East Is East is one of my favourite films; one that I have seen countless times. As well as owning the DVD, I have watched it twice on TV and twice in school (once in Religious Studies and in Citizenship). It has been both criticised and commended in equal measure - some have described it as ... Read review
A surprise hit internationally, Damien O'Donnell's feature debut is a warm, richly funny ... more
portrait of the cultural and emotional collisions of a multiracial family in 1971 Salford, where curry meets fish-and-chips and the threat of a spacehopper lurks a...
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Re-issue of this intensely likeable best-selling comedy to coincide with extensive ... more
nationwide tour from Sept 05 to April 06. In Salford 1970: the Khan children caught between bell-bottoms and arranged marriages are buffeted this way and that by their Pakistani father's insistence on tradition their English mother's laissez-faire and their own wish to be citizens of the modern world. Successfully filmed after a rags-to-riches stage career that began in Birmingham in 1996 went on to a London premiere at the Royal Court and culminated in the West End "East is East" is a firm favourite with schools and theatres alike. It is one of NHB's top ten best-selling plays.
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East Is East is the often hilarious and sometimes painful story of what happens when two ... more
cultures collide within one family.For the seven kids of George Khan - proud Pakistani and chip shop owner - life is one long compromise. Tomboy Meenah prefers playing footie to wearing a sari, hippie Saleem pretends to be studying engineering when he's really at art school, heart-throb Tariq has got a reputation as a local Casanova, and Sajid hasn't even been circumcised yet. For George Khan ('Ghengis to his kids), life is an uphill battle to get his family to conform to traditional Pakistani values. But this is Salford in the 1970's. George's English wife Ella is Lancashire born, and his kids have got minds of their own.In the Khan's cramped terraced house with it's scant indoor plumbing, anarchy erupts on a daily basis. When the Khan kids begin to oppose their father's petty tyrannies, Ella is forced to make a choice between her love for her husband and the right of her children to make their own way in the world.
George Khan has been married to an English woman named Ella for 25 years, and has seven ... more
children with her. The trouble begins when Nazir, their first-born son (who it later becomes clear, is gay), bails out of marrying the Pakistani girl his father has chosen for him at the last minute, leading to a bitter estrangement. Then the youngest son Sajid is discovered to be uncircumcised: the boy is horrified at his father's plans to have the ceremonial surgery carried out, and tries to resist, but in vain. Meanwhile, marriage is still on George's mind, and he accepts an introduction to Mr. Shah, who is looking for good Pakistani bridegrooms for his two ridiculously ugly daughters. Despite having seen the daughters' photographs, George promises Mr. Shah that his second and third sons, Tariq and Abdul, will marry them. Sajid overhears George's plans and they are revealed when getting pressured by Meenah,Tariq and Saleem. The movie reflects the migration of Asians into Britain in the 70's and the social segregation that it caused between the white and foreign communities.
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: Funny, thought-provoking, well-acted and scripted Disadvantages: Lots of swearing
East Is East is one of my favourite films; one that I have seen countless times. As well as owning the DVD, I have watched it twice on TV and twice in school (once in Religious Studies and in Citizenship). It has been both criticised and commended in equal measure - some have described it as the best British film in years, others have said it's racist, anti-Islam and stereotypical. You'll hear my views on that later!
THE STORYLINE ...MY THOUGHTS
East Is East could easily have been a depressing, gritty drama, bogged down with messages about culture clashes - but it isn't. It's a touching comedy drama that will make you think as much as it makes you laugh. Ultimately, it's quite an uplifting film that will put a smile on your face!
It is a finely-tuned mix of comedy and drama, which works really well together. As well as dealing with the thorny subject ... more
East Is East is one of my favourite films; one that I have seen countless times. As well as owning the DVD, I have watched it twice on TV and twice in school (once in Religious Studies and in Citizenship). It has been both criticised and commended in equal measure - some have described it as the best British film in years, others have said it's racist, anti-Islam and stereotypical. You'll hear my views on that later!
THE STORYLINE
Set in 1970's Salford, the Khan family make the Simpsons look perfectly well-adjusted. George Khan, a strict Pakistani Muslim who runs a chippy, rules over his household with an iron rod; feared by the rest of his family. He has seven children, and is married to the long-suffering Ella.
Despite having an English mother and being of British nationality, he insists that his wayward children are Pakistani, and is horrified of how immoral he has brought his children up to be. He takes his anger and frustration out on his kids, which in turn makes them distance themselves even more against Islam. He is confused - he wants his children to be happy, but he also wants to retain family honour. He is adamant that a more religious lifestyle will make his children more respectable and happy, and sets about enforcing these changes.
His children, though, have different ideas and respond to their father's controlling, abusive behaviour in different ways. They are even more annoyed at how their mother, although not agreeing with her husband's views, supports his choices and will not tolerate any criticism of him.
Sajid, the youngest son, retreats into his shell (or rather, his manky fur-lined parka), and is frequently bullied by his older siblings. He is shy and unassuming, but is at that age where he is fascinated by the human anatomy, which lands him in hot water with his brothers and is labelled a Peeping Tom.
Saleem is the most independent of the sons, and breezily glosses over the family problems. His dad is proud that his son is studying engineering at college but he is actually doing an art course. Tariq is the confident womaniser who is the only one who stands up to George. To his friends he is known as 'Tony', and often goes clubbing while his parents are asleep. He has a bunny boiler girlfriend, Stella, who's uncle is an anti-immigration politician living opposite the Khan's.
Abdul is the quiet son who tries to hold his family together, and runs around trying to minimise the damage caused by his siblings, who deliberately antagonise their father. Maneer is nicknamed Ghandi by his siblings, and is alienated from the rest of his family. He tries to appease his father but instead irritates him, and his brothers and sister feel he has taken their father's side.
The only daughter is Meena, who is a brash, confident bacon-lover, equally foul-mouthed as her brothers. That leaves six children - the other is Nazir, who George claims is dead. In fact, Nazir fled from his arranged marriage, and has been disowned from the family.
Although George is fiercely proud of his religion, even having a wife in Pakistan, his children do not agree. The only real Pakistani they know is their father, who they dislike, so that dislike has been transferred to the whole religion of Islam. They treat Islam and Pakistan with a sort of disdain and contempt, and do not consider themselves to be Pakistani. Two good examples of this are Tariq shouting, 'I'm not getting married to a f**king Paki!' and when driving into Bradford, Sajid says, 'Bloody hell, there's Pakis everywhere!'
After a conversation in a mosque, George has a brainwave - he decides the ideal solution to all his woes is to marry off his two oldest sons, Tariq and Abdul, and sets about arranging the marriages. The family are put under enormous strain and it looks like their misguided father's scheming and plotting will finally ruin the Khan family.
THE ACTING
I think the acting here is brilliant all round, and in particular, Om Puri as the volatile father. He is an excellent actor, and has appeared on British TV many times - he can count White Teeth, Second Generation and The Canterbury Tales in his CV. He pulls off the flawed, confused character of George perfectly, even eliciting some sympathy for the father who is torn between his family and his religion.
Linda Bassett also deserves a mention as George's wife. Her acting is excellent and I can't see anyone other than her doing the role justice. Her face is very familiar, and having a look at IMDB, she is fairly successful - she has appeared in The Hours, Calender Girls and the BBC comedy Dinnerladies.
I think George's children were all perfectly cast, and portray their roles well. With so many characters, you would expect the cast to be a little two dimensional but they are all well-rounded, understandable and likeable in their own way! I was a bit dubious about Chris Bisson's acting skills - I had only known him as Vikram Desai from Coronation Street, which is hardly a challenging character, but he plays the art student well.
Most of the cast are recognisable, even the minor characters. Raji James, who plays Abdul, is also known as Ash Ferreira, and Stella's racist uncle is played by Jim Branning - both from Eastenders. Archie Panjabi (Meena) was in Bend It Like Beckham, and even played Om Puri's (George) wife in White Teeth! Jimi Mistry is perhaps better known as Dr Fonseca, also in Eastenders, and as The Guru. Even Jimmi Harkishin, Dev in Corrie, makes an appearance!
MY THOUGHTS
East Is East could easily have been a depressing, gritty drama, bogged down with messages about culture clashes - but it isn't. It's a touching comedy drama that will make you think as much as it makes you laugh. Ultimately, it's quite an uplifting film that will put a smile on your face!
It is a finely-tuned mix of comedy and drama, which works really well together. As well as dealing with the thorny subject of cultural differences, it tackles domestic violence. In places it is quite difficult to watch and makes for uncomfortable viewing, but there are many funny moments which diffuse the tension and provide plenty of laughs.
The film has had plenty of critics. People have said it's racist, encourages the BNP, wrongly portrays Pakistani families in England, non-educational and inaccurate. I think some people just do not want to face up to this reality and decide straight off, without bothering to see it, that it's a crap film. Because it's funny, it must be taking the p*ss out of Islam, right? It's just stupid - the critics who savage the film are not getting the point of the film at all.
I don't see how anyone can claim that the character of George Khan is basically racist propaganda, and vilifies Pakistanis. He is ONE individual person. Let's take Trevor Morgan from Eastenders. Does he portray all men of Britain as psychotic wife-beaters? No, I didn't think so. I can relate to the characters of the children because I was born in England, but my dad is a very strict Chinese man - am I feeling insulted and violated by this film? I have a friend who is in a similar position to Tariq and Abdul at the moment, and is getting married after her GCSE's, but is she offended? She counts East Is East as her favourite film!
There are plenty of hilarious moments. Two of my favourite scenes is where Sajid is chased around the house after being caught spying on his brother using the toilet, armed with a diagram, and when Stella's friend is attacked by a horny Dalmation. Some of the humour is a bit crude but trust me, you will definitely laugh.
Overall, it's a brilliant film. Thought-provoking, well-acted, funny and very realistic; it deserved all the praise it received. A lot of the criticism comes from unrealistic expectations and political correctness - I enjoyed every minute of it and I'm sure many, many other people did too.
CONCLUSION
I'd definitely recommend it. It can be a bit bleak and disturbing at times (particularly the scene in the chip shop with Abdul, Ella and a very angry George), but nonetheless, it's an excellent, witty film that I enjoy every time I see it. If you liked Bend It Like Beckham or Billy Elliot, you'll probably like this!
Be warned though, it does deserve it's 15 rating - it contains some explicit scenes and swearing in almost every sentence. It was directed by Damien O'Donnell - East Is East is his most successful film and the rest of his films seem pretty unmemorable. Just don't watch it with your mum!
Advantages: Brilliant comedy which makes you think Disadvantages: The ending
East is East is a fantastic Bafta award winning film set in the seventies based around the Khan family.
The film begins with elaborate preparations being made for the eldest son’s arranged marriage. George Khan (Om Puri) is the father, and has seven children. A proud Pakistani he lives in Manchester within a largely white community. He does his utmost to raise his children as good Pakistanis (mostly against their will and choice). Here begins ... ...need to know.
East is East shows that Asians can be Racist as much as Whites can. Although this film is a comedy it does discuss some worrying issues and I often felt a bit sad for the children. Issues raised include forced/arranged marriages, dominating/violent fathers, parent and child generation gaps and power and money in relationships. Doesn't sound like a comedy right! Don't worry it is funny, in a tongue-in-cheek manner. I may be a bit hard ...
chocoholic 03.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of East Is East (DVD)
Advantages: Funny, good direction, excellent cast, good story Disadvantages: Some may find some scenes disturbing
Introduction ~~
East is East is another good recent British film. And like the majority of other good recent British films East is East was made by Filmfour. East is East is set in Salford, near Bradford in the 70's and it focuses around the antics of the Khan family. George Khan, the father was born in Pakistan and by marrying Ella who is English he moves to England. Then him and his English wife Ella have seven children in Salford. But that's ... ...you read the script for East is East you would think of it as quite a serious and dark film and with the scenes of domestic violence it is quite dark but the brilliant cast manage to pull off some hilarious scenes that will make you laugh-out-loud.
Most successful British films follow one of two "templates"; set up north on terraced streets or set in the Eastend of London. East is East and the Full Monty follow that first "template" and Lock stock, ...
Disillusioned 03.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of East Is East (DVD)
Advantages: Great cast, lots of humour, excellent characterisation, gripping drama Disadvantages: Hard to understand Om Puri's accent at times, disturbing in parts
I have wanted to see East Is East since it came out in the cinema in 1999, but as usual, I get round to it when it comes on TV two years later! I was determined not to miss it this time, and I was very pleased I didn’t. It is a really good film which keeps you gripped throughout, pulls you into the story and only lets you go when the closing credits roll almost two hours later.
The film concentrates on the Khan family – the Pakistani ... ...of the main themes – East is East (West is West), as culture, colour, race and religion play a part in shaping the lives of the Khan family. There is also a generation gap – the children all consider themselves English, the father a staunch Pakistani. The kids try to avoid going to mosque, wearing their traditional clothes and can’t speak Urdu. Tariq loves clubbing and snogging white girls ; Meenah prefers wearing trousers and kicking ...
KarenUK 03.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of East Is East (DVD)
Advantages: see opinion Disadvantages: see opinion
...of fun too?
What East is East does do is to show that the reluctance to embrace a country’s traditions isn’t always down to Whites not wanting Asian culture, but just as much Asians not wanting to embrace the (shamefully) liberal White culture.
In order to get the points across the film sometimes relies on humour. I know a lot of people who said that they didn’t find it as funny as they were led to believe it would be, but for ... ...real thigh-slappingly funny moments, some subtle prods at humour, and a lot of stuff that’s not funny at all, and sadly very accurate. Many a true word is spoken in jest, and this film speaks the truth as I remember it, with or without the jest.
It’s a sad thing that there is still a prejudice against mixed race marriages, and the film also reminds you that although this is set 30 years ago, the problems are still on going.
**Summary**
...
Salgirl 29.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of East Is East (DVD)
Advantages: Funny, well-written Disadvantages: Some apparently find it anti-Islam and racist
George Khan leaves his native Pakistan, settles in the north of England just before the Second World War and marries an English woman, Ella. Many years later, the couple are still happily married and have six sons and a daughter. But whereas George tries to bring his family up to be good Muslims, they have other ideas, choosing to embrace the freedom that is open to their friends. When George tries to arrange a marriage for his eldest son, he flees ... ...dead to George. Then the battle to marry off two of his other sons begins. Will he be successful? Or will his wife and children finally be able to lead the lives they chose? There is a whole wealth of British Asian talent in this film and I spent the first half people spotting, recognising faces from The Bill, Casualty, Coronation Street and Eastenders. Jimi Mistry, who plays the most rebellious of the Khan sons, Tariq, is probably the most famous, ...
sunmeilan 11.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of East Is East (DVD)
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Advantages: Good acting; real, interesting characters Disadvantages: Social issues are to the forefront
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I saw the movie at the cinema, but it would come across well on the small screen as well.
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Advantages: Interesting to see colour footage Disadvantages: None, really
This DVDis part of the History Channel World War II in Colour. It is the story (shown in colour) of how the people of the USA and Britain coped on the homefront, whilst the service personnel of both countries were away fighting against the Axis countries in what must have seemed like the four corners of the globe.
The Atlantic, the Pacific, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the far East, Australasia, and so forth.
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George Khan is a proud Pakistani, and a chip shop owner. He has seven children and believes that he is raising them to be respectable Pakistanis. But the kids have other ideas... A hilarious story of what happens when two cultures meet in one family. Also contains cast and crew interviews and behind the scenes footage.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
CINEMA CLUB; SONY DADC, 4DVD; SPIRIT ENTERTAINMENT; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Theatrical Trailer, Deleted Scenes, Directors Commentary, Cast And Crew Interviews, Behind The Scenes Footage, TV Advertisements, Audio Description For The Visually Impaired, Interactive menu
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review
"...[An] agreeable, incisively humorous study of race-relations in modern Britain..." (Film Comment, p.74, 01/05/2000)
"...A provocative look at one of London's thriving subcultures....The details here are fresh and funny, and all of the acting is expert." (Movieline, p.37, 01/05/2000)
"...EAST IS EAST is unashamedly entertaining....Approaching its sensitive subject with a good-natured gusto that's hard to resist..." (Sight and Sound, p.36-43, 01/11/1999)
"...A sprightly acted, warm and often extremely funny ensemble comedy..." (Variety, p.29-30, 31/05/1999)
DVD Description
Set in the early 1970s, EAST IS EAST, directed by Damien O'Donnell, 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. A quirky comedy that doesn't shy away from tense drama, EAST IS EAST is a truly unique film.
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