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Susan Granger's review of "EAST IS EAST" (Miramax Films)
Based by Ayub Khan-Din on his semi-autobiographical play, "East is East" revolves around a large Anglo-Pakistani family living in the working-class town of Salford, near Manchester, in a small suburban house which also contains their fish 'n' chips shop. Set in the 1971, it draws on several societal themes: the inherent cross-cultural conflict, the sexual revolution of the '60s and, above all, the patriarch's determination to cling to traditional Pakistani values. The celebrated Indian actor Om Puri plays George Khan, the tyrannical, expatriate father who has forced his six sons and one daughter to learn Urdu and attend the mosque - earning himself the nickname "Genghis" - with Linda Bassett as his long-suffering wife. But the kids are rebellious, preferring soccer, discos, pop culture, and sexual experimentation. The boys certainly don't want to marry good Muslim girls - in fact, one of them is gay. And, one by one, the prospective brides are rejected. The only confusing aspect is why George Khan, given his prejudices, would have married a Catholic Englishwoman in the first place - and then why he would so try to hamper their children's assimilation. A first-feature by Irish director Damien O'Donnell, it's a hilarious, moving comedy, sidestepping all the usual cliches about mixed-race, mixed-religious families, culminating in a surprisingly satisfying conclusion. And, if you enjoy Om Puri, rent the video of "My Son the Fanatic," in which he plays a married cab-driver with another set of family problems. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "East is East" is a subtle, multi-layered 8. It was a huge hit in Europe, winning many awards including Best British Film of the Year from the London Film Critics.
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