West Meets West

West Meets West

This film has not yet opened but expect to see it in a few weeks. I saw it at a fund raising preview and highly recommend putting it on your list. It features the same cast as the film East Meets East.

We first meet this interesting family in their row housing unit in Manchester. Father is from Pakistan. Mother is a warm loving English lady from Manchester. The main character is their son. He suffers at school because of his Pakistan connection. The ruffians at school put his head in the toilet and call him names. As a result he skips school all the time. He also is belligerent and very rude to his parents. The audience laughs and it is funny the way it is all portrayed. Underneath the surface it is very upsetting and the issues are so obvious. The mixed backgrounds added to the son’s confusion. The communication between the teenager and the parents brings up memories for any parent. The father decides to take him to Pakistan to meet his family so that he will better understand his heritage.

The film is very funny but underlying it all is a lot of sadness and pathos. Trying to combine two cultures is not as easy as it may seem.

The young boy is immediately a misfit in Pakistan as he wears his English tailored suit. He didn’t seem to take it off for at least half of the picture.

In Pakistan we discover that the father has a first wife. She hasn’t seen him for 30 years since he left for England. There are now grown children. My heart ached for the poor woman. One night she enters the room of her husband and tries to get into bed with him. Once again she is rejected.

The husband begins to realize the pain felt by this woman. She quietly goes about her work and looks after all his needs (except one) and never complains.

He builds her a better house and tries to cement relationships amongst his first family members. Slowly changes take place and understanding develops .the young English boy meets a friend. They share many interests. Eventually the English suit is set apart and the traditional Pakistani clothing is adapted. It actually looked so much more comfortable and was better suited for that parched sandy terrain.

What a surprise when the English wife and her best lady friend arrive for a visit. The friend is a caricature of a cockney lower class woman. She adds so much humor. The two wives eye each other with suspicion.

I found the film to be refreshing even though it was touching on some serious and often painful issues. Through the humor you get the message. It was a delightful and thought provoking. Do watch for the opening in late March.