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Dirty Pretty Things

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Dirty Pretty Things (2003)

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Reviews Counted:136

Fresh:128

Rotten:8

Average Rating:7.8/10

Consensus: An illuminating and nuanced film about the exploitation of illegal immigrants.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] sexual content, disturbing images and language

Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Jul 18, 2003 Limited

Box Office: $7,953,388

Synopsis: Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a remarkably understated performance in director Stephen Frears's offbeat and gripping drama DIRTY PRETTY THINGS. Ejiofor stars as Okwe, a Nigerian who is trying to make a... Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a remarkably understated performance in director Stephen Frears's offbeat and gripping drama DIRTY PRETTY THINGS. Ejiofor stars as Okwe, a Nigerian who is trying to make a new life for himself in London, where he works days as a taxi driver and nights as a hotel desk receptionist. When he discovers a human heart in a hotel-room bathroom, he cannot go to the police because he is an illegal alien with a mysterious past that he refuses to talk about. Suddenly he is thrust into the middle of a dangerous situation that threatens to have tragic results for him and those around him. French ingenue Audrey Tautou costars as a Turkish woman who has sought asylum in England, where she is allowed to live but not work. But she must make money, so she works secretly while the government tries to catch her. Benedict Wong turns in a fine supporting performance as Guo Yi, a morgue employee who shares wise and humorous sayings with Okwe, and Sergi Lopez is absolutely chilling as the amorally opportunistic hotel manager. Frears directs the unusual proceedings with a deft hand, slowly revealing secrets that are as gruesome as they are poignant. [More]

Starring: Chjwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou, Sergi Lopez, Sophie Okonedo

Starring: Chjwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou, Sergi Lopez, Sophie Okonedo, Zlatko Buric, Benedict Wong

Director: Stephen Frears

Director: Stephen Frears
Screenwriter: Steven Knight
Producer: Tracey Seaward, Robert Jones
Composer: Nathan Larson
Screenwriter: Stephen Morris
Studio: Miramax Films

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Release:

Mar 23, 2004

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Dirty Pretty Things
  • From Stephen Frears, the Oscar(R)-nominated director of THE GRIFTERS (Best Director, 1990) and DANGEROUS LIAISONS, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS stars Audrey Tautou (AMELIE) in a harrowing tale of struggle and survival for two immigrants who learn that everything is for sale in London's secret underworld! Part of an invisible working class, Nigerian exile Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Turkish chambermaid Senay (Tautou) toil at a west London hotel that is full of illegal activity. Then late one night Okwe makes a shocking discovery, which creates an impossible dilemma and tests the limits of all they know! Honored with numerous European film awards and nominations -- including wins at the London Critics Circle Film Awards and the Venice Film Festival -- you'll find this gritty urban thriller to be thoroughly engrossing and impossible to forget!
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Dirty Pretty Things

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    1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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    It's involving, well-directed and well-acted.

    Full Review Source: NYC Film Critic | comment Comment
    03/05/05
    Ethan Alter
    Ethan Alter
    NYC Film Critic

    Not only does Frears dress this London with a palpable atmosphere -- and even a kind of rank smell and rough touch -- but he also coaxes deeply affecting performances out of his stars.

    Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
    07/25/03
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    San Francisco Examiner

    A suspenseful, entertaining movie.

    Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
    07/17/03
    John Anderson
    John Anderson
    Newsday
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Dirty Pretty Things benefits from the best script...hands down, written for a movie released in 2003

    Full Review Source: Perihelion Journal | comment Comment
    08/21/06
    Jay Antani
    Jay Antani
    Perihelion Journal

    A dirty little thriller that goes deep to the heart of the melting pot of London fringe dwellers and emerges as a tale of depth and humanity.

    Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
    08/08/03
    Jeanne Aufmuth
    Jeanne Aufmuth
    Palo Alto Weekly

    Frears' presentation of his world is so passionate that you wish Dirty Pretty Things had the dramatic punch to match the vivid direction.

    Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
    08/01/03
    Sean Axmaker
    Sean Axmaker
    Seattle Post-Intelligencer

    These are characters that draw you in and make you care, making it impossible to pull away.

    Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
    08/22/03
    Joe Baltake
    Joe Baltake
    Sacramento Bee

    A fascinating sight to behold.

    Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
    08/31/03
    Marjorie Baumgarten
    Marjorie Baumgarten
    Austin Chronicle

    Ejiofor's performance ranks among the best of the year...

    Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
    09/01/03
    John Beifuss
    John Beifuss
    Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

    Throughout his career, Frears has taken chances, and only on rare occasions has he missed the mark. Dirty Pretty Things is right on target.

    Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
    08/03/03
    James Berardinelli
    James Berardinelli
    ReelViews
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Frears gives us another stunning cinematic portrait of London.

    Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
    11/11/02
    Jason Best
    Jason Best
    BBC

    Wow. Chiwetel Ejiofor commands the screen.

    Full Review Source: Blunt Review | comment Comment
    07/19/03
    Emily Blunt
    Emily Blunt
    Blunt Review

    This is the sort of film that requires your full attention -- and then amply rewards it with a wealth of nuances.

    Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
    08/22/03
    Jay Boyar
    Jay Boyar
    Orlando Sentinel

    A film with marvellous delicacy, humanity and charm.

    Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
    01/06/03
    Peter Bradshaw
    Peter Bradshaw
    Guardian [UK]

    ...everything the discerning moviegoer might look for in a film: engrossing story, outstanding cast, incisive directing, and the right length.

    Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
    07/21/03
    Jules Brenner
    Jules Brenner
    Cinema Signals

    A soul-stirring movie that will rock you to your foundations if you come to it with an open heart.

    Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
    07/16/03
    Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
    Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
    Spirituality and Practice

    If you go with the film -- and I did -- it will be because the quiet empathy of the central performances carries you over the plot holes.

    Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
    08/01/03
    Ty Burr
    Ty Burr
    Boston Globe
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Lopez has so often been cast as an affable Teddy Bear that it's a real treat to see him inhabit this amoral schemer.

    Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
    08/22/03
    Robert W. Butler
    Robert W. Butler
    Kansas City Star

    Dirty Pretty Things benefits from deft direction, substantive plotting, and likable leads.

    Full Review Source: Movie Boeuf | comment Comment
    08/15/03
    David N. Butterworth
    David N. Butterworth
    Movie Boeuf

    Dirty Pretty Things is a movie with Things to Say on an Important Issue...but one whose political intentions have not overpowered its quietly gripping story.

    Full Review Source: AboutFilm.com | comment Comment
    07/22/03
    Carlo Cavagna
    Carlo Cavagna
    AboutFilm.com
     
     
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