Dirty Pretty Things

Director: Stephen Frears
Cast: Audrey Tautou, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sergi Lopez, Sophie Okonedo, 
Genre: Drama 2002
Running time: 97 mins.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

A harrowing tale of struggle and survival for two immigrants, who learn that everything is for sale in London's secret underworld! Part of an invisible working class, Nigerian exile Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Turkish chambermaid Senay (Audrey Tautou) toil at a west London hotel that is full of illegal activity. Then late one night, a prostitute eludes that someone should check the room, she was just in. Okwe goes to handle the problem himself and makes a shocking discovery, which creates an impossible dilemma and tests the limits of all they know!

What's enjoyable about this film is its simplicity. It doesn't force the themes or the background of the characters. Everything is revealed slowly and organically. Ejiofor's facial subtleties are as powerful as the words he speak. The mixture of his presence and Tautou's bring a realness to their characters. You can follow the story they tell and their struggle to survive in a city that they are not legally allowed to be in. Ejiofor's portrays a genuine, good-hearted man trying to move on from his past, but finding it hard to  so with his hotel employer, who has a "what no one knows, won't kill them" attitude and never let him forget that he is an illegal alien. And though, Audrey Tautou gives an amazing performance and is best known for her role in Amelie, Chiwetel Ejiofor steals the screen, almost in the same manner as the incomparable Sidney Poitier.  Nevertheless, the horrors that the two must face throughout the film is heart-wrenching!

The strong contrast of warm and cool colors beautifully guides the storyline, along with the music score. This is a very well-thought out film and a worth while see. Themes of survival, struggle, the importance of staying true to yourself, and the value of friendship.