My Beautiful Laundrette

A bit bad, but a bit good. MBL shares more interesting ideas than culture-clash with films like Do The Right Thing. The whole film feels like an insular bubble; a social sample study forced to flirt with magic-realism. The spell is subtly broken by a train, as though characters can penetrate reality should they wish to forsake the madness of fiction. But I remained, escaping, and was duly charmed and endeared.

Certainly an original film. I liked its indie sensibility and its solid performances. Also, the character development was very steady and deep.... but what was the deal with that ending?! WTF? Did they run out of money or something to tie up the loose ends? And what's with the random bits of surrealism? They really didn't fit the overall realistic tenor of the movie at all. Still and all, it was ok... it told an interesting story well on an obviously limited budget.

Not bad.

I didn't really get this.

Lovely to see the young DD Lewis in this sweet punk performance. I enjoyed the socio-political subthemes threaded into the story.

Low key but endearing social commentary is slightly frustrating in its disinterest in reaching a resolution - but this also enhances its charms, as the story unfolds in genuinely original and unpredictable ways, dissecting the notion of what it means to be 'different' and alienated; be it the conflict between straight/gay, Pakistani/British, old/young etc. Aided by fine performances, especially from Day-Lewis, and a wonderfully sad and touching performance from Field in support.

The performances are good, but the writing is trying to balance the grand and the mundane and misses the mark. The small moments feel shoehorned in while the bigger ones feel trite, and so much feels like it's just showing off but underdeveloped. It really hammers on the setting, the race relations and economic tension, but has little to say about these things.

Had some small problems with character consistency, but overall unique & enjoyable.

Good indie feel in a film that provides an interesting look at the Pakistani community in London and a good early performances by Daniel D. Lewis.

Amazingly quirky and challenging (for its time). Strong career forming performances from both leads with real insight into the time in which it was set. Typically unhesitating direction make this a little gem!

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Social and economic inequality are the big themes of British flicks from the '80's and '90's, but this one manages to be charming anyway.

One of Daniel Day-Lewis' early triumphs, this film showcases his snarling cynicism, not unlike that of Norton in American History X. Yet it also shows his ability to convey tenderness and vulnerability, all of which supersedes a rickety plot.

i would've hated this 10 years ago

An interesting, off-beat type of movie. Probably not for everyone, but I thought it enjoyable.

84.500

Interesting to see young Daniel Day Lewis as a low class chav-y punk the same year as a posh aristocrat in A Room with a View. Mostly a snooze besides that, with basically no ending at that, like the end Monty Python Holy Grail or something. Insert some stuff here pretending I know fucking anything about 80s working class London culture clash and the Thatcher era and can comment on how this movie comments on that when I definitely can’t lol

subverts expectations. (also makes me think about 'crazy rich asians')

Pakistanlı göçmen bir aile, yeğenine, çamaşırhanesini teslim ediyor. İngiltere'nin varoş sokaklarında geçen bir hikaye. Zenginlerin görgüsüzlüğü, fakirlerin kendi çıkarlarına göre hareket etmesini anlatmışlar. İlişkilerin ise dejenere ile aşk arasında gidip gelmiş. Cinsel hazın en doruklarında bir film. Filmin sonunda düşüp kalksalar da aşk kazanıyor. Ben senin çamaşır makinen. Çorabı gömleği toplayan temizleyen.

Estreava há 35 anos em Londres. Esse é um filme à frente de seu tempo, em plena era Thatcher de profundo reacionarismo econômico e social na Inglaterra, plus no auge da epidemia de AIDS, fazer um filme que lida com os males do neoliberalismo, racismo e manter um casal homossexual com final feliz era um passo grande na Inglaterra da época. Se tirarmos o final feliz pode-se encontrar alguns pontos de semelhança com Fassbinder na questão política das coisas. DVD OP do Cinema

82.875

I don't think I have seen this since I saw it in the theater in 1985. What played as extremely daring back then plays less so now, obviously through no fault of the film. I guess I'm trying to say ... I was a bit underwhelmed this time, but that's probably because I loved this in 1985 and my expectations were inflated.

Returning to it 20 years later, I was surprised to find its romantic depiction of a gay relationship between a homeless bleached-blond former fascist & a young aspiring Pakistani entrepreneur as fresh & refreshing as I remembered it. Set against the backdrop of a South London neighborhood during the Thatcher years & among burgeoning anti-immigrant sentiment, it nevertheless left in my mind a strong feeling of hope. Among Day-Lewis' best & warmest performances before he started showing off.

My Beautiful Laundrette is fast and all over the place because it has so much to say, and show, including a highly watchable fresh-faced Daniel Day-Lewis.

A great example of a working-class queer film. More please.

I thought the character of Salim was the most interesting.

There are a lot of well-meaning points made regarding culture clashes, the pain of hidden love, and the burden of familial obligation. It's not the acknowledgment of the economic doldrums of Thatcher's England that tag this as a mid-eighties British production, it's the earnest hesitancy with which it addresses all of its potentially combustible concerns. Instead of wrenching the drama out of it all, it's just politely tipping its hat to the audience.