5. Daniel Day-Lewis & Gordon Warnecke In My Beautiful Laundrette
The Set Up Omar (Warnecke) is granted management of the family-owned laundrette by his British-Pakistani immigrant father. One night Omar runs into his childhood friend Johnny (Day-Lewis), who has been running around with a street gang. Omar invites Johnny to work at the laundrette where their friendship rekindles. In For The Kill Their chemistry becomes more and more pronounced as the film progresses, laughing and smiling almost constantly. Audiences at the time couldn't quite put their finger on it. But the film gives something to put a finger on when the two stroll down the street one night. Johnny takes Omar aside and kisses him. It's gentle and romantic and natural. What Makes It So Great Director Stephen Frears doesn't treat their romance as anything special. That's what makes the scene so beautiful. The two fade into the darkness cast by the shadow of a building. Frears briefly bathes them in a golden hue and the scene ends. It's their own private world that no one need know much about. They love each other, and love sometimes comes to fruition in the midst of class, race, and orientation prejudices. But it's this scene that emphasizes the simplicity of attraction. And doing it during the Thatcher era makes it that much more profound.
Ian Tilman Nichols is a film reviewer and enthusiast based out of Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. You can hear more of his thoughts on films by checking out the It's Only a Podcast and Flicksation podcasts.
