Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

valis1949 MY SON THE FANATIC examines the varying degrees to which members of a Muslim family view the magnitude of their religion. The twist to this tale is that it is not the parents who proclaim a more traditional approach, but it is their only son who becomes 'Born Again' in Allah. This young college student falls under the influence of a Pakistani religious figure, and begs his parents to sponsor this man and bring him to their English home. Soon, Farid has discarded his English girlfriend who is the daughter of a prominent town official, and adopts a life of prayer and study. Parvez, the boy's father, has lived happily, but not all that successfully, in Britain for over twenty five years by putting in long hours behind the wheel of a cab. He has, if not embraced, but most certainly accepted many of the decadent ways of the west, and in his tiny basement study, he relaxes with American Jazz and nips at a bottle of scotch. He is basically estranged from his wife, and strikes up a friendship with a local prostitute, and helps organize her clients. Soon, he finds himself falling in love with her. The whole dysfunctional social-familial network collapses when the fundamentalist Muslim group, energized by the new leader, tries to rid the town of the 'ladies of the night'. Many parts of this film are moving and affecting, but never sentimental. Both the relationship between the cab driver and the young prostitute, and the strained, yet engaging love that Parvez has for his son, are deeply touching. One of my favorite parts of this film deals with a novel way that the end of the film is structured. Although the movie has ended, and the credits have begun to roll, the action continues and we watch as the forlorn cab driver turns on every light in his empty house, and sips whiskey on the stairway while listening to Jazz. I thought this was an extremely clever way to end the film which created a kind of 'emotional after-image'.

gradyharp MY SON THE FANATIC is a small scale film made in 1998 about the problems of cross culture assimilation between Pakistanis and the British - or rather between Muslim and Christian - that packs a powerful punch in the understanding of current clashes similar to the film's story that are so keenly in focus today. Based on a short story by Hanif Kureishi (who also adapted the story to a screenplay) and directed by the highly respected Udayan Prasad, this film is blessed with a fine cast of actors who make some of the more improbable aspects quite warmly credible.Parvez (the always fine Om Puri) slept through his Muslim education in Pakistan and moved to England with his wife Minoo (Gopi Desai) where he has been a taxi cab driver for 25 years while his co-immigrants such as his best friend Fizzy (Harish Patel) have become rich entrepreneurs. Parvez and Minoo have a young son Farid (Akbar Kurtha) who is a bit unsettled as a Pakistani adjusting to life in capitalistic England and has found a girlfriend Madeline (Sarah-Jane Potts) who happens to be the daughter of the Chief Police Inspector Fingerhut (Geoffrey Bateman). Despite the fact that Parvez and his wife would prefer Farid marry a Pakistani girl they consent to an engagement party, a turning point for the politically tenuous Farid. When Farid observes how the Fingerhut family snubs his Pakistani parents and background he explodes and instead joins a fundamentalist Muslim group, pledging his life to stamping out porn, drugs, evil, etc.Parvez attempts reconciliation with his wildly fanatical son but the only person with whom he can communicate is a hooker named Bettina/Sandra (Rachel Griffiths) who has a heart of gold and is only in the Profession to make enough money to become a teacher. Parvez is a driver for a pimp service and he is assigned to escort a wealthy smarmy German Schitz (Stellan Skarsgård) through a series of encounters, encounters that involve Bettina among others. But along the way Bettina softens to Parvez, listens to his anguish about his son, and eventually becomes Parvez' paramour. When Farid's fundamentalist group is attacking the brothel where Bettina works he discovers his father's situation and is enraged: Parvez, Farid and Minoo must come to an understanding - and it is this manner of coping that provides a very touching ending to the film.The story holds its own as a movie, but the underlying content is pungent, intelligent, perceptive, insightful and very cogent. Each member of the cast is excellent but Om Puri proves once again that he can carry a film with a questionable character strongly on his shoulders. Not only is this a fine little comedy drama to watch, it also provides some serious food for thought. Grady Harp

gmc75 After hearing about the terrible London blasts, which happened just a few days ago, the first thing which came to my mind was this movie. I watched a few years ago and loved it. Doubtless, I don't agree with B24: this is not a comedy at all, and it's nothing to share with "East is East". This movie is extremely forward-looking, not only because it – somehow – anticipated the "Clash of Civilization", but also because it gives you an extremely good description of all the difficulties that the first generation of Western-born people have to face.The character has to face reality: he is sure that he will never be able to be a real British (Western) citizen: despite his father's efforts and open-mind, the guy is too young to realize that if you don't accept yourself first, you will hardly find out people ready to welcome you. This is why he finds it more convenient (and much easier) to be surrounded by other Pakistani people. Among all the characters, the portrait of the "Imam" is very good: he is shown as an hypocritical man, always ready to blame the West, but still living in the UK, where he can get anything he wants: women, sex, movies… all those same things that – he says – are supposed to represent our flaws. But perhaps these people must forget something: despite their words, we're not afraid!

dpmoretti In light of 9-11, this movie is even more timely than when it first came out. The clashing of consumerism and religious fanaticism is on all our minds. This movie's even handed approach and willingness to show both sides places the viewer on an swerving ideological journey. And Om Puri and Rachel Griffiths give remarkable performances. A must see.