Here was a 2:45 a.m. thought: Why doesn’t Daniel Day-Lewis wait and retire after doing Lincoln one more time for a George Saunders inspired Lincoln in the Bardo inspired film?
At any rate, the minute I heard DDL was retiring I decided I needed to go back and see a film I had never seen. I chose My Beautiful Laundrette from 1985, nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay (Hanif Kureishi, most recently wrote Le Weekend which I enjoyed, and never saw Venus with Peter O’Toole, oh the movies I need to see!). My Beautiful Laundrette was directed by Stephen Frears (Philomena! The Program, a Lance Armstorng film, what happened to that, never heard of it, will seek it out!)
I understand that My Beautiful Laundrette was a break out movie for DDL and astonishingly honest at a time when people feared homosexuality. And I realize this is still sadly true (cake bakers, get over it!). What also still rings true is the ethno-class conflict between London natives and immigrants (in this case Pakistanis). Why is it that many movies portray Londoners as violent ruffians? Is it stereotype or true? I guess I have two polar opposite impressions of people in England: bad teeth, foul mouthed ruffians, aka Pygmalion OR genteel wimps aka the royal family as well as anyone with wealth, Hugh Grant, etc.
Though I will say a woman I work with currently from London does not fit either of those types, in fact, she is the smartest, most level headed, but also very creative and soulful person I have met in Sarasota. Kate (her name) has even taken to giving me advice on where to meet like minded people, which I will duly begin (with confidence in her opinion) after the holiday.
“Get to the movie review!” you scream. Ok, ok, the movie was well done in showing ethnic and class conflict. Of course, it was interesting to see one of DDL’s first films and his punk look. The movie certainly didn’t do Pakistani’s any favor, portraying them as depraved, money hungry mobsters. Likewise, the British toughies were portrayed as ignorant lazy d-bags. Our main character, Omar, played by Gordon Warnecke, was supposed to be this naive Pakistani kid, which he does pull off, yet his acting is a bit wooden, and maybe why he continues to do tv with not too much fame or accolades.
And I’ll be frank, I couldn’t watch the end. I can only guess, that Omar gets killed, either by the London toughies or his d-bag cousin. I knew the movie was headed for a very violent end and to be brutally honest (the only type of brutal I allow), I can not do violence any longer. I get enough scrolling to a channel where I witness UFC or insert-crime-drama-title-here. ENOUGH! If people want to start resisting something really threatening, let’s start with violent images for children: RESIST VIOLENT IMAGES. There, there’s your new bumper sticker. When people have taken to beating to death tortoises: real news:http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/local/search-continues-for-person-or-people-responsible-for-beating-to/article_a2a7a3c0-5adb-11e7-ba38-13ebfa0f997c.html…then we have to start looking at how this depravity evolves. Seriously.
So feel free to do a spoiler for me, tell me how this movie ended. Omar dies, right? And the beginning of the film was actually the circular ending of the film, where DDL winds up back with his London toughies in a sad alcoholic, squatter lifestyle. “Wonderful.” (chagrined).
Hang in there DDL and do one more Lincoln (for the Bardo) for the road.
