Good idea lost in the noise

Dreadfully Boring

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

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'.

Unremittingly difficult to sit through this one. Whoever finds any comic relief in its minor ironies ("Fingerhut," "Mr. Shits," etc.) is just not concentrating on the main theme. This is a film about people living out their lives in more or less distinct states of alienation from those around them as well as from their own self-concepts. As with all such stories, there is nothing to laugh about.Be that as it may, the actors and the direction are first-rate. While nothing much happens to develop plot, a great deal comes into view in progressively more intimate sketches that delineate character and advance one's awareness of just how "out of synch" everyone is. Central to appreciating it all is how easily universal values of love, compassion, integrity, and objectivity come unstuck when someone heeds the call of looking for greener pastures.Specifically, the problem of ambitious people moving out of their native countries to find a better life elsewhere is one that we find in history and literature from the beginning of time. And even more specifically, the clash of one culture or religion with another -- together with elements of racism and competition -- are certainly nothing new to cinematic representations. This is a kind of story with neither end nor beginning, only one bitter scene fading into another.A very dark film indeed.

When Parez's son Farid gets engaged to the daughter of Chief Inspector Fingerhut it is the proudest moment of his life. Outside of this beacon of progress, Parez lives in a darker world as a taxi driver, who's main client is a prostitute called Bettina who services Johns in the back of his cab at times. While he becomes closer in his friendship to Bettina, he also introduces her to a new client (businessman Mr Schitz). His drinking increases and his empty life is exposed when Farid turns his back on his fiancé and his western life to study with a fundamentalist Islamic movement in the town.With a title and a plot that suggested a look into the family dynamics as a Pakistani boy born in the west turns to a more extreme side of his new religion. This aspect is a part of the film and, given recent events it is an interesting aspect but this film is more of a character study of Parvez who finds himself lost in the middle of the two extremes – his son's new religion and the religion of sex and debauchery as revealed to him by Mr Schitz. In the middle of these two lines and increasingly unsure of where he stands, Parez finds himself alone and looking at a life where he sinks ever further into his alcohol-driven depression, with the few moment he finds pleasure all turned into further depression by the views of others. It doesn't all hang together as well as I would have liked but Parez's story is consistently engaging and he as a character is very interesting. The story speaks generally about his struggle with his life: rejection by his son, disgust from his peers, a job going nowhere, a life of no pleasure. Parez blinds himself to so much and this is shown from the very first moment of the film where the Fingerhuts register only disapproval at him and his family.The subplots are not just used to contrast with one another; they are also interesting in their own right. Some of it doesn't totally work but it all functions well together with the hub of the film being Parez. If we had not felt for him then all the rest of this film would have come tumbling down but luckily the script writs his drifting personality very well and it is impossible not to sympathies with him even if we have not lived enough to totally empathise. With this script working for the character it also greatly helps that an actor like Puri is there to deliver it. As is so often the case, Puri delivers a great performance and really does the writing justice. He is the core of the film and it is one of his best performances. Unfortunately he is not as well supported, even if everyone is OK. Griffiths was a surprise find but her accent is not as good as her American one in Six Feet Under. Her performance is a bit dry and lacking character, she certainly didn't really convince me that she was a working girl on the cold streets of a northern town. Skarsgard is another strange find and he has little to do – his character is a bit empty because he is given an extreme to portray and that is what he does. Kurtha is OK as he makes his 'extreme' a little more accessible and real. Desai is in the background but she is good in her role. Generally the supporting cast are good and are realistic representatives of the Pakistani community but the film totally belongs to Puri, who is about as good as I've seen him here.Overall this is a good film mainly because Parez holds it all together. He is a well-written character but he is also really well delivered by Puri. With such a good character at the core the rest falls in place despite some weaknesses and the end result is a film that is occasionally amusing but manages to be much better as Parez's story – interesting, engaging and surprisingly moving. It may not be perfect but it is a film that is worth seeing and worth finding.

Hanif Kureshi recently adapted his book 'The Buddah Of Suburbia' for television and it was un-watchable. Not because it was bad but because the action and dialogue was so true to life it was too uncomfortable to keep your eyes on. We are not used to reality on tv. One of the Brit pack of new directors stated that they are the generation that hate Merchant Ivory and Hanif Kureshi but I know which will last, although I can live without Ivory.Kureshi has long been a fierce critic of Islamic Fundamentalism but not being Pakistani myself, I have no idea how accurate his portrayal of immigrant life in this country is but I can tell you that his handling of women is less assured. This mostly fine film ends just when the narrative is getting going, leaving you with a moving sense of pathos about the lead character but that's no criticism. It's better that you are left asking more questions than being hit with an over long film bludgeoning you with too many answers.