Part of an
invisible working class, Nigerian exile Okwe (Ejiofor) and Turkish
chambermaid Senay (Tautou) toil at
a west London hotel
that is full
of illegal activity. Then late one night Okwe makes
a shocking
discovery, which creates an impossible dilemma that
will test their
limits.
CRITIQUE
Dirty Pretty
Things is a film that requires a little of the viewer's
patience because only 40 minutes into it does the plot finally
begin to unravel bit by bit. This might sound like a hard thing to
do, but I don't think it is. The reason why is the script by
Steven Knight focuses on a likeable, helpful, and overall
good-natured illegal alien called Okwe as he tries to survive in
and around London's dirtier parts. In fact, despite his status
Okwe is perhaps a much more helpful and determined person than the
average citizen living in the city and the outskirts. What makes
the first 40 minutes watchable is the natural yet commanding
performance by stage actor
Chiwetel Ejiofor,
yet the script aids in this also.
Not long after Okwe
discovers a heart inside a toilet in one of the hotel's rooms,
certain intriguing elements begin to emerge. He soon uncovers
something is not right with hotel manager Senor Sneaky (Sergi López),
something secret is going on. Meanwhile, Okwe shares an apartment
with Senay, an immigrant from Turkey who wants to migrate to New
York. The script puts strong emphasis on their relationship, and
it works, because they have a lot of things in common; similar
aspirations, work ethic, etc. Yet one of them is fragile, a trait
that's explored towards the end of the film and serves up some
really good moments.
The intrigue in
Dirty Pretty Things builds slowly, but the conflict appears
early on. All in all, the script is pretty good. It presents a
cast of characters you almost never get to see in a film, making
Okwe's line "We're the working class you never see" all
the more telling. Dirty Pretty Things is far from being
conventional, which might be another reason why it's interesting.
Yet it's not without some flaws, mostly having to do with a slow
pace and a beginning that takes longer than expected to get into
the second act. The subplots that exist are good, but they don't
serve the whole picture all too well. However, the script makes
good by providing Okwe with an interesting and heartfelt
background.
Stephen Frears does
a nice job directing the script and the actors. Ejiofor's
performance is grand, Audrey Tautou shows us a different side of
her, playing a desperate character and speaking with a Turkish
accent, and Sergi López pulls off the menacing demeanor of his
character in a pretty good way. What's also good about the film is
the cinematography by Chris Menges and the score by Nathan Larsen.
Overall, this is a good film with a good script, great
performances, and some nice intrigue.
THE VIDEO
Miramax presents Dirty
Pretty Things
in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Colors are sometimes a bit
muted or subdued, but the variety of colors in London's city
lights or neon signs look quite nice. The color red is
predominantly featured on screen, as are variations of blue and
yellow-green. Colors stand out rather nicely, plus they're
well-saturated to a certain degree. Detail looks nice, sharpness
does, too. Dark tones and black levels are somewhat deep, but
not all too consistent. The print image looks good without any
big problems. Grain appears in certain scenes, as does a speck
or two, but I couldn't find much or any evidence of compression
artifacts or dirt on the print. A pretty good effort from
Miramax.
THE AUDIO
Miramax presents Dirty
Pretty Things
in English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. Dialogue is clear and
easy to understand, with the front speakers handling channel
separation quite well. Surrounds reinforce the score and sound
effects to good effect, but surround usage is not all that
evident. Rear speakers have not much to act on, but the overall
presentation is good for what's on screen; essentially a
dialogue-driven film with several sequences composed to an
effective score.
A French dub track
is included. Subtitles are for English only.
THE EXTRAS
The main
supplement is the audio commentary by director Stephen Frears.
Despite his discussion on the actors, the script, and the
production, he often takes long breaks between comments. The
silence is often discouraging especially because his comments
are not that insightful or interesting to begin with. I didn't
learn very much from this track except for a few good tidbits,
but those are too long in between moments of silence and
uninteresting comments.
A
behind-the-scenes featurette (6:15) describes the film's
story and characters through interviews with Ejiofor, Tautou,
Frears, screenwriter Stephen Knight, and the producer. There's
some decent on-set footage and Frears talks briefly about
casting the actors, but there's nothing interesting to be
gleaned from this. In short, it's pretty forgettable. Rounding out the extras are bonus
trailers for Magdalene Sisters, Veronica Guerin,
American Gun, Amélie, and a Miramax trailer reel.
The 97-minute feature is organized into
seventeen chapters. There is no paper insert. The DVD cover
doesn't reflect the film's overall tone and Tautou is only a
supporting character in the film yet she receives top billing,
plus her naked-like appearance on the cover is misleading.
Sadly and unfairly, Miramax chose not to feature
Chiwetel Ejiofor on the cover or even mention his name. A better
cover should've been designed.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Dirty Pretty Things
is not for everyone, but I'm recommending it to those viewers who like
the thriller genre. Those interested in a little intrigue might also
give this film a shot as a rental. BV's video/audio is pretty nice and
the few extras are appreciated, but they're not insightful.
