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Review By Darren Horne
Score….5/5
Ken Loach has always been a bit of an odd fish. Some people
speak of him with a sense of awe, which is something I could
never understand. Those few films of his that I have glimpsed
always seemed to be dreary, dull and, for want of a better
word - real; but real in a bad way, like soap operas try
to be real. When those lights of the cinema dim and a hush
cascades over the audience I want to be entertained, taken
to a magical world. I don't want to be reminded of Pat Butcher
chain smoking in a nicotine yellow café.
Thankfully this film side steps that entire proletarian,
only happy when it rains, content in our misery melancholy
and is a far lighter affair.
I was wary at first, after all the plight of a second generation
Pakistani Muslim that falls for an Irish Catholic lass and
has to fight cultural prejudice really has no similarity
with my own life. In fact the whole notion of extended families,
arranged marriages and family responsibility is quite foreign
to me. I needn't have been so wary, as this film is a reminder
that the language of love is universal.
Where it succeeds is in its superb casting. From the opening
scene the feisty Tahara (Shabana Bakhsh) will have you hooked,
with a performance that highlights the effects of race related
bullying, and reminds us that it is still very much alive
in this country.
Of course this film is not primarily about Tahara, it is
about her older brother Casim (Atta Yaquab), and Roisin
(Eva Birthistle). Once I heard Roisins Irish accent there
was no escape for me. With any film based around a romance
it is always important to in some way fall in love with
one of the leads; something Eva pulls off with ease. Her
performance here is unbelievably strong, reminiscent of
an Irish Scarlett Johanson. Where has this actress been
hiding? It is Eva's portrayal of vulnerability, heartbreak
and compassion that lend the proceedings a sense of realism.
Roisin is a real character, her emotions are real; to the
point that it feels invasive, if not voyeuristic, that we
are watching her.
At times you will want to reach into the screen and give
her a hug, letting her know it's all going to be okay and
that Casim is not good enough for her. One such time is
when her parish priest, superbly played by Gerard Kelly,
launches into a tirade of condemnation at her behaviour.
He makes you want to run along to church immediately to
confess your sins, not matter what your religion is; and
I thought that Casim's family were being tyrannical!
Not only is this film entertaining, but educational too.
The sympathetic and understanding portrayal of the Pakistani
Muslim culture that incorporates a very strong case for
arranged marriages, can do nothing but enlighten those of
us that live in predominantly white areas The only problem
arranged marriages have is that the fun of being in love
IS the risk; the sheer panic that the next word you say
may cause the object of your desire to rush out of your
life never to be seen again. This is what makes Casim's
and Roisin's rollercoaster of a relationship such great
viewing; where as a marriage based on common sense is a
contradiction in terms.
The sex scenes are worth a mention, not because they are
explicit, but because they are so immediate and genuine.
It truly feels like this is the first time this couple have
been intimate with one another, with the same awkwardness
and use of humour. We do not see a great deal of their bodies,
but the emotion and the eroticism is powerful enough to
fluster any viewer. But again this is because we feel like
a voyeur, peeping in through a window at a couple connecting
physically and emotionally for the first time.
Not to be too over dramatic, but this film could be the
greatest Romeo and Juliet story since Shakespeare. The development
of the relationship between Casim and Roisin is delicate
and touching; never overly sentimental or romantic, with
an ending that fittingly retains an ambiguity; after all,
in love nothing is certain.
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