Credited cast: | |||
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Tracy Brabin | ... | Gaynor |
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Mohammed Rafique | ... | Naseema's Father |
Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Miriam Ali | ... | Naseema's Mother |
Dean Andrews | ... | Derek | |
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Samina Awan | ... | Naseema |
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Liam Barr | ... | Sean's Mate |
Liam Boyle | ... | Steve | |
Nichola Burley | ... | Michelle | |
Tom Hudson | ... | Adam | |
Ryan Leslie | ... | Sean | |
Matthew McNulty | ... | Shane (as Michael McNulty) | |
Peter McNeil O'Connor | ... | Pete (as Peter O'Connor) | |
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Wasim Zakir | ... | Yousif (as Was Zakir) |
Adam has grown up in a racial prejudiced community. Naseema belongs to a generation of Asian youth who have taken up violence. They want to break free of the small town inhibitions and can't avoid their mutual attraction, starting a relationship which threatens to bring down their families and themselves. Written by Anonymous
This movie is a contemporary UK vision of an age old story as epitomised by Shakespeare, but with two at odds relationships adding a layer of complication. The situation, a volatile northern English town, typically Bradford, and characters, one Islamic Pakistani family and two prejudiced English families loosely representing the Capulets and the Montagues.
The star crossed lovers are young people meeting through in the first a common work environment, and the second a random encounter.
Given what I am sure was a limited budget, this is a valid insight into contemporary cultural divides and intolerances. The level of ignorance and fear presented on both sides of the equation is a scathing attack on the goldfish bowl worlds all parties are raised in, perpetuated by the petty shortcomings of the familial peers.
Despite other commentary this is a work of art which moved my, rarely moved by Hollywood fodder, rather cynical and jaded emotions. Certain scenes had me sad, angry and hopeful.
I hope you take the time to view this and find it as rewarding as I did. The acting is not always top notch, a mostly unknown cast, but the atmospheres are captured well and emotionally it is up there with the best workings of the Bard's masterpiece.