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Dirty Pretty Things (2003)
Tomatometer
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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.
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... [More]
Starring: Chjwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou, Sergi Lopez, Sophie Okonedo
Director: Stephen Frears
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Reviews for Dirty Pretty Things
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 4/5 |
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Here he strikes a perfect balance between social commentary and melodrama, while nudging his actors to turn potentially stereotypical figures (eg, a virginal waif, a golden-hearted whore, a philosophical Chinese) into three-dimensional people. Full Review |
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An intelligent and extremely well-made romantic drama that tells an intriguing story with economy and insight. Full Review |
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An impressive mix of entertainment and social comment, spinning a great mystery even as it confronts an ugly world. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
Click to read the article Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
Dirty Pretty Things benefits from the best script...hands down, written for a movie released in 2003 Full Review |
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A sympathetic, engaging and politically astute slice of modern urban realism, set in the twilight world of London's community of recent immigrants and asylum seekers, and directed with Frears' habitual professionalism and sensitivity. Full Review |
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3.5/5 |
Offers a frills-free meditation on the many faces of oppression. Full Review |
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4/5 |
It's involving, well-directed and well-acted. Full Review |
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A- |
Weaving threads of classic thrillers through this gritty realistic context, Frears satisfies our desire for a good story. Full Review |
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A- |
...an incredibly entertaining picture with a first-rate ensemble cast. It seems to unwind at precisely the right pace, and its gritty look is never ostentatiously "beautiful" Full Review |
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7/10 |
The less you know the more you’ll enjoy it. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
Even when bad things happen to these people, one can't help but believe that things will one day get better. Full Review |
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The synchronicity between script, stars and cinematography falls square on the shoulders of Frears, however, and he fully realizes the potential. Full Review |
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7/10 |
When is a thriller not a thriller? When British director Stephen Frears makes it. Full Review |
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 2.5/5 |
It’s the didactic dialogue... and the plot contrivances... that might produce snickers. Full Review |
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B+ |
A quirky, gritty look at life in the London underworld where immigrants work crappy jobs and trade kidneys for citizenship. Full Review |
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7/10 |
Like a dark, grimy version of Casablanca. Full Review |
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A |
Like Ejiofor’s role, Dirty Pretty Things is nonpareil; they remain in a league of their own. They also belong in a small league for 2003: that which may not be missed. Full Review |
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