South London, of the 1980's, the city being reconfigured by the Thatcherite “revolution” and the social tensions, and seen through the eyes of the Asian community My Beautiful Laundrette tells the story of the unlikely romance between a working-class British thug and a first-generation Pakistani entrepreneur.
Omar (Gordon Warnecke) is sent away by his disillusioned alcoholic father, still unable to get over his wife's suicide, to go work for Omar's Uncle Nasser, a successful businessman. Taking on the challenge Omar soon rises to accept Nasser's proposition that he begin his business career by reviving a down on its luck laundrette.
The laundrette offers all kinds of opportunities for Omar -- lucrative, romantic and ultimately, utopian. Enter Johnny (Daniel Day Lewis) when Johnny's skinhead street gang terrorized Omar's uncle Nasser. Johnny is a former friend with implications of more from their past. No matter how their re-acquaintance came about it is obvious there's still a palpable connection between Omar and Johnny. In fact, it's true love. Together they work to make the laundrette the best they can think it can be. Johnny helping Omar to manage and renovate the peeling walls, bubbling washers and useless public phone booth turning the forgotten and neglected in something beautiful. Much like they do for the other.
With a unconventionality, charm, wit, combined with a grittiness look it touches on virtually every thread of race, class, and capital in the British social fabric while telling a love story of two young men who are not only lovers and supposed adversaries in race, and class, finding themselves not belonging to anyone except each other.
Couple of thoughts:
Do Omar and Johnny truly fall in love for the first time this time? Or do they fall back in love? Rekindling something that once was either fleeting or maybe experimental phases in the their lives? Did they let themselves be open this time to the feelings before?
Do you think who does the wash and for whom and what can and cannot be washed and by the laundrette itself was symbolic of economic setting, social and sexual oppression, mobility and class, desire to dream, and potential equity?
My Beautiful Laundrette - British Film Guide
One thing that I thought was interesting about Laundrette is that no character that is truly good or truly bad.
ReplyDeleteThey are opportunistic, idealistic and amoral. That's make the movie not only interesting but gives it realism.
Flynet has video
ReplyDeleteHere it comes, the beginning of the Reeke invasion. Surprising that we didn't have a coffee/shopping run first thing this morning. Guess Reese is trying to show that Jake slept over her house cause they went jogging first thing in the morning.
ReplyDeleteSorry, didn't realize they went jogging in the afternoon. My bad. They're still both phony though.
ReplyDeleteI loved Omar and Johnny for all their back and forth stuff. Seems they had quite a history together. Loved to see the tenderness between them and how they seemed to feel free with it for the most part. Omar was the one who pulled back from Johnny when the going got rough with this family.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't able to watch my DVD again as it's at home and I'm back in the city. Will try and stay tuned in with the rest of the discussion.
I always found MBL to be more about the class system among minorities in England during the 80s Thatcherism and less about the love story between Johnny and Omar. I think the film treated their story as secondary and really not that big a deal versus being a minority and getting ahead in a country where getting ahead is difficult in the best of times.
ReplyDeleteStill, one of my favorite films.
This is a film I truly enjoyed, even back when I first saw when it first came out. As a film buff, I loved the raw, gritty depiction of real complicated people, dealing with class and political issues as well as homosexuality, displayed in foreign films. A big contrast to the glitz and glamour, good vs bad of hollywood films.
ReplyDeleteThe scene where Omar walks from the car straight to Johnny, despite the danger, to me reveals that they had a prior relationship. Probably consumated based on the kiss that comes next. I loved how they showed their ups and downs- Omar treats Johnny badly but Johnny can't leave him. Omar can't forget how Johnny did not defend Pakis, but can't resist yeilding his neck to Johnny's kiss in the laundramat while they wait for the opening.
This is the first time we see Daniel Day Lewis on film, I think. He commands the screen. He was not afraid to take risks. Licking Omars neck, pouring champagne from his mouth to Omars - very hot stuff for the times. But, also evidence of an actor willing to do what it takes for a part. An actor, not a movie star.
Quite a lot going on in this film. They wrestle with their realtionship- staying in via a sham marriage - but in the end Omar is willing to take the beating when he throws his body between Johnny and the hoods and ultimately choosing Johnny. Done in a much more subtle way than a Hollywood film, but very romantic nevertheless.
I really enjoyed this film what
ReplyDeletewith the scenes in the laundromat
where Omar's uncle and his mistress danced and Omar and Johnny made love in the office. I
also thought that both girls and
boys liked to kiss Omar-what with
his cousin kissing him and pulling
her shirt up! I thought the drug
running was dangerous! But that is
youth-when you are that age, you
really think that you can do anything! It was an excellent film! I think Johnny and Omar had
a previous relationship! It was
really a treat of a film! About
Jake, I hope that he does what makes him happy! Sometimes I think
that he sees BOTH Reese and Austin.
I just wish that he could have been honest about Reese. There are
times I have doubts about Baby
Tile. I hope if the baby is so, I
just hope that he or she is happy
healthy and beautiful! I think that it will be January 2009 before I get to go back to work.
Times are bad everywhere, but I
guess the thing to do is to just
be thankful we are alive and every
day is a blessing if you just wake
up! MBL is really a great movie.
The actor who played Omar really
was handsome and looked great in
those jeans!!! Johnny was well played by Daniel Day-Lewis. So
sorry for such a long post as usual but I hope that everybody is
having a good weekend!
I loved this movie when it first appeared and this song is devine.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me remember both movie and song.
It's Spooky (I don't know why my login doesn't work)
Hey Spooky! *
ReplyDeleteI loved this when it first appeared too, and I loved it when I saw it on tv sometime earlier this year. I will try to come back with more sensible comments later but at the moment I am a bit focused on the Omar and Johnny at the back of the launderette scene which Kacie reminded me of :) Mmmmm.
Side note I think laundrette was misspelled (it is launderette here and a few of them still exist) for a reason, though I don't remember what it was ...
Can say I enjoyed Austin's interview and look forward to seeing him in the noir scene of OTH :) Shame he doesn't get more input but I guess there is a set team of writers and that's it.
No real comment on Reeke running but I expect there to be some kind of fiction constructed around the pics in due course, probably with a charity theme since Jake has donned the yellow garb again and we know R is all heart :D
Happy camping PG!
I haven't seen the movie since it came out, and I'd forgotten how on some levels it is a very dark film. All I had remembered was that it was a great love story.
ReplyDeleteM, one of the things I kept wondering is whether they were just picking up where they left off, which that first kiss does seem to imply. And yet if that is the case, the way they pick up again is so matter of fact, as is their relationship in general. And I mean that in a good way. For all the turmoil around them when it comes to family, work and their relationship, there is no turmoil about their sexual identity. That to me seems as fresh as ever.
It's one of the first gay films I've seen and I remember getting all flustered when Johnny kisses Omar in a dark street corner. All tongue and lips *g*
ReplyDeleteEven with its gay content, I think the film has more to do with race and cultural issues in modern day Britain. Asians who were brought up in western world (like Omar and his cousins) are constantly struggling between the two cultures. And being a minority (and gay) complicate the issue further. And Johnny is a complicated anti-hero as well - he's been brought up a racist and a street thug, and yet he falls for Omar and mingles with Asian community.
Excellent story, it's certainly a landmark film.
You're right Special about the characters. Take Omar's uncle, for example. Family is important to him, which is why he wants to help Omar, but at the same time he gives him seemingly crappy jobs.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's the mistress. At first you have the impression the mistress is all about trying to show he's successful because he has a mistress, and a white mistress at that. But then when they juxtapose that scene of them dancing while Omar and Johnny are in the office, you realize that he really does care for her. And although it is never said, at least that I caught, his Uncle's marriage was probably an arranged one. So I felt for both him and his wife.
Saw this film when it first came out and loved it. Haven't had a chance to see it again. The main thing that I remember from it is Johnny licking Omar's neck. That scene is just so hot.
ReplyDeleteCheck IHJ- coffee pics with Deacon, Reese leaning concernedly over Deacon while Jake looks on, this woman will never stop exploiting her children. Flynet has video of them getting coffee.
ReplyDeleteI know there not a lot of traffic on this post, but let's try to keep just the movie discussion here and all the other stuff on the Friday post.
ReplyDeleteThis was really bold move on Daniel Day Lewis' part to take role like Johnny starting out. It could've gone both ways for his career. But it does show the independent and its about the story focus he has for his choices.
Again I think the washing who can and can and all that is great symbolism for the class struggle and racial tensions in London during the time.
Johnny and Omar each disappointed the other but also took care of, protected the other. Such a realistic representation of a relationship.
It is a very realistic representation, and I like the way it is not played up for "drama" but rather integrated into the story.
ReplyDeleteWhy nobody is commenting on Jake and Deacon pictures?
ReplyDeleteIs everything falling apart in the small world you've built for yourself?
Silly Sarcastic, check out previous post's comments.
ReplyDeleteMy LA Non-Tour Itinerary, by Jakey G
ReplyDeleteDiary Entry for 10/24
1. Make sure that the press photograph me leaving Heathrow - check
2. Arrange planned photo-ops with Reese - check
3. Arrange planned photo-ops with Reese's rugrats - check
4. Nurse my envy of Gemma Atherton, who has spent more time acting and promoting movies recently than planning photo-ops for Star, Hello, People and US Weekly- check
4. Avoiding commenting on anything Reese has said about the fauxmance - check
5. Avoid any mention of postponed completed films (Brothers and Nailed) or postponed uncompleted films (PoP) - check
6. Avoid all gay men and any straight male groups larger than 2 like the plague - check
7. Do not comment on Prop. 8 or the new Harvey Milk film - check
8. Do not comment on Reese's dogmeat upcoming film, Four Christmases - check
9. Do not audition for or signal any interest in any other films or plays - check
10. Vote and make sure that the press photographs you entering and leaving the voting location - ongoing
11. Do not mention that Chris has been in Europe for months - check
12. Don't spend any time with family or non-industry friends (assuming that there are any left) - check
13. Meditate, work-out, shower, wash long hair and masturbate regularly - check
14. Make sure that the press photograph me leaving LA International or arriving at Heathrow - ongoing
I'm on schedule! Now, when is the next photo-op?
I found it very interesting to watch this film with the current political climate. I know things are very different in the U.K., but it seems to me after rejecting Thatcher, Reagan, etc. that collective amnesia set in among a lot of people, and we got Bush and now we're on the verge of another economic meltdown. Now that meltdown looks like it's going to get people to vote for their economic interests, not against them, as is so often the case. I'd love to hear from someone in the U.K. on this point.
ReplyDeleteJake, will you, please, stop writing on every blog?;)
ReplyDeleteI thought the best scene of the movie was the one where they made love in the office. It was so sweet and tender. Their relationship was very real imo. I never thought about the washing of the clothes as being a parallel of the "washing out" of the old way of thinking and ushering in the new but thats a good way of looking at it. I also never gave too much thought about whether they knew each other before hand or not - I just assumed they did and it just naturally went to a higher level.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this was a very courageous role for Lewis considering the year it was made. I wonder if he thought about it too much at the time.
I suspect DDL didn't think too much about it, based on the person he is today. He seems to not care what anyone thinks, ignores "Hollywood" and only takes the roles he really wants to do.
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for films for your film club, can I suggest this one
ReplyDeletehamman
if you haven't seen it its really good and also really makes you want to go (return) to Istanbul.
There is one moment in the movie that had me puzzled. It's at a party, when Omar reaches to touch Johnny's face and Johnny rears back. Omar comments that it's just a lash or something like that. Neither was ready to be open about their relationship, so I was not sure why it was there. Filmmakers always have a reason for scenes. Maybe it was just meant to be evidence of a slip up by Omar. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
ReplyDeleteIm sure your right Destiny. I dont know too much about him as an actor. I just rented There Will Be Blood this weekend and Im anxious to see his performance.
ReplyDeleteM, I think that scene could mean several different things. One, to show how comfortable they are with each other, to the point of forgetting that anyone else is there. Another possibility is just sort of an innocence about Omar, not realizing that certain things are too intimate for two men to show who are just supposed to be friends.
ReplyDeleteThat kissing scene in the alley is a little bit like that too, with Johnny's friends just around the corner. With that scene in particular I kind of felt like Omar and Johnny felt there was already a certain amount of risk in their lives, of being on the fringe of society, so what was one more thing in the scheme of things.
Clarity, DDL is really good in There Will be Blood. He really does get lost in his characters in a way that few actors do. DDL really gets into immersed with his characters when preparing for and shooting a role, kind of the way Heath supposedly did with the Joker. It's one of the reasons why he does so few movies.
There is so much vulnerability presented in this movie, showing their weaknesses. For Johnny he is a tough guy who is trying to keep up a tough facade but can't with Omar, and when he pulls back when he touches his faces, it shows that he is not used to having anyone in his life be loving gentle tenderness. That was not his life.
ReplyDeleteBoth grew up in a society where there is not tenderness it was rough and gritty. I think that is why their moments together are so moving. They allow all of that to fall away from themselves, they are open and trusting maybe for the first time in their life.