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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
Reviews for Dirty Pretty Things
Although the film delves into an interesting topic -- black marketeers trading in human flesh -- the approach is far too clinical.
Frears ensures that Dirty Pretty Things is, well, pretty to look at, but has a more difficult time deciding whether it’s drama or comedy he’s after.
The film suffers from a screenplay full of labored attempts at wit by Steven Knight, and characters who barely make it off the page alive.
It’s the didactic dialogue... and the plot contrivances... that might produce snickers.
Things is jammed with banner-ready political rhetoric, and the relentlessness of the lectures is wearying.
Spotlighting an underclass rarely seen on film, this is one of the most beguiling British films this year.
A very un-Amelie Tautou shows off great dramatic realism as the movie strikes a fresh balance between being a thriller, social commentary and being strangely funny.
a stark portrayal of class warfare played out as an elegant game of chess
Frears' vision of London's invisible work force is never less than captivating and warmly sympathetic, and Ejiofor's performance is a portrait of exhausted dignity that will stick with you for years.
Makes an eloquent case for the plight of illegals, a message delivered without preaching, but couched in the form of first-class movie entertainment.
In 'Dirty Pretty Things,' filmmakers weave complex story threads into a cinematic tapestry of fear, suspense and compassion.
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.
Director Stephen Frears always has been good at exploring life's hidden corners. He proves it once again in Dirty Pretty Things, an intense and thoughtful thriller set in a world that's virtually invisible to society at large.
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