If you are not an immigrant and want to know what the immigrant experience is or were ever curious about it, then see Dirty Pretty Things directed by Stephen Frears and starring Audrey Tautou, the dark-haired beauty and incredibly gifted girl who starred as Amelie, though don’t expect to see the same light–hearted, albeit melancholic girl, because Tautou is far too talented for that. She is changeable, the sort of actress directors dream of, a dream before camera; you can hear the words “The lens loves her” and indeed it does; those eyes! that mouth! Note too that this is Tautou’s first English-speaking film and she is exceptional in her language in this way and her Turkish Muslim accent.
In Dirty Pretty Things, Tautou plays a "sort of legal" Muslim girl, Senay Gelik, who is in the process of trying to become legal. She is a true Muslim and disciplined, though she will slowly become disillusioned even with this, at one point saying “my God does not speak to me any more.”
She is, as she should be as a young Muslim woman, a virgin – so clean, so pure, so innocent and naïve in some ways, yet in other ways incredibly wise and world weary. She knows the deal and when INS comes a knockin’ at her door and suspect her of working, as she is, at The Baltic Hotel, which she should not be doing under her current status, she is forced into a sweat shop where she works for a corrupt and greasy fat man who, once he knows of her immigrant status, uses this to force her into sexual slavery to favor him. He tells her, I don’t want to take your virginity… I just want you to help me relax”, threatening that “he could get into trouble’ because of her. It is blackmail and for a time she goes alone with the deal, the ritual in the hidden coat racks during the lunch bell or after hours, opening that beautiful mouth for him to his taste.
How beautiful then the day when instead of sucking, she tells her friend and furtive roommate from Africa, Okwe, that she “bit instead of sucking.” How thrilled we are to see her as she bites down hard on this perverse and unprincipled barely a man but a beast, to see him get his. The ritual at last over.
Article comments
1 - Jones Violet
Wow wow wow. Must watch this soon.
2 - sade
a truly amazing film and totally worth seeing... don't miss this one. it's a bit older now, but still about and easily available... it's in English, so no need of subtitles but it's just an amazing film, i thought... hope you enjoy will be curious to see what you think of it....
xo
sade
3 - Tan The Man
It's a pretty movie... although that thriller-part of the movie created a slight disconnect with the rest of the movie... or at least that's what I thought
4 - sade
i think the slight thriller part - you mean the body chopping? - i'm guessing - is a bit weird and a bit of a disconnect, but i think it's there to show us what lengths people will go to and they do make it believable enough. funny, because i didn't read it at all as a thriller; as an immigrant myself, i read it just as an "oh, another insane thing we need to do to get by..." so nothing would surprise me in this way. No, obviously, i've never been in that position, but some pretty weird stuff has certainly gone on; hard to explain. i'm glad you read though and i agree in some ways, though ultimately, i like this film a lot..
s.
5 - LegendaryMonkey
Oh, I loved this film... the performances were incredible and it was so well shot. The perpetual insomnia of Okwe really colored the film. One of my favorites!
6 - sade
I really liked it too... do you happen to know what leaf it was he kept chewing? was it coca leaf or what? it was used to keep him awake, some African, I believe, thing... but am curious. i couldnm't find it anywhere in the film trivia and am curious. not that i need it, i need the opposite, but am curious...
if anyone knows, do tell...
cheers all, and thanks for reading...
sade
7 - fool
its juan you moron
8 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
"sneaky" aka "juan" is played by Sergei Lopez... what's your point - (other than typos in here, which i can see, I'm not sure what point you are trying to make, or maybe this is just a personal attack, which fyi, are not allowed on this site....). Don't be pissy - it's a review for fuck's sake. Take a pill, or a drink, or whatever - but chill.
9 - Christopher Rose
Hi Sadi, don't let an ignorant fool upset you! I've tidied up your review for you now. Sorry it didn't get sorted sooner.
10 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Sadi,
As is the case with quite a number of articles, Chris' comments led me to read it. I enjoyed your review immensely, although it is unlikely that this film is still showing here two years after its release. Maybe I can find it in a video shop here.
Do you happen to know what book, if any, it is based on? That might make very interesting reading....
11 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
hey Christopher - thanks for cleaning up - and yup... agree...
12 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
Hi Ruvy:
The film wouldn't still be playing that I know of... but I can research what book it's based on, if it's based on one.... you might try IMDB - they may list it or the source -- I only saw the film, so I don't know if there is an accompanying book. Sorry - wish i could be more helpful on that front.
You can always rent it from Netflix or etc. - surely they would have it and it's really worth seeing.
You're right tho - it would make really interesting reading for sure....still, it does make for interesting viewing if there is no book...
how's Jerusalem? Not cold like here, i would wager.... : )
cheers,
s.