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