Movie Dirty Pretty Things

Guillermo 2022-01-05 08:02:31


This film showing the bottom life of illegal immigrants was created by Steven Knight, directed by Stephen Frears, and starred by Chiwetel Ejiofor (appearing in the movie love actually) and Audrey Tautou (Amelie).

Although the story takes place in London, England, the difficult lives of immigrants, especially immigrants who do not have or are applying for legal status, are the same everywhere.

The protagonist of the story, Okwe, was originally a well-known pathology anatomy doctor from Nigeria. He was wanted for refusing to fake a corrupt government and was framed for murder. He fled to London in desperation and became one of the illegal immigrants. To make ends meet, Okwe works as a taxi driver during the day and works as a night shift service in a hotel lobby at night.

Although life is very difficult, Okwe still adheres to his personal beliefs and strives to maintain a most upright and noble sentiment. His kindness has won the trust of many immigrants who also have no legal status. At the same time, because Okwe used to be a doctor, he often used a small amount of medicine to treat immigrants who could not go to the hospital through the relationship of an immigrant friend who worked in a hospital autopsy.

The beautiful Turkish woman, Senay, who cleans the room in the same hotel as Okwe, is the highlight of Okwe's life. Senay came to London through refugee status, and could not engage in any form of legal work before the status was approved. The beautiful and kind Senay took in Okwe, even if it might bring her own danger: Okwe, Senay and the illegal immigrants around them are unwelcome low-level people in London, and the Immigration Bureau pursues them; Londoners hate them. Illegal immigrants have no right to speak of except to be humans with their tails sandwiched between them and to breathe a little free air in the pressure of all parties.

These days with no end in sight are like a long black tunnel, but the movie uses a very humorous language to describe the immigrant life in Okwe's eyes. The immigrants have fun in hardship, and a little favor from others can be a source of joy. It is also because of the great pressure of the outside world and survival that the immigrants are very united within, and everyone trusts and helps each other. The color of the whole film is very vivid, especially the high-end hotel where Okwe works at night. Everything shown in front of the audience is vivid and bright, it seems that everything has nothing to do with darkness...

This difficult but peaceful life was broken by an accidental discovery by Okwe. The manager of the hotel, Juan, used his position to engage in illegal kidney trading activities in the hotel. He took advantage of illegal immigrants' urgent need to obtain legal status and deceived them that kidney removal is as easy and safe as tooth extraction, so as to make huge profits in this dirty transaction. The doctors Juan invited have almost no formal training. Even if the illegal immigrant who betrayed the kidney died on the operating bed, they only had to dispose of the body-flush into the sewer of the hotel. The lives, deaths, and illnesses of illegal immigrants are simply the stains buried in the deepest part of the prosperous city scene in London. They don’t exist, they are transparent...

Juan uses Okwe’s past as a threat and wants him to help the kidneys. Take out surgery. Okwe sternly refused. At the same time, Senay's illegal work in a hotel was also discovered by the Immigration Bureau. The whole story suddenly accelerated, and the world of Okwe and Senay began to chaos and spin. Okwe was constantly threatened and lured by Juan; Senay had to leave the hotel to work in a garment factory full of illegal immigrants, but was humiliated by the garment factory owner in order to survive. In this turbulent environment, Okwe and Senay cherish each other and gradually fall in love. But love is such an extravagant thing for illegal immigrants who cannot even guarantee the right to survive! Okwe can't accept Senay's love, can't find an exit to life; Senay embraces a desperate love, endures the humiliation of the clothes shop owner, and can't see the hope of life...

When the story reaches this point, the lives of Okwe and Senay will either explode or perish. Finally, Senay decided to break the deadlock and desperately sold his kidney to Juan in exchange for a fake passport and identity in order to leave the sad place. Juan used this opportunity to force Senay to betray his virginity, and Senay was helpless. After Okwe learned of Senay’s betrayal of his kidneys, he finally decided to agree to Juan to take out Senay’s kidneys after a fierce struggle with moral beliefs and love.

The ending of the story is very dramatic and can be said to be the realization of a dreamlike ideal of immigration. Senay’s destination, New York, USA, is a beautiful and equal freedom paradise in her heart: the sun is shining, and the police are riding white horses to protect everyone... After all, movies are movies. Although they show the dark lives of immigrants, they still give people hope. . But in reality? Where is such a beautiful paradise? Immigrants, especially illegal immigrants, will always be the bottom sludge in society. They bear the most tiring labor, suffer the most blindfolds, suffer all the insults, and have no freedom. There is a bitter story behind every immigrant, and every immigrant is asking the same question: Where is the paradise of real freedom?

Brightly colored and beautiful scenes run through the film: the red uniforms of the hotel staff, the bright lights in the hotel rooms, the bright fruits and vegetables on the free market... These are in sharp contrast to the dull and monotonous costumes of the immigrants. There is hardly any blunt language or commentary in the film to highlight the main theme. The director seems to stand at a distant distance and pure narrative, leaving everything to the audience to judge. Many conversations, such as Okwe and Juan's debate on kidney trading, are very thought-provoking: What is right? what is wrong? Before there is a sound and legal system to protect the interests of immigrants, how does a society deal with the problem of illegal immigration?

Xiao Ke believes that the biggest failure of the film is the ending director's use of Okwe's words to complain about the miserable life of immigrants. It seems to be the finishing touch, but it is seriously out of the rhythm of the film. At the same time, it completely breaks the original neutral approach of the film. It is superfluous. What a pity!

Excluding this flaw, the overall film has a tight rhythm, beautiful pictures, and a remarkable performance by the actors. It is an excellent work worth seeing.

View more about Dirty Pretty Things reviews

Extended Reading
  • Cale 2022-03-26 09:01:09

    Hierarchy is perhaps the most glamorous and filthiest thing in the world. We can't imagine all the filth that a hotel can accommodate at night, because the next day it will be cleaned as beautiful as new, and the happy ending of this film tells us that as people at the bottom of society, if there is no culture, it is really It won't even get to the sun at all.

  • Federico 2022-04-21 09:02:51

    How beautiful a city is, how dirty it can be

Dirty Pretty Things quotes

  • The doctor: How come I've never seen you people before?

    Okwe: Because we are the people you do not see. We are the ones who drive your cabs. We clean your rooms. And suck your cocks.

  • [Senay is a Muslim]

    Juliette: So, what did happen?

    Senay: Before, I was a virgin.

    Juliette: Jesus...

    Senay: Mohammed.

    [Both laugh]