Dirty Pretty Things
2002
Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a remarkably understated performance in director Stephen Frears's offbeat and gripping drama DIRTY PRETTY THINGS. Ejiofor stars as Okwe, a Nigerian who is trying to make a new life for himself in London, where he works days as a taxi driver and nights as a hotel desk receptionist. When he discovers a .. Read more
| Starring | Chiwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou, Sergie Lopez, Sophie Okonedo |
|---|---|
| Director | Stephen Frears |
| Genres | Drama |
loading...
Dirty Pretty Things
Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a remarkably understated performance in director Stephen Frears's offbeat and gripping drama DIRTY PRETTY THINGS. Ejiofor stars as Okwe, a Nigerian who is trying to make a new life for himself in London, where he works days as a taxi driver and nights as a hotel desk receptionist. When he discovers a human heart in a hotel-room bathroom, he cannot go to the police because he is an illegal alien with a mysterious past he refuses to talk about. Suddenly he is thrust into the middle of a dangerous situation that threatens to have tragic results for him and those around him.
French ingenue Audrey Tautou costars as a Turkish woman who has sought asylum in England, where she is allowed to live but not work. But she must make money, so she works secretly while the government tries to catch her. Benedict Wong turns in a fine supporting performance as Guo Yi, a morgue employee who shares wise and humorous sayings with Okwe. Frears directs the unusual proceedings with a deft hand, slowly revealing secrets that are as gruesome as they are poignant.
| Starring | Chiwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou, Sergie Lopez, Sophie Okonedo, Benedict Wong |
|---|---|
| Director | Stephen Frears |
| Studio | WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 33 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 16 Jun 2003 Production year: 2002 |
| Format | DVD |
-
Critics' reviews (3)
View all -
The ever-versatile Stephen Frears provides a distinctive portrait of illegal immigrants living a hidden, knife-edge existence in London in this insightful drama. Chiwetel Ejiofor is all soulful integrity as Okwe, a Nigerian taxi driver who moonlights as a night porter in a hotel, while Amélie's Audrey Tautou elicits sympathy as a downtrodden Turkish asylum seeker. Aided by accomplished cinematographer Chris Menges, Frears's depiction of a seedy London is impressive, though the script's intrusive thriller elements — such as oily hotel manager Sergi Lopez's illegal trade in donor organs — dent the film's overall credibility. Strict naturalism was clearly never the film's main intention, since some of its characters, particularly the dogged immigration authorities, teeter on the brink of caricature. However, the poignant closing scene aside, the final act isn't easy to take seriously, which is a great shame.
-
A sympathetic, engaging and politically astute slice of modern urban realism, set in the twilight world of London's... read more on Time Out
-
Most helpful member's review
View all -
38 out of 52 people found this review helpful
A thriller with a message
A beautifully acted and very moving account of the lives of illegal workers. A savage indictment of the way we treat the people who do our dirty work. Powerful, sad but ultimately uplifting portayal of the ingenuity and strength of the human spirit. It certainly exposes the hypocracy of the editors of the Daily Mail, who's offices and homes are cleaned by the very people they castigate and rail against every day in the pages of their newspaper
-
Most recent members' review
View all -
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Passed tense
A plot with the potential to crank up the tension, this film doesn't really get going. Leaving the question of pluasibility aside (and lets face it, some films from Hollywood stretch credibility beyond the credulous!), the film could have racked up the tension. Instead the baddy wasn't nearly villainous enough, and given his role as Mr Big in a highly dubious trade, he was decidedly unmenacing. The end game was too predictable and the end came with a whimper rather than a bang. Disappointing.
-
More like this
View all
Related user collection
Love and Death (13)
100% from 1 member
Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop
-
-
-
Dirty Pretty Things
Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a remarkably understated performance in director Stephen Frears's offbeat and gripping drama DIRTY PRETTY THINGS. Ejiofor stars as Okwe, a Nigerian who is trying to make a new life for himself in London, where he works days as a taxi driver and nights as a hotel desk ...
-