Rating: 
Summary: Perfect slice of Thatcherite Britain oh! And a fab gay roman
Review: A classic film in my book, My Beautiful Laundrette is the story of Omar, a young restless Asian man caring for his alcoholic father in Thatcherite London. Escape comes in the form of his uncles many and varied business ventures,...Anyone who experienced anything of life in '80's Britain will recognise the craving for instant financial success. Similarly I am sure Asian viewers will recognise the struggles inherent in finding an identity in a country which is your home but which can never feel quite like your real home. Omar dreams of success so works to achieve it...along the way he meets up with old school-friend Johnny, who has betrayed him by falling in with a group of neo-nazi's. Omar soon has Johnny working for him and his uncle. Turning the tables on him as he is made to rely on the very people he has been taught to hate. The chemistry between Omar and Johnny is palpable and their relationship handled totally matter-of-factly. About the only part of the film not trying to score any political points is the gay relationship. There is a "so-what" attitude and no-one comes out at any point. And why should they? Tension in the film is far more the result of socio-economic and racial inequalities. The whole thing is handled with grace, charm and wit. Anyone remotely familier with British film in particular will note the starry casting of supporting roles, though Danial Day Lewis is - now - the biggest star of the show. Here he shows the real substance behind his fame - more so than in any other film of his seen to date. The cast is universally excellent and the unique shooting, pacing and dialogue, quite quite brilliant. Some of the shots in this film could be used as a template for brilliance...An unexpected kiss in a dark alley is easily the most erotic single shot I have seen in a film. Despite a few reviews I have read claiming otherwise, I don't believe you need to be gay or Asian to get something out of this picture. Living in Britain may help, though it's a lot less than essential....... And hey! Wouldn't you love to throw your knickers into the washing machines of a neon-lit music-filled laudrette from heaven run by two insatiably young and energetic lovers? Well I would anyway! Pass the detergent this way please!
Rating:
Summary: My Beautiful Memory
Review: Hey! You! You say you want a "can't fail" way to get into that new man's heart/pants? Invite him over for dinner and a double-bill of My Beautiful Laundrette and Maurice. If he doesn't dissolve into a mushy romantic mess from these two, check his pulse. I love this movie (though reserve judgment on the DVD) because of all the things it is not. It is not another shitty "I'm coming out of the closet and my life is totally fucked up!" kind of movie. It's characters have problems based on something besides their queerness. It has a mostly happy ending I could honestly believe. The best thing is that it is about people. Not just the two handsome gentlemen who are at the nexus of the film. Omar's tit-flashing cousin is as vividly drawn as is are his other relatives. Omar's uncle has a lovely mistress who is practically indelible. Sure, you'll want to be the sweat between the protagonists. But I wanted to live in the world this film created just to meet and spend more time with the fascinating characters. Ante up the $15 bucks, slap it in the ol' DVD player and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best low-key stories you'll ever see
Review: I have been griping for over a year about "the powers that be" putting this incredible classic on DVD, and finally here it is -the British dramedy "My Beautiful Laundrette" is more than just a love story where the love is between two men; this film will make you laugh, make your eyes well with tears, and make you angry as it explores the working classes of England, as well as the racial tensions that exist between white and Pakistani people there. It's touching, funny, romantic, charming, and full of heart. Most of all, it's very real; many people today may freak at the sight of a young, punkish Daniel Day Lewis passionately (and I mean PASSIONATELY) kissing/making love with another man (the beautiful Gordon Warnecke), but if you can get past that, you nearly forget you are watching a movie - the characters are that real, your ability to care for them that real. For gay or gay-friendly folks who want to see a good, simple, character-driven kind of filmmaking, with no special effects or explosions or heavy prosthetic makeup to compensate for the lack of script, "My Beautiful Laundrette" is true art not to be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: zero stars if I could
Review: I heard about this film so I ordered it from amazon with great expectations. I watched it today and it was worthless. It's basically about two homosexuals that open up a pathetic landromat. Who cares?!? Terrible acting, a pointless storyline that has no direction. You try to make sense of what is going on, but you can't. . .because there is no sense to it. You wait patiently for the film to get interesting. . .but it never does. I could not wait for the film to finish. I threw the VHS tape in the trash afterwards. What a waste of [money]. I could have bought myself lunch at McDonalds.
Rating:
Summary: A Complex and Stunning Film
Review: I just watched this movie twice in the last twelve hours, and as I couldn't stop thinking about it, I thought I would write a review. For me the thing that makes "My Beautiful Laundrette" so memorable is the intentional ambiguity of the film. When you have finished watching it, you're not sure what exactly the director is trying to say to you - this is not a shallow Hollywood creation. The movie paints stunning portraits of race relations between the Pakistani and English denizens of London, the conflict between women and men, between the working and middle classes, between fascists and communists, the independent-minded, and the family-oriented, the straight and the gay. But the movie doesn't focus on any of one of these issues and presents, instead, a collage that is more composed of questions than answers.
Also amazing is the movie's depiction of a gay relationship - the film doesn't dwell on the sexual orientation of its characters, it simply presents them as they are, with no commentary of any sort - there is no coming out, no discussing "the relationship", and no tears. Nor do words like gay or queer even appear in the film. The boys' physicality acts instead as a backdrop to the other events and thoughts in the movie, complicating matters further. Scenes depicting emotion are beautifully written and filmed, as is everything else in the movie, but "My Beautiful Laundrette" seems to have been able to show something Hollywood has yet to: that The Relationship is not always the focus of life, wether it be straight, gay, or indifferent.
Rating:
Summary: Coming of age...
Review: I love MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDERETTE. I saw it ages ago in a local art house, and have never forgotten some of the scenes and the dialogue or the story line. The tale was written by a young Asian playwright of English birth and is somewhat autobiographical. It is a coming of age and love story rolled into one. Although the film is jam-packed with fine Asian actors, some of whom have very familiar faces, the most memorable character from my perspective is "Johnny" played by Daniel Day Lewis. Johnny bears a strong resemblance to various young EAST ENDERS, to Sid Vicious as portrayed by Gary Oldman in the film SID AND NANCY (physical build and demeanor, Johnny isn't as violent), and some of the youths in various Mike Leigh films. If you see this film along with other DDL films such as MY LEFT FOOT, LAST OF THE MOHICANS, THE BOXER, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, THE CRUCIBLE, and THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING, you will realize why Daniel Day Lewis is the greatest living actor in the Enlish-speaking world. When LAUNDERETTE becomes available I plan to add it to my nearly complete collection of DDL films. DDL was very young when he made this film--near the time he made THE BOUNTY in which he plays Mr. Frye, and ROOM WITH A VIEW in which he plays Cecil. He's just incredible. At the beginning of the tale, Johnny like many of his English friends is semi-hostile toward the Pakistani settlers in London. He feels they are somehow implicated in his predicament which is to be an unemployed school dropout with no future in Margaret Thatcher's England. Johnny offends the Asians with anti-immigrant behaviour--marching in a "parade" through the Asian sector of town to protest the presence of the Pakistanis in England. Some time later Johnny and the young Pakistani boy who is the protagonist of LAUNDERETTE (undoubtedly the author) become reacquainted. The young man is attempting to become independent from his overbearing relatives and establish himself as a London businessman by opening a launderette. He succeds, and manages to open his launderette, and he hires Johnny as his assistant. Soon Johnny becomes more than an employee, he becomes a lover. Obviously, given that the Asian boy's family would prefer that he retain his culture and allow them to arrange a marriage Johnny is a problem. They had not imagined their son and nephew would link up with Johnny--the lower class skinhead who is white and homosexual. Many awkward and funny moments ensue. The film is filled with humor, strife, growing up, ties of family, racism, religion, homoerotic love, and the struggle to become acculturated in a new society. The DVD is worth the price just to see Daniel Day Lewis with a peroxide blonde crewcut, his head covered with a baseball cap, his mouth filled with chewing gum, and naked. He is priceless.
Rating: 
Summary: A Satiric Movie
Review: I think ¡§My Beautiful Launderette¡¨ is a pretty satiric movie. Back in 1980s, Pakistan people were being discriminated by the British. However in the movie, Nasser, a Pakistan businessman, owned a launderette which earns money from the British instead of the other way round. Satirically, Nasser also has a mistress, named Rachel, who is a British instead of a Pakistan. Tanya, daughter of Nasser who later on found out Rachel , tell Rachel that she does not mind her father having a mistress and use her father¡¦s money. Omar, niece of Nasser, who worked in the launderette as a manager, met Johnny one night when he was being disturbed by a group of racist gang. Johnny is a British young man who actually belongs to the gang, he knew Omar because they were old school friends. Omar asked Johnny to help in the launderette. The most satiric part of the movie is that Omar and Johnny are homosexual lovers. Homosexuality was considered to be unacceptable in those days. Other than that Omar and Johnny are different in race. The film shows the audiences two groups of people. First is the people who reject the British community, second is the people who accept the British community. The first group of people have traditional, conservative, and stubborn mind. Omar¡¦s father belongs to this group. He is a journalist and political activist. He thinks that he doesn¡¦t belong to Britain and he hated Britain. He lives in poverty and lie on the bed all day doing nothing. Nasser and Omar belong to the second group. Nasser adapted himself into the British society and learned to live with it. He then became a successful businessman who owned a launderette and a car cleaning service company. Omar chose to follow Nasser to involve in the business field instead of being what his father wanted him to be, which was to get into college. He convinced Nasser to let him redecorate the launderette and he succeeded in attracting more customers.
Rating:
Summary: A Satiric Movie
Review: I think ¡§My Beautiful Launderette¡¨ is a pretty satiric movie. Back in 1980s, Pakistan people were being discriminated by the British. However in the movie, Nasser, a Pakistan businessman, owned a launderette which earns money from the British instead of the other way round. Satirically, Nasser also has a mistress, named Rachel, who is a British instead of a Pakistan. Tanya, daughter of Nasser who later on found out Rachel , tell Rachel that she does not mind her father having a mistress and use her father¡¦s money. Omar, niece of Nasser, who worked in the launderette as a manager, met Johnny one night when he was being disturbed by a group of racist gang. Johnny is a British young man who actually belongs to the gang, he knew Omar because they were old school friends. Omar asked Johnny to help in the launderette. The most satiric part of the movie is that Omar and Johnny are homosexual lovers. Homosexuality was considered to be unacceptable in those days. Other than that Omar and Johnny are different in race. The film shows the audiences two groups of people. First is the people who reject the British community, second is the people who accept the British community. The first group of people have traditional, conservative, and stubborn mind. Omar¡¦s father belongs to this group. He is a journalist and political activist. He thinks that he doesn¡¦t belong to Britain and he hated Britain. He lives in poverty and lie on the bed all day doing nothing. Nasser and Omar belong to the second group. Nasser adapted himself into the British society and learned to live with it. He then became a successful businessman who owned a launderette and a car cleaning service company. Omar chose to follow Nasser to involve in the business field instead of being what his father wanted him to be, which was to get into college. He convinced Nasser to let him redecorate the launderette and he succeeded in attracting more customers.
Rating:
Summary: A Satiric Movie
Review: I think ¡§My Beautiful Launderette¡¨ is a pretty satiric movie. Back in 1980s, Pakistan people were being discriminated by the British. However in the movie, Nasser, a Pakistan businessman, owned a launderette which earns money from the British instead of the other way round. Satirically, Nasser also has a mistress, named Rachel, who is a British instead of a Pakistan. Tanya, daughter of Nasser who later on found out Rachel , tell Rachel that she does not mind her father having a mistress and use her father¡¦s money. Omar, niece of Nasser, who worked in the launderette as a manager, met Johnny one night when he was being disturbed by a group of racist gang. Johnny is a British young man who actually belongs to the gang, he knew Omar because they were old school friends. Omar asked Johnny to help in the launderette. The most satiric part of the movie is that Omar and Johnny are homosexual lovers. Homosexuality was considered to be unacceptable in those days. Other than that Omar and Johnny are different in race. The film shows the audiences two groups of people. First is the people who reject the British community, second is the people who accept the British community. The first group of people have traditional, conservative, and stubborn mind. Omar¡¦s father belongs to this group. He is a journalist and political activist. He thinks that he doesn¡¦t belong to Britain and he hated Britain. He lives in poverty and lie on the bed all day doing nothing. Nasser and Omar belong to the second group. Nasser adapted himself into the British society and learned to live with it. He then became a successful businessman who owned a launderette and a car cleaning service company. Omar chose to follow Nasser to involve in the business field instead of being what his father wanted him to be, which was to get into college. He convinced Nasser to let him redecorate the launderette and he succeeded in attracting more customers.
Rating:
Summary: "My Beautiful Laundrette" Delivers the Goods
Review: I've been waiting a very long time to be able to add Stephen Frears' wonderful, independent film "My Beautiful Laundrette" to my DVD collection. I'm overjoyed to once again view this well written, 'slice of life' comedy/drama. The movie casts a sharp and critical, socio-political, eye on Margret Thatcher's England of the 1980's.In the film we meet Omar (Gordon Warnecke) a young man, who is a poor relation to a wealthy Pakistani family, living in England.Omar's rather unscrupulous, Uncle (Saeed Jaffrey)decides to do him a favor and take him into the family business.He allows Omar to make a go of an old, broken down, laundrette, which is blithley described as a "toilet".At first Omar seems quiet, polite and attenative. But as the film goes on we find out, that he is quite a character. He isn't one to just push a broom around and watch the laundrette fail.He has big dreams for both the establishment and his financial future.Omar enlists the help of his white, working class, pal and gay lover, Johnny (brilliantly played by a young, Daniel Day-Lewis)to make the future happen now.Together the two craftily (and illegally) finance and fix up, what can only be described as the 'Disneyland' of Laundrettes.Director,Stephen Frear's movie humoursly presents Omar's speedy rise into the business world.But it is also rather melancholic in tone and touches on a variety of serious subjects, which includes everything from politics to race relations to economic policy. The cast of the movie is fantastic and the standouts include Saeed Jaffrey as Omar's amoral, Uncle Nasser and Roshan Seth as his socialist, alcholic father. Daniel Day-Lewis is superb in his star making, nuanced performance as a gay, working class, tough guy.The DVD remaster of the film is adequate, but has little in extras. It is a movie that is just begging for a director's commentary!"My Beautiful Laundrette" is a wonderfully entertaining film, which leaves the viewer with plenty to think about. Highly recommended!
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