Screen Scenes: Dirty Pretty Things

Christopher Saroki
Published: Monday, July 28, 2003

“Dirty Pretty Things”

If you have any desire to live your life in ignorant bliss, do not watch this movie. “Dirty Pretty Things” is a dive into cold, harsh reality. The film follows two immigrants who get caught up in the London underground. Senay (Audrey Tautou) and Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor) struggle in a world of sweatshops, prostitution and murder. The world director Stephen Frears creates combines romance, humor and gritty realism. By contrast, the world most of us live in feels like a dream. Tautou, star of “Amelie,” makes her English-language movie debut playing the Turkish Senay. She’s the Reese Witherspoon of France – the audience can’t help but find her adorable. She acts opposite Ejiofor, a British-born Nigerian who plays an insomniac fugitive with a will that’s almost unbreakable. The screenplay, penned by Steve Knight, sets up two of the saddest scenes in film history, but ends on an uplifting note. Like “Amelie,” the movie has a deeper meaning: if you stick to your morals, you will be happy. Frears blends a diverse set of characters, each with a unique accent and background. The movie manages to make a point without resorting to preachiness. The actors become real people, and the audience grows to know, love and hate them over the course of the movie. The cinematography is as sharp as the dialogue. Not a word is wasted in this movie. Despite the fairly graphic scenes, watching “Dirty Pretty Things” is by no means difficult. So many different elements come together into a cohesive story and make it a great experience.