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The recent 'Britgrit' discussions around Billy Elliot, popular cinema, and style / content which saw some ranking of filmmakers, provokes me to inject my appreciation of Steven Frears' DIRTY PRETTY THINGS. This film seems to me to be a fine example of a serious director achieving a mature post-colonial portrait of the condition of a normally unseen section of British populace, and is a welcome further example in Frears' interest in scripts which make unusual and inciteful connections between peoples from a wide range of origins living in Britain. I came out of the multiplex having watched the film with my multiorigined family, plus three other local viewers, into a cold, wet afternoon in East Yorkshire, and felt I had seen a statement about life in London which rings true. And while the neatness of the justice and delivery to something approaching a happy ending delivered a suprise and welcome catharsis after watching the sustained stressful condition of the main characters, this story-telling convention in no way supressed the main substance of the film which dealt with the condition of asylum-seekers and illegals in Britain. The credit for work done in digital post-production came as a welcome suprise. It was suitably invisible. Chris Menges' cinematography and associated lighting was as impressive as ever and I noticed another (presumed) Menges family credit as focus puller - another great career in the making, hopefully. The script sparkled with knowledge and the casting and performances were excellent. Like Mike Leigh's SECRETS AND LIES, it was such a pleasure to see persons of colour cast as heroes in substantial stories directed with care in every shot. Rare pleasures. David Woods HOLCUS Hull