you are watching a comedy. I don't believe that a joke or two make a movie a comedy, but that doesn't mean that it can't be any good. As a drama this movie stands quite firm on its feet and also thanks to the relevance of the story, I must say that I liked what I saw. I give it a 7.5/10.