Fond Kiss..., Ae (2004)

Director:

Ken Loach

Writer:

Paul Laverty (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 July 2004 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Sparks fly in Glasgow's south side when a young Pakistani man enters into a relationship with a Caucasian woman.

Plot Keywords:

Female Nudity | Guitar | Racism | F Word | Family

Awards:

7 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Atta Yaqub	...	Casim Khan
Eva Birthistle	...	Roisin Hanlon
Ahmad Riaz	...	Tariq Khan
Shamshad Akhtar	...	Sadia Khan
Shabana Akhtar Bakhsh	...	Tahara Khan (as Shabana Bakhsh)
Ghizala Avan	...	Rukhsana Khan
David McKay	...	Wee Roddie
Raymond Mearns	...	Big Roddie
Gary Lewis	...	Danny
Shy Ramsan	...	Hamid
Emma Friel	...	Annie
Karen Fraser	...	Elsie
John Yule	...	Headmaster
Ruth McGhie	...	Mary Nolan
Father David Wallace	...	Father David

Also Known As:

A Fond Kiss... (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
Bacio appassionato, Un (Italy)
Beso, Un (Spain)
Just a Kiss (Europe: English title)
Sólo un beso (Spain)

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexuality and language.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK | Belgium | Germany | Italy | Spain

Language:

English | Punjabi

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Spain:13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Italy:T | Singapore:R21 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Norway:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

Company:

Bianca Film

Trivia:

The title refers to the Robert Burns poem, "Ae Fond Kiss".

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Telma demain (2005) (TV)

A measure of realness.

The Mother. I shall devote most of this post just talking about her.

Nondescript during her first few appearances, she fits the bill of a stereotypical Asian immigrant mom. And thats about it. But to assume just that will also mean that we have not seen enough Ken Loach movies. For it takes but one stolen moment of familial conflict for the woman to sense her troubled son's pain. And like balm over raw open wounds, she unleashes her outbursts of maternal affection. Its easy to understand why the son breaks down there and then. I would too. A mother's intuition is uncanny. To see it approximated so closely on screen, this movie demands my gratitude.

I love the other characters in this great film too - the father, the son's two very different sisters, his best friend and even the white "outsider" love interest. Each character is so well defined, their inter-relationship dynamics so genuine and heartfelt, they deserve my devoting paragraphs each respectively just to shower my compliments. But I shan't do that. I will only be repeating myself.

Hence, this much I shall say; there's something in a Ken Loach film which gets to me each and everytime - the characters. More specifically, I am floored by their measures of realness. They are individuals guided by distinct codes of conduct. Their values explain their actions and exposes their strengths and frailties. Ultimately, these "real" people earn my empathy. There are no saints or sinners in Ken Loach's film universe. Instead, I see human beings relating with each other simply, truly, sometimes madly, but always deeply.

Ae Fond Kiss is one of the best films of the year. Check it.