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Brick Lane

1 disc
Region 1 USA/CA (info)

Adapted from Monica Ali's acclaimed debut novel, BRICK LANE is a poignant study of Islamic identity and the power of personal liberation. The film begins with a teenaged Nazneen and her sister sharing a simple but idyllic life in rural Bangladesh. But when their melancholy mother commits suicide, Nazneen is married off to Chanu (Satish Kaushik), a portly older businessman living in London's East End. There, Nazneen (Tannishtha Chatterjee) is relegated to a deferential domestic existence in the Islamic household she shares with Chanu and their culturally assimilated daughters (Naeema Begum and Lana Rahman). But when Chanu quits his job out of pride, Nazneen's efforts to bring income into the house lead to an affair with the charismatic Karim (Christopher Simpson). Their forbidden love is put to the test when the terrorist attacks of 9/11 polarize the world and compel Karim to become an Islamic activist. With Karim proposing marriage and Chanu pushing to move the family to Bangladesh, Nazneen must choose between marital obedience, following her passions, or forging her own path of independence. Director Sarah Gavron brings a graceful sensitivity to her first feature-length film, finding a noble beauty in the plight and emancipation of the film's heroine. Critically lauded in England, BRICK LANE is a moving personal saga of faith, family, and the struggles between and within cultures.
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- Rating - for some sexuality and brief strong language
Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): SPE26171
Credits

Tannishtha Chatterjee, Satish Kaushik, Christopher Simpson
Critic Reviews

3 stars out of 5 -- "Monica Ali's best-selling novel about life in London's Bangladeshi quarter gets a sensitive treatment from director Sarah Gavron, deftly condensing its sprawling narrative without sacrificing colour or texture."
Total Film
4 stars out of 5 -- "[The] well-drawn characters help make this an involving portrait of a community whose patriarchal traditions are under threat."
Empire
"BRICK LANE is an interior story about a personal journey of self-discovery..."
Sight and Sound
"Chatterjee gives a warm, supple performance..."
Box Office
4 stars out of 5 -- "Quietly powerful, thanks to the restraint of its cast and the strength of its ideas, BRICK LANE is a gentle giant that will hopefully introduce a whole new generation to Ali's great novel."
Ultimate DVD
"A sensitive and occasionally poetic film, BRICK LANE is an absorbing tale of personal empowerment and emotional growth."
USA Today