Review of East Is East (1916) by Fiv - — 02 Dec 2009

I agree it's highly overrated and nowhere close to being either an amazing film or a good comedy. It's simply a rarity, to many film viewers of the West, to see a film like this one make it into quasi-mainstream (i.e. smaller theatres, primary dvd distribution, airline distribution) and the perceived sheer novelty of an idea makes this a notable film for them.

To some extent, this is true. There aren't many meta-narratives done about the conflict between second-generation X ethnic group and their parents. Especially not in film. In literature, this has been done over and over again.

Combining this niche with a few well-picked elements - the X ethnic group being the Pakistani, an ethnicity that's both often misunderstood and ostracized; the setting being one of low-income British suburbia - and there's certainly a recipe for some fun to be had.

But it's still a mediocre film. Too coarse, too undeveloped, too unrefined. It makes for interesting cultural observations for those for whom it is novel. It also makes for a horrendous watch for those for whom it is not.