Rating: 
Summary: How Much Are You Willing To Give
Review: I think DIRTY PRETTY THINGS could have been a marvelous film. Although the subject matter's certainly not unique, I think the strong performance of Chiwete Ejiofor and the film's gritty and seedy atmosphere could have elevated it into true art if director Stephen Frears and screenwriter Steve Knight wouldn't have felt such a need to resort to thrills in an effort to hold the audience's attention.DIRTY PRETTY THINGS takes place in London, but not the London most of us are familiar with. The London we see in DIRTY PRETTY THINGS is the London that belongs to its immigrants, both legal and illegal. Cramped living quarters, illegal activities and ethnic shops and markets form the background of this film. Although DIRTY PRETTY THINGS concerns itself with the immigrant problem in London, the questions it asks could really be about the immigrant problem anywhere. The story revolves around Okwe (Chiwete Ejiofor) and Senay (Audrey Tautou). Okwe, who was facing a murder charge in his native Nigeria, has immigrated to England to begin a new life. Beginning a new life, however, is proving to be extremely difficult for Okwe. In Lagos, he was a respected doctor; in London he lacks the proper credentials and so he takes what he can get, i.e., he drives a taxi by day and works as a clerk in a seedy hotel at night. Like most people, Okwe works hard, he remains true to his beliefs, but he simply doesn't get anywhere. DIRTY PRETTY THINGS takes on overtones of a thriller when Okwe is called to one of the hotel rooms to repair a flooded toilet and find a human heart. This film is also the story of Senay (Audrey Tautou) whose life intersects with Okwe's when they meet in the hotel. Senay is another illegal immigrant, a Muslim woman from Turkey, who is so desperate to become a legal resident of Britain she'll do anything, including selling her own body parts. The lives of Okwe and Senay intersect when both become involved in an illegal scheme Okwe unwittingly discovered the night he discovered the human heart. The best thing about DIRTY PRETTY THINGS is the strong, flawless performance of Ejiofor as Okwe. He's a decent, highly intelligent man whose greatest dream is to return to the life he once lived in Lagos. He's a sad man and a sweet man and Ejiofor manages to convey Okwe's deep pain without ever slipping into either sentimentality or melodrama. Audrey Tautou is adequate (but not great) as Senay and, surprisingly, I didn't find it at all difficult to accept her as a Turkish refugee despite her huge success in AMELIE. Sergi Lopez as the wheeler-dealer, preyer-upon-the-downtrodden Russian, Sneaky, gives a wonderfully nasty performance. There are two areas in which I felt this film failed and those are the two reasons I gave it four stars instead of five. First, there are touches of humor in DIRTY PRETTY THINGS. Maybe the writer and director felt it would be too dark without humor, but I thought the humor detracted from the film's dramatic impact. I also didn't like the fact that DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, perhaps in an effort to be entertaining, moved away from its serious look at the plight of illegal immigrants and became a thriller instead. This turn of events, I thought, was almost an insult to the wonderful talent of Ejiofor, who still does his best to lift the film out of the ordinary.
Rating: 
Summary: Get real!
Review: This is the worst movie I have seen in years. Tautou was fine as a cartoon-like character in Amelie, but she is completely miscast in a role where she comes off as a histrionic maniac with overwrought mannerisms and a bogus accent. In real life, illegal immigrants typically work incredibly hard while living in squalor and fear; yet Tautou's Turkish maid somehow always has a new outfit and perfectly coiffed hair, plenty of leisure time, and a spacious, pretty apartment. The entire movie is so riddled with cliches, contrived situations and horribly-faked accents that I found it unbearable. The trials faced by illegal immigrants and the international organ trade are subjects worthy of serious films, and not this trash!
Rating: 
Summary: Frears and Tautou Shine
Review: Steven Frears is one of the most underrated directors working today. See this film. It's a must see believe me. Audrey Tautou, hot after her debut in Amelie, gives a great performance that is very rich in character. I was deeply moved and horrified by this film.
Rating:
Summary: The horrible choices some illegal immigrants have to make
Review: Illegal immigration is a serious worldwide problem. And this British film explores the complex and very difficult life of those who live their lives in this shadow world. To say that they are exploited is to phrase their dilemma too lightly. Their lives are horrible and they are often forced into making choices that no human being should have to make. Chiwetel Ejiofor, an Afro-British actor shines in the role of Okwe, an Nigerian immigrant living in London. He's been trained as a doctor and once practiced his trade in Laos. But, as we learn during the course of the film, a tragedy caused him to leave that country and run for his life. And so, now, by day he drives a cab and by night he works as a hotel porter. In order to stay awake he chews the African drug that looks like grass. And when he needs to sleep, a chambermaid, Senay, played by Audrey Tautou, an illegal immigrant from Turkey, lets him sleep in her apartment. One night, while trying to fix an overflowing commode, he discovers a body part in the toilet. This leads him on a search to find out what is going on. His discovery is chilling and it drives the plot as Senay is exploited by the owner of a clothing factory and makes a difficult decision in order to get a passport and flee to America. Sergi Lopez plays the bad guy who runs an illegal business that preys on the desperation of the illegals. However, the twists and turns of the plot lets justice prevail in the end. At first I found it difficult to understand the British accents, but eventually I was able to relax and get into the story. As each detail emerged I developed a sense of empathy for the plight of these immigrants which deepened as the horror of their situtation became clear. All the acting was authentic and excellent, especially by the bad guy. And the London setting could have been any city in the world. This is a very modern story. It's not pretty. And rather dirty. Hence, the excellent title.
Rating:
Summary: what a film, oh, what a film
Review: This si on my top ten film list of all times, a modern masteropiece, everything about this film, every last detail is perfect from the supporting actor to the leads, the music, the director, the angles fro mthe cameras, the artistic filmography, the lighting, the dialogue, the facial expression on teh actor, the plot. ALL perfect
Rating: 
Summary: ALL THE DIRTY PRETTY THINGS
Review: Illegal African immigrant in London finds a human heart in the plumbing of a city hotel room where he works the night desk. Intriguing beginning propels the relevant, and both tragic and comedic story forword with layers of dynamic social commentary concerning the plight of unfortunate lives in underground London. For me though, the ending tainted severely the grim yet promising flavor of the film. The recipient of a very dastardly deed is one of the unfortunates the film alleges to sympathise with, however ruthless and criminal minded he is. That the 'just rewards' aren't targeted at a more prominent level of this sad social scale, from outside the underground, left the story a human microcosm devouring itself. That, and a tearfully murmured 'I love you' in an airport near film's end, as if from another film entirely, left me feeling unhinged. Chop off the final 20 minutes and it's a near perfect touching social comment and a wonderful movie.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: "Dirty Pretty Things" is the story of two immigrants, Senay (Audrey Tautou), a young Turkish girl and Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a Nigerian doctor who both work menial jobs in the Baltic Hotel in London. Okwe is in London illegally, and Senay is not supposed to work until her immigrant status changes. Life doesn't exactly look promising for either Okwe or Senay, but then Okwe accidentally stumbles into an illegal organ transplant business. This discovery has serious ramifications for both Senay and Okwe. I bought a copy of "Dirty Pretty Things" mainly because of Audrey Tautou. I really enjoyed her performances in "The Venus Beauty Institute" and "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" so I wanted to see her in this film too. Many critics claimed that this role would allow Tautou a chance to play something a bit different. I thought her performance was abysmally wooden and mealy-mouthed. The film was saved from being a complete disaster by an incredible performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor as the soulful Okwe. Witty, bright performances were also delivered by Benedict Wong as a philosophical morgue attendant, and Sophie Okonedo as a savvy, tough London prostitute. The plot was problematic--why, for example, is there a heart stuffed down the toilet? Where is the rest of the body? Okwe deals with a tough gang of Russian gangsters. It's hardly credible that the thugs would be as careless as this film portrays them. This would have been a much better film if the plot had focused on the struggles of the immigrants, and saved the entire organ transplant thuggery for some Steven Seagal extravaganza. For a really great film about the immigrant experience, I recommend "Bread and Roses"--displacedhuman
Rating:
Summary: Demimonde of the Illegal Alien
Review: The scene is London, but this gritty thriller could take place anywhere illegal aliens keep to the nondescript occupations that hide them from government authorities threatening to squash the last remnants of their dreams of life in a less limiting environment. Senay, played by Audrey Tautou of 'Amelie' fame, is one of these immigrants, a Moslem girl from Turkey who desires nothing but to live in New York. We are privy to her humiliation as the harsh reality of her life as a veritable fugitive sinks in and she must compromise her values in order to seemingly move forward towards her goal. Helping her is Nigerian exile, Okwe, a doctor in his own country, now working as a cab driver and a desk clerk at a hotel. The main story revolves around this character, who as he stumbles from one job to another in a rational stupor induced by sleepness and drugs intended to stop him from thinking about his secret past, uncovers a dirty little secret going on in the wee hours of the hotel's operation run by the chillingly played "Sneaky" Juan. (Sergi Lopez of 'A Friend Like Harry') Okwe's own moral base is tested to the limit as he realizes that Senay has come to rely on him for much more than just her sanity.
Bottom Line: 'Dirty Pretty Things' engages the audience from start to finish; those expecting Tautou to have the lead role, don't be surprised when Chiwetel Ejiofor steals the show with his liquid chocolate eyes that reverberate with nuanced emotions. Recommended to anyone who likes a compelling thriller.
Rating:
Summary: Chiwetel Ejiodor is the heart and soul of this film.
Review: This is a well-written, well-directed dark thriller. Steven Knight's story of illegal immigrants in London faced with imminent peril is striking. These characters uphold a delicate balance of humanity and survival. Stephen Frears, an renowned director with some missteps, is on sure footing here. He maintains the tension of the characters' circumstances whlie trusting the leading actor to be the moral center of the film. Chiwetel Ejiodor is absolutey brilliant in his role of Okwe, an exiled Nigerian doctor, who stumbles upon a organ-selling scheme. Mr. Ejiodor imbues the charcter with a sense of non-judgemental righteousness that is just remarkable. Audrey Tautou is terrific as Senay, a young Turkish woman trying to get to New York. Her performance is very real. Sergei Lopez is an affable villain, his performance not unlike the work of Colm Meaney and Anthony Lapaglia. The line between right and wrong and the line between survival and self-interest are pretty close to one another.
Rating:
Summary: London's Underbelly
Review: The great acting and charcter development make this film a notch above the rest, then again there really isn't a "rest" to compare this one too. Illegal organ selling is not a topic often tackled in films, after all.
The love story between a conciencouss, illegal Nigerian doctor who was forced to flee his country, and a Turkish girl who wants to live like a "western girl" like her cousin in New York, is facinating, as is the main plot, which has to do with this Nigerian, who works in a Hotel, and finds a human heart in a toilet in one of the rooms, and so begins investigating the matter.
Again, the acting is exceptional, great plot, script, characters...can't go wrong with this one.
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