My Beautiful Laundrette

Starring:Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth, Daniel Day-Lewis, Gordon Warnecke, Derrick Branche, Rita Wolf, Souad Faress, Richard Graham, Shirley Anne Field, Winston Graham (II), Dudley Thomas, Charu Bala Chokshi, Garry Cooper, Persis Maravala, Neil Cunningham, Walter Donohue, Nisha Kapur, Stephen Marcus, Badi Uzzaman, Ayub Khan-Din
Director: Stephen Frears
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

My Beautiful Laundrette, Stephen Frears's low-budget realization of Hanif Kureishi's subversively critical play, captures the contradictions of mid-'80s Thatcherism in a way that's as fresh today as when it was new. Wheeler-dealer 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 his nephew 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 was first released, it was the gay content that dominated the conversation, whereas now it seems a sensitive and multifaceted 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, My Beautiful Laundrette wears its age lightly and its era proudly. --Harriet Smith

Description

With its "extraordinary cast" (Los Angeles Times)including OscarÂ(r) winner* Daniel Day Lewisand "riveting visual style" (Newsweek), this "warm, compassionate and feisty" film (The Hollywood Reporter) about a young Pakistani man coming of age in London is "a fascinating, eccentric [and] very personal movie" (The New York Times)! Living on the dole with his alcoholic father in a shabby South London flat, Omar is a bright-eyed Pakistani teenager who wants to make something of himself. And as his papa drowns deeper in vodka and self-pity, Omar turns to his unscrupulous wheeling-and-dealing Uncle Nasser to show him the key to success. But when Nasser hires Omar as manager of a seedy, dilapidated laundromat, Omar is forced to choose between running a squeaky-clean establishmentor conducting some very dirty business! *1989: Actor,My Left Foot

Customer Reviews:

my beautiful launderette.......2007-06-02

the sound was difficult especialy with the english axcent. good story.skiped around a bit but was well acted i thought. glad i saw it

I don't get it.......2007-05-28

I love Daniel Day Lewis and adore almost everything he does so I thought I would check it out. I can't believe people are giving this movie such high ratings. The acting is horrible, the plot is incomprehensible. I don't have any sympathy for Omar and despise almost every man in the movie for their cocky, arrogant, chauvenistic attitude. I tend to like independent, artistic movies but this movie is ridiculous. Please do not buy this movie. Rent it if you're curious.

Politics Aside..........2007-01-18

"MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDERETTE"

Politics Aside...

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

"My Beautiful Launderette" tells the story of Omar, a young guy who is taking care of his alcoholic father during that period in history when Margaret Thatcher was prime minister. People longed for financial success back then (the 80s), especially Asians (like Omar) who were living in England. Asians began their influx to England in the late 6os and 70s and they searched for their identity in a country that was their home but never really allowed them to feel at home.
Omar wanted both financial success and he wanted an identity and he worked at both. While he strove he runs into an old friend from school, Johnny, who had fallen under the influence of a group of Neo-Nazis. Omar brings him into the family business and the chemistry between the two soon accelerates. His gay relationship between the two is underplayed as if it were the most normal thing in the world (as it should be). Any tension in the film is not sexually related but political and socio-economic. The charm and the wit of the film mesmerize the viewer. Daniel Day-Lewis is just amazing as Johnny, he is an actor's actor.
The film undertakes the difficult task of presenting important social issues without sacrificing entertainment and embraces a new kind of movie realism. Watching the two friends trying to make a go of a rundown launderette (a metaphoric look at the economy of Britain) sheds light on the state of downtrodden immigrants. The joining together of two opposing cultures, a Pakistani and a white "punk" also says tons about the British treatment of Asians. Ethnic problems create havoc for the two young men and racial tension is one of the major themes of the film. Even though the issues that are presented are major problems, they are handled with humorous wit and the film is quite funny and very serious at the same time. As an unconventional love story, it succeeds and as a political and economic statement it soars. "Launderette" is also very sensual without showing any actual sex and never exploits the gay subplot.
As I said before, Daniel Day-Lewis is sensational but it is Gordon Warnecke that owns this movie completely. Just watching his character change shows his brilliance at dealing with the complexities of life.
The ending of the film is quite ambiguous allowing the viewer to contemplate all that he has seen and its power rests on showing a great deal without really trying to moralize.
From what I have read about what was going on in London both economically and socially, the movie brilliantly depicts the situation. As it shows the feudal divide between the rich and the poor, it somewhat reminded me of the way things were once were (remember Dickens). We would have thought that modernism would have helped cure societal ills but according to the film things actually became worse. What we have with "Launderette" is a work of magic realism, in a portrait of London of the 80s replete with all of its ills.
Because the gay aspect of the film is not emphasized, the movie left me with several questions to consider. What was the nature of the boys' relationship when they were younger? What happened to that relationship? What really brought the boys together and what factors contribute to Johnny's acceptance of Omar and their final love and devotion to each other?
Questions like these and others are what make this film so interesting and it deserves at least one viewing if not more. I love movies that leave you thinking and this is exactly what "My Beautiful Launderette" does.

Charming movie.......2006-02-17

Not for all tastes.
Top-notch performances.
If you liked " Brokeback Mountain", you will probably
like this one too, allthough the ambiances and are quite
different.
Enjoyable, witty, with fine characterizations.
DVD transfer OK.
As a non-english speaking,I especially appreciate the
sub-titling in english.
Don't miss it !

Daniel Day Lewis Gets Discovered.......2006-01-11

Before My Beautiful Launderette, Daniel Day Lewis was a nobody. Afterwards, he was a force to contend with (four years later he would be an Oscar winner).

Omar (Saeed Jaffrey) is an unemployed guy who lives with his dad in a council flat in Lambeth. But he wants to be more like his wealthy Uncle Nasar. Uncle gives him a start by offering him a job to manage a Laundromat. But this Laundromat is a dump and there is a string attached, Omar must date his cousin.

To make some extra money, Omar delivers drugs for another cousin. Omar decides to spruce the Laundromat up and enlists his friend Johnny (DDL). Johnny comes up with an idea of skimming some of the drugs to fund the upgrades. They reopen the luxury Laundromat and it is a hit.

The problem with dating his cousin is that Omar is in love with someone else, Johnny. This is deftly handled and it hits you from the blindside.

This film is great from many different directions. It shows insight into the Pakistani culture and the poor of London in the early 80's.

This is a great performance by Daniel Day Lewis and everyone should see it!

DVD EXTRAS: None

Average customer rating:

my beautiful launderette
I don't get it
Politics Aside...
Charming movie
Daniel Day Lewis Gets Discovered

My Beautiful Laundrette [Region 2]
Starring: Saeed Jaffrey , Roshan Seth , Daniel Day-Lewis , Gordon Warnecke , and Derrick Branche
Director: Stephen Frears
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video