This commentary is part of an ongoing series discussing British films that you may have missed.
The long-overdue sequel to 1999's quirky Brit comedy-drama "East Is East" hit theaters this month to mixed reactions. Some had expectations of an in-depth insight into British Muslims and Pakistanis, which drove the plot in the first film. This sequel instead serves to simply provide light entertainment and warm humor and bring Asian culture again to British audiences.
"East is East" is a rich comedy that started out as a play back in 1996, first at the Birmingham Repertoire Theatre, then in London on a sell-out tour. It made its way to the big screen in 1999, winning the Alexander Korda award for Best British Film at the BAFTAs that same year.
The first film introduced chip-shop owner and family patriarch George Khan (Om Puri), who encounters many problems trying to bring up his seven strongly independent children in the traditional Pakistani Muslim way. He also battles his British wife, Ella (Linda Bassett), who tries to keep the peace between her formidable and angry husband and the wayward children.
The eldest son runs out on the day of his arranged marriage, putting so much shame on the family that George declares him "dead" to anyone who inquires after his whereabouts. This adds further fuel to his quest to force his children to adhere to tradition and regain what he sees as a sense of decency and moral upstanding for the family. During a series of hilarious events, the children do everything to fight this during a series of hilarious events while Ella does everything she can to mediate the two. However, we also learn that George has a wife and children back in Pakistan whom he abandoned before coming to England. This is a constant sore point for Ella, which she frequently uses against him.
"West is West" is set five years after the events in the first film, and the family is much diminished. The runt of the family, Sajid (Aqib Khan), is racially bullied on the playground and still forced to adhere to Pakistani tradition at home by his overbearing father. After Sajid is caught shoplifting, George decides to take him on a trip to Pakistan to stay with wife number one (Ila Arun) in the hopes that immersing him in a true Pakistani family will "sort him out," but Ella soon makes a surprise visit, causing friction between everyone.
A newcomer to the saga as "East is East" was directed by Damien O'Donnell (2002's "Heartlands" and 2004's "Inside I'm Dancing"), Andy DeEmmony also directs his first feature film. His previous directorial work is rooted in TV movies and series, two of which are cornerstones of British television comedy — "Father Ted" (for which he won a BAFTA) and "Red Dwarf" (for which he won an Emmy).
DeEmmony’s background in directing highly successful and well-known British TV comedy series is coupled well with writer Ayub Khan Din’s real-life experiences that were injected into his screenplays for both films. The 10-year gap between the two films was deliberate. He didn’t want to ride on the wave of the success of "East is East" but started the screenplay some years later. In an interview with BBC Manchester, he said that he wanted to take the humor, emotion and strong characters and place them in a “broader emotional canvas." His mother, father, childhood self and elements of his eight brothers and two sisters were included in the Khan family. He was also in trouble a lot when he was younger and sent to Pakistan by his father in an effort to set him right.
This director/writer combination should serve up the same batch of witty, fresh humor that the first film did so well. However, it seems to lack the same appeal and shine 11 years later, and it seems as though this sequel is simply a rehashing of the first.
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