BRICK LANE

By Michael J Edwards / June 24, 2011

Directed by Sarah Gavron Written by Laura Jones & Abi Morgan Based on a novel by Monica Ali Starring: Tannishtha Chatterjee, Satish Kaushik Distributed in the U.K. by Optimum Home EntertainmentDVD is released in the U.K. on March 10th 2008, retailed at Play.com at £10.99DVD comes packed with Audio commentary, interviews with the stars, a conversation with the book's author & more! Review by Michael Edwards

rating: 3.5

Based on the acclaimed novel by Monica Ali, BRICK LANE tells the story of Nazneen (Tannishtha Chatterjee). After the death of her mother she is plucked from her small village and married off to 'educated man' Chanu Ahmed (Satish Kaushik) who is living abroad. But the ideals aren't quite lived up to, and we flash forward to her council flat near Brick Lane, in London's East End, and her obese husband who spends most of his time in his idealised dream world. Here the plot unfolds with Nazneen gradually undergoing a sexual awakening in the foreground as she embarks on an affair, and in the background we have the tumultuous build up to and aftermath of the events of September 11th 2001. It's a lot to fit in to just over an hour and a half and a few [arts seemed rushed. In particular, the burgeoning romance between Nazneen and Karim was a little hurried, and the inner turmoil, indecision, and even excitement of Nazneen was occasionally represented through some clunky symbolism - particularly when it came to the 'sexual awakening' which drew some very cheesy metaphors and a glut of hopeful gazing off into the bright distance. Nonetheless, this film exuded a vibrancy derived both from the use of colour contrast between the vividly recalled villages of her childhood and the drab reality of her council estate, as well as a nicely weighted balance between the mundane moments of a life of dedicated compliance and familial duty and the temptations and excitement of the western (or perhaps just the modern) world. Underlying the basic plot charting the life of an immigrant Muslim in the UK, which I think has been dealt with carefully and intelligently, drawing itself into a broader discussion of self-identification of immigrants in a world of integrated and changing population demographics. Central to this debate is the figurative flight of Shahana (pursued by her mother Nazneen) from her planned return to Bangladesh. The scene is painted as a flight from her heritage, and the route takes in the drunken debauchery of trendy Shoreditch which borders the Bangladeshi community of Brick Lane, providing the final clinching metaphor for the immigrant's flight from their own past in which they must at once come to terms with who they are and how this may change from the person that they once were. The heart-rending scene when Shahana ceases her flight at Liverpool Street station and collapses in her mothers arms is a beautiful moment of cohesion for one of the key themes of the film. The realisation that London has now become their home stands in stark contrast to Chanu, who becomes increasingly ostracised and ultimately realises that his home lies elsewhere. Brick Lane paints a sensitive and sensual picture of a rich inner life, set against a scene of personal and social upheaval, which has the capacity to really touch its audience. Occasionally exagerrated or hammed up in its figurative representation of the complex narratives of the original novel, BRICK LANE nonetheless succeeds in providing an absorbing cinematic experience which stands up well on DVD, as well as having much to offer viewers in its intriguing microcosm of multicultural London which artfully avoids bland assertions and stereotypes, but yet does not shirk the responsibilities that dealing with these issues places on a film. I know there's been talk of controversies surrounding the production and release of this film, as there was on the publication of the novel, but I for one see nothing inflammatory or unsavoury in this engaging piece of storytelling. Although I should ad as a word of warning - you'd better have a big TV or speak Bengali, because the subtitles are tiny. The DVD boasts a wide selection of extras, including a great interview with authoress Monica Ali and veteran filmmaker Hanif Kaureshi (MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE, SAMI AND ROSIE GET LAID etc) which offers a plethor of interesting insights on depictions of Islamic communities in their respective artforms and their reception by various communities. There's also commentaries from director Sarah Gavron and producer Chris Collins, a 'making of' documentary and a number of interviews with members of the cast and crew. With this many extras to keep you occupied you certainly couldn't complain about value for money. BRICK LANE is released on DVD in the Uk on 10th of March.