Rating: 
Summary: This is just the best
Review: I'm sorry but this is probably one of the funniest films i've ever seen. Pur british humour ay its best. If you like The Full Monty you HAVE to see this movie !!!!!!! % stars just isn't enough - I give it 10
Rating: 
Summary: low keyed comedy/drama
Review: `East is East,' something of a modern day version of `Fiddler on the Roof,' explores the culture clash that occurs in the context of a half Pakistani/half British family living in early 1970's England. George Khan is a Muslim who, upon immigrating to Great Britain in 1937, married a British woman despite the fact that his first wife still lives in Pakistan. Now, twenty five years later, the still happily married couple lives in a small apartment with their daughter and six sons all of whom have been raised to honor their father's religion and traditions. Yet, like Tevye, George is suddenly confronted with the fact that, as times change and the world moves on, the younger generation will no longer abide by the archaic rituals of an ancient age. In many ways, this is the flip side of `Fiddler' in that here the reluctant marriage partners are sons and not daughters. For indeed, George's ultimate goal in life is to arrange marriages for his teenaged sons within the accepted tradition of the Muslim faith. But culture is often a force that parents try in vain to withstand and these children, raised in the far more open and liberated society of `mod' England, are not about to take such dictatorial parental control lying down.In the script based on his play, Ayub Khan-Din provides an evenhanded and comprehensive view of the situation. George is not presented to us as an inflexible or unreasonable ogre, yet at the same time, he will, in his frustration, strike out even physically at the children and the wife who seem to oppose him. We sense the fear that runs through him that, if his sons are allowed to exercise their freedom in this one crucial area, the family will sever that connection with the past which brings stability to their lives. Thus, without any traditions to anchor them, George dreads that he and the family will be cut adrift in a seemingly rudderless world that suddenly seems in the 1970's to be in such great and terrifying moral flux. Moreover, we are left to ponder the strange contradiction between George's own words and the choices he himself has made. After all, his opting to marry a British woman who does not share the tenets of his faith obviously went beyond the bounds of the very traditions he is now so dogmatically insisting his sons uphold. This type of ambiguity within the characters enhances their credibility, for indeed life and the people we meet therein come replete with such maddening inconsistencies. Khan-Din and director Damien O'Donnell establish an effective balance between low-key humor and occasionally searing drama. The relationship between the husband and wife who comprise this interracial marriage is complexly realized and fully drawn; the obvious difficulties the two have experienced as a result of the nonconformity of their union has obviously strengthened their devotion to one another and they appear to greatly enjoy each other's company. She has undoubtedly made any number of concessions and compromises to her husband's belief system, yet she has retained her British feistiness and knows how far to let George go before she draws the line, especially when it comes to protecting the rights and happiness of her own progeny. In a similar way, we see, in thorough detail, the complexities that make up the two very different sets of relationships between the respective parents and their children. Din and O'Donnell have, wisely, chosen to limit the scope of their film by downplaying the broader theme of how a suspicious and prejudiced society deals with so unconventional a marriage and family. We see only bits and pieces of this in the form of bigoted comments uttered by a disapproving neighbor and a mere mention of a political rally intended to rouse the populace on the issue of `repatriation.' Instead, the authors concentrate almost exclusively on the internecine struggles taking place within this one family. This helps to keep the scale of the film life-sized, thus enhancing our identification with the characters and their universal parent/child conflicts. For, in a way, the Khan family is really not undergoing any crisis not already familiar to countless families the world over, as parents cope with children eager to cut the filial chords and establish life on their own terms and as children, likewise, deal with parents who want to determine the course those lives will take. The Khans just happen to provide a more heightened and intensified view of this subject. `East is East' is a small movie but an absorbing one. Thanks to uniformly excellent performances from a gifted cast and a careful modulation between humor and drama, the film emerges as a compelling and insightful glimpse into a life that is, as for all of us, so full of both terrifying and wonderful complexity.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and touching, but mostly just plain hilarious
Review: "East is East" is one of the funniest films I've seen in a long time. It tells the story of a Pakistani father trying to raise his children as proper Muslims in 1970's England. His kids couldn't care less about Pakistani culture and the father is at turns bewildered and outraged at their behaviour. This film hits the nail squarely on the head in its portrayal of culture/generational clash. There are some disturbing domestic violence scenes that will make you wince but it really adds a dramatic, touching side to a film that for the most part will have you rolling in the aisles. All of the performances are outstanding, especially those by the rowdy kids. You get to see each of their personalities but it's great when they band together against their father's tyranny (and to pick on their little brother). This film delivers punch lines and comedic scenes that will make you laugh so hard your sides will ache. And the last line of the film is the kicker . . . . .
Rating:
Summary: both funny and sad
Review: This movie, reportedly the most successful British movie of all time, should be seen if only because it's one of the rare chances in the U.S. to see a convincingly accurate portrayal of Asians (in this case Pakistanis) in the U.K. It's also really funny at times, with a good deal of bawdy humor, but mixed with some real horrifying scenes of domestic abuse. Unfortunately some of the movie is quite two-dimensional: it is sometimes difficult to tell why the children love their father and Islam is not really presented in a very complex or positive light at all. Nonetheless, the movie is often hilarous, has some great acting from all involved and has some serious points to make about Asian immigrants in Britain, not to mention the lives of first-generation immigrants in general.
Rating:
Summary: An absolutely phenomonal work
Review: I admit, I cried during this movie. It was difficult to watch the entire Khan family, all seven kids plus mom Ella and dad George, struggle with an identity that not only identified them as individuals, but as a family. It hits a chord not only with immigrant families, but all families. It relates the struggles of finding a balance between parental power and individual control. But despite all that mushy stuff, it's absolutely hilarious. Not only are the accents adorably amusing, the children remind you of what it was like to be young again and caught by your parents doing something you shouldn't have been. The opening scene lends to this as it follows the kids running through alleys so their father, a strict Muslim, doesn't see them marching in a Catholic parade. You can't help but laugh at their antics. The film is able to embrace both tradition and progress without becoming too boring. Definitely an A+!
Rating:
Summary: Funny with some serious Bits
Review: I had the opportunity to see the film at cinema here in the states. Great fun mixed with the serious topic of Asians (Pakistanis & India Indians) in British society. I can't wait for it to be on video so that I can show it off to my friends! The end scene was so FUNNY!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: East is East is about the struggle between a domineering migrant Pakistani father and his children born in England. The children embody strong English values though they look Pakistani. Dad arranges marriages for his sons in accordance with Pakistani custom, and they don't like it. Even after 25 years of marriage to his Anglo wife, George has not assimilated into British society. The irony is that George's wife is English but he despises anything Anglo. The movie has a wonderful soundtrack of Pakistani movie melodrama, and gives a informative insight into the lives of migrant families in UK.
Rating:
Summary: East is East : Great British-Asian humour
Review: Not out until September here in the US, 'East is East' is a hilarious British film. Having seen it in UK cinema last year, let me humbly suggest it's a 'must see' for everyone who just enjoys pure fun from an evening's viewing. The film centres on an British-Asian family who live in present day Bradford (near Manchester), and relates the hilarious antics of the sons of the family as they attempt to avoid their traditional 'arranged weddings' with the daughters of other asian families. What's so great about the film is that you don't need to be Asian (or British!) to really enjoy the film. Some of you may have seen the top rated BBC Asian TV comedy show 'Goodness Gracious Me!' - this film is in exactly the same style. 'East is East' flew high in the UK Cinema charts last year - it may not be a huge seller here in the US, but those of you who see it won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: You'll laugh, you'll cry...maybe not, but see this movie
Review: This film--already out on DVD in Britain judging from thecustomer reviews below--has been a sleeper hit in US cities thisspring. Its theme of ethnic pride and culture preservation will certainly find resonance here. The fact that we are concerned with Pakistanis in Northern England rather than, say, Hispanics in NYC or Miami may actually help US viewers sharpen their focus. This is a well-told tale, with characters you'll come to care about. It's easy to become angry with George Khan, the Pakistani immigrant who anglicized his first name but made sure his children all had Islamic names. As portrayed by Om Puri, his conflicted character is largely a sympathetic one. The fact that he married an English woman of his choice but then insists on arranging marriages with Pakistani women for his sons may strike some viewers as the height of hypocrisy. It is, of course, but it forces us to look at hypocrisy or personal inconsistency in a new light. George's actions make perfect sense when viewed as the desparate attempts of a man caught in a profound cultural conflict and trying to make sense of it all--for himself and for his children. He's a bully, all right, but in that he is not completely unsympathetic. The comedy is sometimes a bit too broad and slapsticky at times. And I confess that like many viewers on this side of the Atlantic, I had trouble at times with the accents and the slang (being able to view the film in a home-based format should help in that regard). These are minor, minor complaints. This is a movie with broader appeal than the reviews might suggest. That it's getting the attention it deserves is a minor cause for celebration. END
Rating:
Summary: Very interesting, but not what we expected.
Review: Myself and my wife rented this movie on DVD after hearing all the hype, expecting it to be like the excellent British Asian BBC comedy series GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME according to a friend of my wife. We were wrong, but all in all this Brit movie isn't bad at all! It tells the tale of a Pakistani chip shop owner living in Salford, Manchester in 1971 coming to terms, or rather fighting against his family becoming Westernised, largely due to his English wife. As their sons rebel against arranged mariages and other Muslim traditions, the father becomes more volatile towards them. The racism and bigotry shown in the Enoch Powell references, sadly, still rings true today. A nice touch was the grandson of the bigot next door trying to show friendship towards the Pakistani family, and his grand-daughter and her overweight friend romancing the sons, who could not get into local nightclubs because of their skin colour. Overall, this is a movie well worth watching. There are dramatic moments, particularly with the domestic violence, sadly which still rings true caused by misguided religious beliefs, and there are many funny and retrospective moments - the disco scenes, the wonderful 1970s musical soundtrack and the song MOVING by Supergrass, the feeling for the era(India-Pakistan war and animosity towards an Indian living in the neighbourhood from the Pakistanis), the down-to-earth humour when it came to isues such as circumcision, family meetings to arange marriages, Asian neighbourhoods and the racist getting what he deserved! Don't miss it, but it won't be what you expect. Classed as comedy, but very sad in places as well. My vote for best Brit movie this year so far has to be LOVE HONOUR AND OBEY, though!
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