- Actors: Daniel Day Lewis, Gordon Warnecke, Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth, Shirley Anne Field
- Directors: Stephen Frears
- Format: VHS
- Language English, Urdu
- Classification: 15
- Studio: Cinema Club
- VHS Release Date: 16 July 2001
- Run Time: 97 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004CJLO
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 11,069 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
In case you'd forgotten, My Beautiful Laundrette will remind you of those mid-80s days when Thatcherism ruled the earth (or so it seemed) and money was king. Stephen Frears' low-budget realisation of Hanif Kureishi's subversively critical play captures the contradictions of that time in a way that's as fresh today as when it was new. Omar's wheeler-dealer uncle, Nasser (Saeed Jaffrey), sums it up when he says, "In this damn country, which we hate and love, you can get anything you want". He sets up Omar (Gordon Warnecke) with a rundown laundrette and the instruction to make it a success, which Omar temporarily does, with the help of his childhood friend Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis). When the film first came out, it was the gay content that dominated the column inches, whereas now it seems a sensitive and multi-faceted summation of its decade, exploring social, ethnic and sexual issues and contradictions. Bringing together two such different characters as Omar--Asian, ambitious, for whom success is defined by wealth--and former childhood friend Johnny--white trash, ex-National Front--was inspired. Watching their friendship develop into love, and the ensuing bitterness and misunderstanding that they suffer from friends and family is very poignant. All the lead roles are well taken, the contradictory character of Nasser in particular. By turns, funny, touching and anger-inducing, this is a movie that wears its age lightly and its era proudly.
On the DVD: the picture is in 4:3 ratio with a Dolby Digital soundtrack. There's an original trailer and filmographies of the four main characters, with an additional biography for Day-Lewis. --Harriet Smith
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Despite the unconventional (for the mainstream audience) homosexual romance at the centre of the film, My Beautiful Laundrette is definately not an exploration of alternative sexuality. Instead, Kureidhi treats his gay couple as he would do any young lovers who have to struggle against the insurmountable odds to be togeteher. Omar and Johnny's romance successfully survives the racial battle between native Britons and Pakistani newcomers, the moral battle between liberalism and conservatism, the intellectual battle between idealism and pragmatic capatalism, and the political battle between Prime Minister Thatcher and the inner city, working class. In a summary, Jonathon Becks' performance was inspirational!
Format:DVD
The Romeo/Juliet story remains moving and the problems caused by the closeness of communities or groups are still true today. Things would be so much easier if people didn't fear those who are just a bit different from them, who live a bit differently from us or come from elsewhere.
The acting is quite dated, the actors are rigid and look like amateurs who are not comfortable in front of the camera, that's a pity. Daniel Day-Lewis is good and moving on the contrary. The music and the fashion are really dated and the colours are as well like on an old poor-quality VHS.
The acting is quite dated, the actors are rigid and look like amateurs who are not comfortable in front of the camera, that's a pity. Daniel Day-Lewis is good and moving on the contrary. The music and the fashion are really dated and the colours are as well like on an old poor-quality VHS.
23 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This film is incredible... The homosexuality is less important than the romance, the fantastic acting, and the other issues that the film deals with: greed, racism, repentance, the working class, and families. Although the film is a bit confusing at times, it really is worth watching, and then rewatching.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A film which hasn't worn well
Allegedly 'groundbreaking' when released, what's surprising today is how theatrical and shamelessly unrealistic this film is. Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2008 by Bill
Laughable and unreal.
As a married Pakistani male immigrant to the UK,
will you dance a waltz with a white woman in the front room of your local shop? NO! Read more
will you dance a waltz with a white woman in the front room of your local shop? NO! Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2007 by Mr. Sagar Karandikar
A brilliant film
This film being low budget has relied heavily on the weight of its plot. It is a gentle but effective exploration of a difficult love affair between the Indian son of an alcoholic... Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2006
Really interesting
At (currently) £3.97 on amazon, it would be appropriate to pay blockbuster prices for this - it is sensitive, engaging, and deeply affecting. Read more
Published on 3 Dec 2005 by Benjamin Hall
dated
My beautiful Laundrette was a great hit in her time, a low budged movie showing the down sides of the Thater period and first showed gay issues, especially in the Asian community. Read more
Published on 22 Jun 2004 by Amelrode
Another tradgic gay film
What a terrible film! Please don't watch it, it is basically about two old school friends who become lovers whilst owning a laundarette. Read more
Published on 15 Sep 2003 by Andrew london
Good British drama
This film is set, strangely, around a Laundrette in London and deals with the issue of sexuality in London. Read more
Published on 2 April 2000
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