Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolutely phenomonal work, July 21, 2000
I admit, I cried during this movie. It was difficult to watch the entire Khan family, all seven kids plus mom Ella and dad George, struggle with an identity that not only identified them as individuals, but as a family. It hits a chord not only with immigrant families, but all families. It relates the struggles of finding a balance between parental power and individual control. But despite all that mushy stuff, it's absolutely hilarious. Not only are the accents adorably amusing, the children remind you of what it was like to be young again and caught by your parents doing something you shouldn't have been. The opening scene lends to this as it follows the kids running through alleys so their father, a strict Muslim, doesn't see them marching in a Catholic parade. You can't help but laugh at their antics. The film is able to embrace both tradition and progress without becoming too boring. Definitely an A+!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Culture clash, March 28, 2001
What begins as a lighthearted and whimsical examination of the cultural differences between East and West escalates into a very serious and often dark study of the negative ramifications those irreconcilable differences can cause when strictly observed by those who lose track of the impact on those they love. Om Puri is magnificent as Muslim George Khan, the traditional father of a very untraditional group of seven children, the offspring of his marriage with British wife Ella, played by Linda Bassett. Born and raised in England, his six sons and one daughter have grown to enjoy the high degree of cultural freedom not present in Pakistan. When George senses that he is losing the control of his family that he once enjoyed, he becomes an intransigent martinet and inadvertently manages to alienate them all. Built on the foundation of quaint humor, the dramatic frissons, when they come, are stunning. And there's never a false note, as confident newcomer Damien O'Donnell directs Ayub Khan-Din's story with aplomb, a story which is partially autobiographical and based on Khan-Din's own play of the same name.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not your average family flick, July 31, 2001
I know people who were very offended by this film's portrayal of Pakistanis and I can say from my own experience that not all mixed families have the same problems as the Khans, but I still think that East is East is an excellent movie. The story is about George Khan, a Pakistani in England who married an English woman and begins to fear that his seven children are becoming too Westernized as they grow up. Anyone who comes from a multicultural family will be able to relate to the struggles of the Khan children to reconcile their father's wishes with their lives in 1971 Manchester. The movie isn't really for children and has a brutal and violent climax, but it teaches an important lesson about being at peace with one's decisions and growing up between cultures. On top of everything,the movie has a great soundtrack, with both English and Pakistani songs from the period and touches on significant historical events such as the rise of immigrant-basher Enoch Powell and the Bangladeshi war that may not be familiar to American audiences. All in all, it's an edgy, funny movie that will leave you crying with laughter and wishing it was an hour longer. If you were a fan of Zadie Smith's novel "White Teeth", you will probably like this.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
