Product Details

• Actors: Om Puri, Linda Bassett, Jordan Routledge, Archie Panjabi, Emil Marwa
• Directors: Damien O'Donnell
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Miramax
• DVD Release Date: September 12, 2000
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004UCHA
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,272 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "East Is East" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Manchester in 1971 is not the ideal time and place to raise a proper Pakistani family. But George Khan (Om Puri), father of seven unruly moppets and husband to a willful British wife (Linda Bassett), is determined to wield his influence over his clan. But what a clan this is, with Nazir (Ian Aspinall), who refuses his arranged wife; Saleem (Chris Bisson) who creates--shall we say controversial?--works of art; Tariq (Jimi Mistry), the mod boy who lives for discos and English girls; Meenah (Archie Panjabi), the only girl and tomboy extraordinaire; and Sajid (Jordan Routledge), who lives in a dirty fur-trimmed parka. Abdul (Raji James) and Maneer (Emil Marwa) stay more quietly in the background, although they lend their voices to the chorus of dissent against traditional ways.

East Is East is Damien O'Donnell's directorial debut, and he nails the raucous tone from the opening scene, a church parade where the Pakistani children must do some deft maneuvering to avoid being seen by their Muslim father. At times such as these, the film is a straightforward comedy, and the children milk the cultural differences for every laugh they can. Yet the film takes a more somber turn when Saleem balks at his father's insistence on arranging Saleem's marriage. Puri is magnificent straddling the line between lovable father and brute enemy as he demands that the others obey his will, and his performance can be difficult to watch as he metamorphoses. Sympathies toward the characters shift throughout the film, highlighting the superb acting of the entire cast. Ultimately, though, humor wins out, making East Is East a tremendously fun film. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure heart, June 20, 2000

By	Bhanu Dhir "[e-mail]" (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Take one fiercely proud Pakistani, transport him to Manchester (England), get him married to a local and produce 7 kids!

This is a fantastic movie and one of the best I have seen about family. In Om Puri's own words it is like Chaplin: humour with a message. The story of George Khan (magnificently played by Om Puri) his ambitions for his family (six boys and one girl) against the backdrop of the early 70s in Manchester.

I must admit I was expecting slapstick, but this is really powerful stuff and captures the tensions within a family very well indeed. It is hilarious and there are some really deft touches that can only come from autobiography (the mock Hindi movie dancing at the back of the chip shop is one and the whole sequence around the arranged marriages is another.

This film is not just about Asian families and it is not just about England in the 1970s (although the period and racial significance is very well captured). This is a wonderful film about unresolved family conflicts and expectations and should be seen by everyone, everywhere.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A NICE LITTLE BRITISH NUMBER, April 30, 2000

By	HINNA (BIRMINGHAM, WEST MIDLANDS United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

Taking in over £10 million at the UK box office, its no wonder this DVD is all the hype. With extra features such as deleted scenes, interviews with the cast and crew, behind the scenes footage, theatrical trailer and TV spots it's worth having this DVD for these alone. Based on a semi- autobiographical play by writer Ayub Khan Din this award winning comedy gives us an insight into the Anglo- Asian clash in 1970's Salford. George Khan ( Om Puri) is a Pakistani immigrant who owns a chip shop and tries to force his seven English born children to follow the traditional Pakistani ways. This film is both funny and tragic as the harsh scenes of domestic violence are placed alongside British humour, which at times both are very stereo typical and do often portray the Asian culture in a bad light. Still with its tongue firmly in cheek 'East is East' is not one to be missed. One of the best comedies I have seen in ages. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much. Want to have a good laugh? Then click and order this one now!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not your average family flick, July 31, 2001

By	"scifiwasabi" (Long Island) - See all my reviews

This review is from: East Is East [VHS] (VHS Tape)

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.