Brick Lane (2007)

A young Bangladeshi woman, Nazneem, arrives in 1980s London, leaving behind her beloved sister and home, for an arranged marriage and a new life. Trapped within the four walls of her flat ... See full summary »

Director:

Sarah Gavron

Writers:

Monica Ali (novel), Laura Jones,

Stars:

Tannishtha Chatterjee, Satish Kaushik, Christopher Simpson

3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tannishtha Chatterjee	...	Nazneen Ahmed
Satish Kaushik	...	Chanu Ahmed
Christopher Simpson	...	Karim
Naeema Begum	...	Rukshana 'Shahna' Ahmed
Lana Rahman	...	Bibi Ahmed
Lalita Ahmed	...	Mrs. Islam
Harvey Virdi	...	Razia
Zafreen	...	Hasina
Harsh Nayyar	...	Dr. Azad
Abdul Nlephaz Ali	...	Tariq
Bijal Chandaria	...	Shefali
Mohammed Ahsan	...	Meeting Chairman
Josh Ali	...	Meeting Secretary
Raha Ahmed	...	First Speaker at Meeting
Abed Hakim	...	Second Speaker at Meeting

Storyline

A young Bangladeshi woman, Nazneem, arrives in 1980s London, leaving behind her beloved sister and home, for an arranged marriage and a new life. Trapped within the four walls of her flat in East London, and in a loveless marriage with the middle aged Chanu, she fears her soul is quietly dying. Her sister Hasina, meanwhile, through letters to Nazneed, tells of her carefree life back in Bangladesh, stumbling from one adventure to the next. Nazneen struggles to accept her lifestyle, and keeps her head down in spite of life's blows, but she soon discovers that life cannot be avoided - and is forced to confront it the day that the hotheaded young Karim comes knocking at her door.

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Plot Keywords:

arranged marriage | bangladesh | september 11 2001 | hostility | muslim | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Diaphana [fr] Official site [uk]

Country:

UK India

Language:

English Bengali

Release Date:

16 November 2007 (UK)

Also Known As:

Rendez-vous à Brick Lane

Filming Locations:

Brick Lane, Shoreditch, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$47,124 (USA) (20 June 2008)

Gross:

$1,094,998 (USA) (7 November 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film4, Ingenious Film Partners, Ruby Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Nazneen Ahmed: No one told me there are different kinds of love. The kind that starts deep and slowly wears away; that seems you will never use it up and then one day it is finished. Then there is the kind you do not notice at first but which adds a little bit to itself every day like an oyster makes a pearl, grain by grain, a jewel from the sand. That is the kind I have come to know.

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Connections

Features Brief Encounter (1945)

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Soundtracks

"Omar Sonar Bangla"
Lyrics by Rabindranath Tagore

User Reviews

A remarkable film

From the rice fields in the opening scene to the claustrophobic Brick Lane flat, the powerful cinematography sucks you into this masterfully realized film production. I think Sarah Gavron has given life to an otherwise ordinary novel. The Bangladeshi community was apparently up in arms against the production.However, Mz Gavron has created a film that will convert even the toughest and most immovable heart of "brick" into "mud under your feet". The characters are unforgettable and the acting flawless. Tannishtha Chetterjee delivers a winning performance and carries the film by herself. Satish Kaushik tries to stay true to the caricature of a character that Monica Ali created in her novel but seems to have similar unidimensional personality problems to the character of "George" in "East is East". Overall the film is moving and sensitive. It is a delicious voyeuristic window into the life of an immigrant family and the havoc that is created in the family dynamic and the traditional power structure. You will never walk by another sari-clad woman the same way. Beautiful film. Bravo!