Brick Lane (2007)

In 1980s London, Nazneem, a young Bangladeshi woman, feels her soul is quietly dying in her arranged marriage, until the day hot-headed Karim comes knocking at her door.

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, Nazneen, 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 Nazneen, 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:

india | september 11 2001 | arranged marriage | f rated | buckingham palace | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes to find your way home, you must follow your heart.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and brief strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

A lot of the crew were local hires from the Brick Lane area.

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Quotes

Chanu Ahmed: All these years I dreamed of going home a big man. Only now, when it is finished for me, I realized what is important. As long as I have a family with me, I'm as strong as any man alive.

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Connections

Features Brief Encounter (1945)

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Soundtracks

Omar Sonar Bangla
Lyrics by Rabindranath Tagore

User Reviews

Rich Performances and Gorgeous Cinematography in Brick Lane

Everyday Nazneen scrubs her foggy window pane trying to peer out of her dingy Brick Lane flat. She longs to return to her childhood home of Bangladeshi where she and her sister ran free through the lush woods before her father forced her to marry an older man living abroad.

Nazneen has been raised not to question her fate, so she does her best to fulfill her duty to her husband and family.Her husband, Chanu, (Satish Kaushik) does not come off as a stereotypical tyrant but a chubby optimist who prides himself in being a western "educated man." He has instructed his daughters to assimilate into Western culture, yet expects to be treated as undisputed ruler of the household. This irony is not lost on their teenage daughter, Shahana, who disrupts the household by challenging her father. (Naeema Begum is pitch perfect as the average "mouthy" teen.) Nasneen does her best to shield (literally) her daughter from her father's retaliation. But the girls have no role model in their submissive mother. Nasneen's only connection with the outside world is what her husband shares with her. Unfortunately, he has absolutely no insight into the needs of his wife or daughters.

Nazneen finally decides to facilitate their trip back to her homeland herself by taking in sewing. The handsome young man (Christopher Simpson) who delivers the garments cracks open a window to the world. Director Sarah Gavron shows Nazneen's awakening through the subtle complexity of Tannishtha Chatterjee's performance.

When 9/11 ignites racial tension in the diverse neighborhoods of Britain, Nazneen must ask herself, "What is my true home?" Nazneen finds that home is where you find your strength.

Don't miss the gorgeous cinematography while it's still on the big screen. BRICK LANE is one of the best films of the summer.

Movie Blessings! Jana Segal reelinspiration dot blogspot dot com

Details

Official Sites:

Diaphana [France] Official site [UK]

Country:

UK India

Language:

English Bengali Arabic

Release Date:

11 July 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brick Lane

Filming Locations:

Shoreditch, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$47,124, 22 June 2008

Gross USA:

$1,095,398

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,796,190

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