Here he strikes a perfect balance between social commentary and melodrama, while nudging his actors to turn potentially stereotypical figures (eg, a virginal waif, a golden-hearted whore, a philosophical Chinese) into three-dimensional people.
Dirty Pretty Things (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:136
Fresh:128
Rotten:8
Average Rating:7.8/10
Consensus: An illuminating and nuanced film about the exploitation of illegal immigrants.
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a remarkably understated performance in director Stephen Frears's offbeat and gripping drama DIRTY PRETTY THINGS. Ejiofor stars as Okwe, a Nigerian who is trying to make a... Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a remarkably understated performance in director Stephen Frears's offbeat and gripping drama DIRTY PRETTY THINGS. Ejiofor stars as Okwe, a Nigerian who is trying to make a new life for himself in London, where he works days as a taxi driver and nights as a hotel desk receptionist. When he discovers a human heart in a hotel-room bathroom, he cannot go to the police because he is an illegal alien with a mysterious past that he refuses to talk about. Suddenly he is thrust into the middle of a dangerous situation that threatens to have tragic results for him and those around him. French ingenue Audrey Tautou costars as a Turkish woman who has sought asylum in England, where she is allowed to live but not work. But she must make money, so she works secretly while the government tries to catch her. Benedict Wong turns in a fine supporting performance as Guo Yi, a morgue employee who shares wise and humorous sayings with Okwe, and Sergi Lopez is absolutely chilling as the amorally opportunistic hotel manager. Frears directs the unusual proceedings with a deft hand, slowly revealing secrets that are as gruesome as they are poignant. [More]
Starring: Chjwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou, Sergi Lopez, Sophie Okonedo
Starring: Chjwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou, Sergi Lopez, Sophie Okonedo, Zlatko Buric, Benedict Wong
Director: Stephen Frears
Director: Stephen Frears
Screenwriter: Steven Knight
Producer: Tracey Seaward, Robert Jones
Composer: Nathan Larson
Screenwriter: Stephen Morris
Studio: Miramax Films
Reviews for Dirty Pretty Things
A sympathetic, engaging and politically astute slice of modern urban realism, set in the twilight world of London's community of recent immigrants and asylum seekers, and directed with Frears' habitual professionalism and sensitivity.
A film that will leave most people who actually see it feeling moderately impressed, but uneasily aware that they are not being told anything approaching the whole truth.
Never feels like the kind of stuffy expose that would make its preachy points in five minutes and bore us for the rest of the running time.
Spotlighting an underclass rarely seen on film, this is one of the most beguiling British films this year.
With terrific performances, great characters and a sharp script, Stephen Frears’ latest is one of the best films of the year.
This is strong stuff, but Frears avoids the soapbox by concentrating on the personal drama.
An intelligent and extremely well-made romantic drama that tells an intriguing story with economy and insight.
An impressive mix of entertainment and social comment, spinning a great mystery even as it confronts an ugly world.
Dirty Pretty Things benefits from the best script...hands down, written for a movie released in 2003
Weaving threads of classic thrillers through this gritty realistic context, Frears satisfies our desire for a good story.
...an incredibly entertaining picture with a first-rate ensemble cast. It seems to unwind at precisely the right pace, and its gritty look is never ostentatiously "beautiful"
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