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Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Steven Knight (written by)
Release Date:
13 December 2002 (UK)
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Tagline:
Some things are too dangerous to keep secret. more
Plot:
An illegal Nigerian immigrant discovers the unpalatable side of London life. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
Another 16 wins
&
19 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(31 articles)
Machan is streets ahead of any Hollywood product
(From The Guardian - Film News. 19 November 2009, 9:23 AM, PST)
Rumor: DiCaprio & Maguire Are Remaking The Third Man?
(From FirstShowing.net. 23 October 2009, 2:35 PM, PDT)
(From The Guardian - Film News. 19 November 2009, 9:23 AM, PST)
Rumor: DiCaprio & Maguire Are Remaking The Third Man?
(From FirstShowing.net. 23 October 2009, 2:35 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Flawed but impressive
more (180 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Chiwetel Ejiofor | ... | Okwe |
 | Kriss Dosanjh | ... | Asian Businessman |
| Israel Aduramo | ... | Mini Cab Driver |
| Yemi Ajibade | ... | Mini Cab Driver (as Ade-Yemi Ajibade) |
| Nizwar Karanj | ... | Mini Cab Driver |
 | Deobia Oparei | ... | Mini Cab Driver |
| Jeffery Kissoon | ... | Cab Controller |
 | Zlatko Buric | ... | Ivan |
 | Audrey Tautou | ... | Senay Gelik |
 | Sophie Okonedo | ... | Juliette |
| Sergi López | ... | Sneaky / Juan |
| Benedict Wong | ... | Guo Yi |
| Kenan Hudaverdi | ... | Cafe Owner |
 | Damon Younger | ... | Punter |
| Paul Bhattacharjee | ... | Mohammed |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for sexual content, disturbing images and language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
97 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Germany:12 |
Brazil:18 |
Iceland:12 (video rating) |
Iceland:14 |
Argentina:16 |
Australia:MA |
Canada:14A |
Denmark:11 |
Finland:K-15 |
Hong Kong:IIB |
Japan:PG-12 |
Netherlands:12 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Norway:15 |
Portugal:M/16 |
Singapore:R(A) |
Spain:18 |
Sweden:11 |
Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) |
Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) |
UK:15 |
USA:R
Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Damien O'Donnell was originally attached to direct, but he decided to pass after problems with Harvey Weinstein. He directed Heartlands (2002) instead.
more
Goofs:
Factual errors: Guo Yi says the mythological figure who ferries the dead to Hades is Pylades; in fact the ferryman's name is Charon. Pylades is the companion of Orestes.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
References The Conversation (1974)
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Soundtrack:
Room 510
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (180 total)
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Dirty Pretty Things was at once a pleasant surprise and a slight disappointment. It stands head and shoulders above the wreckage of most recent Britflicks, but it still never quite reaches the heights. Part of the problem is that the background is the story, leaving us with an at times slight narrative and a very predictable final twist that seems very much like one of Roald Dahl's Tales of the Very Much as We Expected (the moment Chiwetel Ejiofor stops Sergi Lopez's hands from shaking you know exactly what's coming).
That said, it's still a worthwhile trip. Unlike most British films, and London ones in particular, it actually uses the city as a character - in this case the hidden city. We see virtually no ordinary British citizens. Instead the film is inhabited by the illegal immigrants who do the dirty jobs that no-one else wants, the lead character a Nigerian doctor who works double-shifts as taxi driver and hotel porter and rents a couch in Turkish maid Audrey Tatou's couch on a timeshare basis. This milieu is superbly captured, and you get a sense of a world not so much hidden as ignored. Frears direction too is back to the power and drive of his early work after his recent flabby American entries, although he still can't resist caricaturing the Immigration officials - rather than the bored, disinterested and impersonal reality he's opted for cheap comic book villains that diminishes every scene they appear in. Similarly, he doesn't always keep a tight enough rein on some of the supporting performances, Sophie Okenedo in particular: she can be a much better actress, but here she's allowed to veer too much to stereotype and has a couple of awkward moments. Lopez too falls back on some of his overfamiliar mannerisms, although Ejiofor is quite superb in the lead, and his easygoing scenes with Benedict Wong's mortuary waste disposal technician are minor highlights.
Nonetheless, with most British cinema so awful these days, this is definitely worth catching: a very good film even if it could have been even better.