Dirty Pretty Things On DVD-A Miramax Film

2012-02-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

Dirty Pretty Things is a 2002 Steven Frears film distributed by MiraMax. This movie is terrific. A crime-drama-thriller-suspense genre. Nominated for an Oscar for best in 2004 for best screenplay. Maybe you have never heard of the two leading actors in this movie. Don't worry. They are not household names. But they are good. Very good. But think about it. When was the last time you heard MiraMax being involved in a bad movie?

MiraMax has released great movies such as Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, The Talented Mr Ripley, Kill Bill, No Country For Old Men, Gangs of New York, and The Crow just to name some. The only one a lot of people didn't like was The English Patient.

Oke, a kind hearted Nigerian doctor (Ejiofor), and Senay, a Turkish chambermaid (Tautou), work at the same West London hotel. The kind of hotel where prostitution and drug dealing frequently take place. They are both in the country illegally. Oke, was framed for a crime back home in Nigeria. And Senay on the run from an arranged marriage in Turkey. Immigration officials here in London are very determined and hard nosed about their job. They love nothing more than catching undocumented people. So at every turn, Oke and Senay have to be one step ahead of the officials.

Oke also has a hard time sleeping because of his situation. He cannot let his guard down for fear of being caught. Because he is a doctor, he cannot let sick people go untreated. His friend, Guo, (Wong) works at a morgue. Not only are they friends, but Guo gives him the drugs he needs in treating people. They have a great relationship.

The hotel is run by senor Sneaky, an arrogant and self absorbed man. Sneaky is a businessman on the side. And the hotel is the perfect place for his extracurricular activities. When Oke finds a human organ in the toilet of one of the rooms, he uncovers something far more sinister than just a common crime. And reporting it to Sneaky seems like the right thing to do. But Sneaky doesn't care and tells Oke to forget about it.

Sneaky's sources tell him all about Oke. So Sneaky makes him an offer. Operate and remove the kidneys on illegals and get $3,000 per operation. In return, the patients get a passport. They can become anybody they want to be. And many jump at the chance for a new life. But Oke doesn't want to have anything to do with that. He knows it is wrong. Sneaky is not very happy at being turned down.

With immigration on to her, she cannot take the risk of continuing to work at the hotel, so Senay takes a job at a clothing factory. One afternoon the place is raided by immigration, and Senay's boss makes her an offer she can't refuse. He won't turn her in, but she is forced to have sex with her anytime he chooses. Senay is repulsed at this, but has no choice and agrees. She needs to keep making money to live in London. One afternoon, the two are about to have sex, and Senay cannot take this anymore, so she bites his groin area and runs away.

Senay needs to leave town for good, so she makes the deal with Sneaky. Her kidney for a passport and freedom. When Oke hears of this, he tries to talk her out of it but with no luck. So Oke tells Sneaky that he will do the operation. But Oke has a plan. And it is a good one. So with the help of Senay, and a kind hearted local prostitute named Juliette, they just might pull this off.

I will not give away the climatic ending, but it is a very good one. And unexpected.

You will definitely like this movie a lot. This movie stars Audrey Tautou, a French actress, who starred in Amelie in 2001, nominated for an Oscar for best foreign language film, and Chiwetel Ejiofor , a UK actor. Nominated for an Oscar in 2004 for best original screenplay. Rated R for sexual content, disturbing violence, and language.

REVIEWS FOR DIRTY PRETTY THINGS:

Roger Ebert: The splendid opening scene of the thriller "Dirty Pretty Things" proves it is more than a genre film. It uses the secret and malevolent activities at a hotel as an engine to to drive a story about London immigrants.

Imdb.com: User rated 7.5 out of 10.

NY Times: This film has a conquering spirit, and shines right from the start.

Reelviews.net: This film is right on the mark. It's a dark and revealing movie, and, while the ending might not be upbeat enough for the mainstream, it offers a measure of hope and catharsis. The activities and realities cannot be denied. I highly recommend it.

LA Times: This is a film that insinuates itself deeply into our awareness. It is that rare pulp story with something on its mind, an unnerving, socially conscious thriller with a keen sense of narrative drive.

San Francisco Chronicle: All told, the best ensemble cast I've seen all year.

Yahoo Users: B rated by 2200 users.

Amazon Users: Rated 4.5 out of 5 by 120+ users.