11. My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
A young Asian man called Omar is gifted a laundromat by his uncle and he hopes to make a real success of it. He is attacked by a group of white supremacist thugs and realises that their leader is his former lover Johnny. Omar and Johnny restart their affair and try to get the laundromat going but societal forces and pressures threaten their happiness and their future as a couple. A partial satire on Thatcherite Britain - the laundromat in this film standing in for entrepreneurship, naked capitalism and the growth of business acumen - all potent themes in Thatcher's yuppie led society, it is also a fantastic love story which happens to feature a gay romance. The movie does not hype make much of a big deal about it - it is portrayed very realistically. With an excellent supporting cast, Daniel Day Lewis particularly shines as Johnny. Scary looking Neo-Nazi thug but gentle and tender lover. One of the best FilmFour productions out there.
Clare Simpson
Contributor
My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!
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Clare